THR Quad spasms THR

[Naps]

@Layla
Thanks, a few weeks ago I thought one month mark would never come! I saw the magnesium recomendation here and have been taking low dose ( Due to GI side effects) In the last 4 or 5 night I only had spasm ( last night, short duration.) If I can find it I'll add the quinine, too.
Also would like to add that I had a dramatic improvement this week in mobility and less pain. Using the cane out of the house, OK without it around the hose. Weird thing is that I still have to go up stairs like a toddler, one step at a time. Not stable enough on my op leg, and hurts so I think that will be awhile.
I am really monitoring my walking, a little bit more each day- I don't want a set back. Struggling with sciatica like problems, but improving very slowly with that.

 

[Layla]

Great news that the spasms seem to be easing off and hopefully the sciatica type discomfort also. I did get the quinine tip from my mom who drinks a couple ounces at night to ward off spasms and it seems to work for her. I am happy to hear you’ve enjoyed dramatic improvement and less pain this week.

Navigating steps toddler style is not at all uncommon at this point in the recovery process. Hang in there, it will come.
@Naps

 

[myglasshalffull]

I can't remember exactly how long I did toddler style stairs but then one day your brain and body just start alternating your feet up and down.
Also getting in and our of the car, prior to hip replacement just always put one leg in followed by other, then after hip I'd sit on seat with feet outside on ground then swing in, then one day I just went back to "normal" way of getting in and out, don't know how or when but brain and body agree and just says it's ok! LOL!

 

[zauberflöte]

Hi @Naps ! I don't remember how long I did toddler style steps, but it was a while. The insulted hip flexors were very touchy. There is a position called "hover plank" --which is essentially hands-and-knees except your toes are supporting your shins off the ground-- that I still cannot hold for more than a few seconds due to flexor-area pain.

So glad the spasms are easing off! I used to drink real tonic water early in my cramp journey, but somewhere I read something that put me off it. Then I read in the paper (tells you how long ago this was!) that an unwrapped bar of Ivory soap in bed with you worked. I put a bar under the bottom sheet about at knee level, and by golly it worked! Have not tried it recently though.

And hurray hurray on mobility and pain improvements! I think I remember 4 weeks as a kind of milestone, and I do remember not noticing so many day-to-day improvements, but looking back over a week there would be definite progress.

Five weeks after my second hip, I was given special clearance for a short airplane hop to participate in my mother in law's memorial service. The rutted dirt road that ran steeply downhill from church to graveside was a little challenge-- I had to step slowly and carefully so as not to jar the hip, which was still bothersome if jarred. My cane was almost no use on that road, but I didn't quite need husband's arm either. And the two flights of 16 steps apiece in the house we stayed in wore out my good leg!

Cautionary tale re stairs: 3 months after first hip, we drove to and stayed at that same house. I felt so good, and had recovered in a one-story house with no stair practise, that I tried to trot up those 16 steps the first time I did them.
OOOPS That set me back a month or more. After that I could only walk 1/4 mile at a time, which was harsh because the vacation lifestyle there includes much walk-taking. I think that was my worst case of overdoing it in both hips. I learned my lesson! Do not follow in my footsteps!

 

[Naps]

@zauberflöte the top of my thigh, around the incision and toward the side of my leg is swollen tonight. I couldn’t figure out why because I did not walk excessively today. However I did go up the stairs twice as many times as I have been doing. I didn’t realize it until I just really read your post.

I get the pain Increase from overdoing it a bit but has anybody ever had swelling come back after it got better? Don’t get me wrong , I was still swollen but it’s much more swollen tonight

Also I still have muscle pain all along the outside of a femur. Is this normal for five weeks postop? The pain is mostly to touch, along with the nerve tingling.

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @Naps
Those stairs can be tough on recovering hippies and I was still toddler stepping 12 weeks after my anterior BTHR (double trouble)

I get the pain Increase from overdoing it a bit but has anybody ever had swelling come back after it got better?

Yes ma'am and I hope you are still icing regularly. It was great for pain and even when there is no visible swelling, I'm sure there is inflammation internally as those injured muscles are still healing.

Also I still have muscle pain all along the outside of a femur. Is this normal for five weeks postop? The pain is mostly to touch, along with the nerve tingling.

Yes, my quads were my biggest pain... tender and numb patches with some errant zips and zaps... fleeting but disconcerting.
This lessened with time....

