Hip Arthroscopy Question about Post-OP Pain (5 Weeks)

[Eman85]

Uneven terrain was very rough on my new hips for the first months.

 

[EricC]

I would try and ice it and elevate it as well. Even now I do that when things get a bit irritated. Always seems to help.

Thanks, I've been doing that. It really does help!

 

[zauberflöte]

@EricC , sounds like two things-- you've figured out your best path for recovery, and..... you are now a card carrying member of the ODIC! (as in, overdoing it club.....) Congratulations on both!

 

[EricC]

@EricC , sounds like two things-- you've figured out your best path for recovery, and..... you are now a card carrying member of the ODIC! (as in, overdoing it club.....) Congratulations on both!

I really am trying not to overdo it! It's frustrating sometimes, because my hip doesn't seem very good at communicating what it needs.

It's like this - I'll go for a short 5-10 minute walk outside every other day, and afterwards my hip will be painless or nearly painless. After a few of those short walks, I'll become more confident and I'll go for a slightly longer 15-20 minute walk. After that, my hip decides to get inflamed and hurt for days. What is even more frustrating is that during the walk itself there is very little if any pain.

It feels like there are only two modes for my hip - no pain and full inflammation. I wish there was more in-between. Like, I wish my hip would mildly hurt to let me know to step back. Instead it just gets very angry at me.

Sorry for the long vent, back to rest for me!

 

[FCBayern]

Unfortunately that's completely normal. Our hips never give us an indication that we have done too much at the time it always just makes us pay the price later. This too shall pass.

 

[Hip4life]

Man, I understand how frustrating all of this may be for you.Unfortunately, it is fairly normal. One more thing occurred to me. How is your gait? Are you limping or does anyone else notice that you limp? (I ask this because I thought I was good until my husband mentioned my limp. What limp?! LOL) If walking farther or longer is bothering you, you may want to go back to your walking aid, cane or crutch for a little while longer. It may be that your hip just needs a little weight off of it again. No harm or shame in that if it helps. I speak from experience. Keep us posted.

 

[Natka]

Sounds very much like my story, I had an impingement and labrum detachment. For 5 weeks I felt absolutely delighted as was progressing well and pain free. The same with PT, he sends the exercise videos online and I just do them at home. Few days ago he sent me more complex exercises and I tried them very slowly, as I was warned about flare ups. I felt no pain doing them, but after a couple of days noticed that the hip is a bit angry at me while walking. And then it built up to the point where I had to go to serious pain killers and anti inflammatories The pain is almost unbearable, to the extend when I am shaking, though I take drugs as prescribed. Going to see my surgeon today with X-rays, praying he will advise what is causing the pain and it is something that will go away! I must admit I was not prepared that it will be so challenging! And thank you all for sharing your experience and advice, I am icing it now, and does give a relief!

 

[EricC]

Man, I understand how frustrating all of this may be for you.Unfortunately, it is fairly normal. One more thing occurred to me. How is your gait? Are you