All sounds normal to me and the niggles are good reminders to stay slow and heal.
You will get there, my friend.

 

[Naps]

HI,
Today I reach my 6 week mark. The intense quad spasms are very infrequent. I do get a searing pain from glute ( surgical side) all the way down the outer part of my leg, it seems to be if I turn a certain way while sleeping. I think it might be the sciatic nerve getting pinched somehow. Luckily it doesn't last more than 10 minutes. I've been rubbing BioFreeze on my glute and outer thigh ( not on incision) when it happens. Don't know if that's what's helping or if it's the massage. Also taking the magnesium that you all recommended.
I think things are going well. I walk outside, with my cane, roughly 1500-2000 steps, weather permitting. I am now a slow walker. In the house I don't need the cane as the floor is level. I always ice afterward as I had stopped icing and that got me in a bad place.
The swelling remains across my thigh and under the incision. It isn't so much to see, but feels like a birck in my leg. Anyone else experience that?
Still taking the celebrex each day. Has anyone else taken that? If so, for how long.
Happy Valentines Day, I hope everyone is doing well. I finally have realized that slow and steady...

 

[Naps]

Hello everyone! Trying to stay warm in this frigid northeast!
Am now 6 1/2 weeks post op and last night started to have groin pain. To the point that I am limping again today.
It feels like really tight groin pulling, not the stabbing straight-in pain I had preop. It started after my walk late yesterday afternoon. I walked 2000 steps, which is my usual outside walk. I walk slowly and wear snow pants because the cold cramps up my quad muscle ( wind chill was 32 degrees).
Do you think that something that I have been doing each day ( for 2 weeks) would set off this pain? The only difference I just realized is that I forgot to ice after my walk. Would the be enough to do this?
I am thinking of trying heat and not going for my walk today. Not going really bothers me because that is what I consider to be my physical therao\py.
Thank for your input, hope everyone that is in the frigid weather today stays warm!

 

[Jaycey]

@Naps At only 6.5 weeks out that is a lot of walking! Why don't you try an active day followed by a rest day? You don't need to be constantly moving!

 

[Naps]

@Jaycey thanks. I worked up to the 2000 over the course of the past 2 weeks. I'm not sure how much I am supposed to be walking. The pain feels like a groin pull, I am wondering if it's scar tissue extending from the top of my incision? It's thicker at the top, I think because that's where my leg bends up.
I didn't walk today, I will switch to every other day, or maybe cut in half the steps?

 

[myglasshalffull]

Naps,
We just returned from vacation and place we stayed required 22 steps down and 22 steps up! Holy moly! but I was able to do them all at once and not pass out. I also walked every AM and location was hilly.
Now we are home and because I'm not using those muscles as much (we were there 2 weeks), I've had some groin pain and pinching feeling near my incision.
This AM (day 4) of being home it seems to have dissipated. I iced and took extra strength Tylenol first couple of days home. Rested a good portion of Sunday after doing laundry and unpacking.
My point is even after one year we still have times we need to dial it all back and listen to our bodies. I did walk rescue dogs yesterday and grocery shopped but managed an hour on the couch around 3PM.
It's a balancing act for sure.
I'm wishing you the best.

 

[zauberflöte]

@Naps I definitely think that something you've been doing for two weeks could cause pain lol. Might be that the other day was the straw that broke the whatever. Might be that you are tenser when walking in the frigid temps. Might be you moved funny doing some other activity that you don't remember. Might be somebody on the ISS pulled a muscle and it was passing over your house just then ok so maybe not that...

Here's another of my overdoing it stories... For my first hip, nearly 10 years ago (!!!), I decided to get some new running shoes to perhaps improve my recovery-- the old ones were a good three years old. This was at about 9 weeks, so I was driving, but still not happy sitting still for extended periods. I went to a Rack Room, hauled out half a dozen shoes, and proceeded to do way too much bending over to untie and tie all the pairs. I knew I was in trouble before I was done. Groin pain, quad pain, probably back pain (S-I joint), but I couldn't give up because the store was half an hour from home. Walking to the car was an adventure. Driving home was an adventure. I had no ice, so all the sitting did me no good either. Set me back just a tad, that did.

This recovery is a marathon, not a sprint, we say here. Also,"if it hurts, don't do it"! I definitely understand how you feel about walking being your PT, and a day with exercise in it is automatically a better day, to boot! But you may have to rest, ice, take some tylenol or whatever you have for pain. Your legs will still be there tomorrow! We only get one chance at a good early recovery, and I at least have done so many things I came to regret during my early (and late, I am equal-opportunity-stoopid!) recoveries that I want everybody else to recover smarter/better than I did!

 

[Layla]

Hello Naps,
Happy Two Month Anniversary! I hope the pain you were dealing with has eased.
Hopefully walking every other day has helped. Let us know when you have time.
All the best!
@Naps

 

[Naps]

Hello,
Just passed my 4 month post op date and have a few questions. I think I've been doing well but have a few problems.
-Had anterior approach Jan 3rd and I still have swelling located from the incision wrapping around to the back of my thigh. It gets really stiff and swells more if I don't walk during my lunch at work- or if I am too sedentary and don't get up hourly. I went back to work April 12th. My inside steps at work are about 1000-1500 up and down. Am trying to slowly increase stairs as I am not sure if that is contributing to the swelling. Anyone have any thoughts?
- I have pain that feels like a bruise along the outer part of my thigh, only when the area is touched.it used to feel like nerve tingling but now more like a bruise. I would guess it's where the implant is inside of my femur. Does anyone else have this?
- Still have pain in my non-operative "sitting bone". Any suggestions?
I saw my MD on April 11th and he said everything is going well but I am not sure if I'm still supposed to have these issues
Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[LaKarune]

- Still have pain in my non-operative "sitting bone". Any suggestions?

Do you have any arthritis in the non-op side? Having the reassurance from your MD that all is well on the op side must be comforting, and I'm wondering if you can reach out to them to ask about your non-op hip and the rest of the pain & swelling issues you're having.

Hopefully the staff crew can help answer some of them as well, but I have seen on other recovery threads that swelling several months out isn't uncommon at all, and the recommendations are always ice and elevate, as boring as that may sound (LOL). Are you able to rest more and ice and elevate on the weekend? Wondering if you've gotten any relief since you posted on Friday.

 

[Layla]

Hello @Naps

Swelling can last for months. My OS once mentioned it can last for a full year post op.

Small sensory nerve fibers are cut with the incision. These nerve fibers run from the inside to the outside of the hip. The tingling sensation you mentioned was a sign that the nerves were spontaneously firing through the regeneration process.

The area can remain tender, upon touching, for many months post op, so I wouldn't be concerned with that.

I believe finding the right balance for you will determine the amount of swelling. you experience. If you're too sedentary, there will likely be swelling, and if your activity level is more than your body is ready for, there may be swelling. Ice accordingly for relief.

Also, try icing, when you're able, the area of discomfort you described on your non operative side and see if it fades with time, likely it will.

Don't hesitate to phone your surgeons office either with questions, I am sure a member of his / her care team will gladly offer reassurance. Best Wishes as you continue the journey!

 

[Naps]

@LaKarune I did ask the surgeon, he said my non op side has some arthritis but nothing concerning at this point. I forgot to ask about the "sitting bones" but I will email his NP tomorrow. I had this before surgery, and thought it was from shifting my weight onto that side to relieve the pain on the "bad side".
@Layla that is so helpful for me to know about the regeneration. I realized the tingling was from that but didn't realize the "bruise-like" pain was also from the nerves firing. I have found that if I use a silicone strip on the healed incision, it makes it much less reactive to the pressure of my clothes.
Thank you both for your help, I am going to start icing again ( both areas)!

 

[Layla]

I think the bruised sensation (tenderness) is from soft tissue healing.
The tingling, regeneration of nerves.
Here is a link to an article on healing that you may find interesting.
Healing, how long does it take.

 

[Naps]

@Layla thanks! The chart with the healing weeks is very helpful to me. I found this surgery to be remarkable in that the moment I woke up after surgery the bone pain was gone.
It is so helpful to check back here with you all as sometimes we need a guide as to whether or not our recovery is "normal"
Thanks again!

 

[Naps]

Hi,
I hope everyone's healing is going well.
Just hit my my 5 month post op mark! Yay! The hip joint itself is doing great, but along my thigh I feel bruised when touched. Still have swelling, though. Also been having pain on the outer hips, when I sit too long and stand up. Like being squeezed from both sides. Think maybe tendons, but am unsure which ones.
Anyone have any insight to these two nuisances?
Thank you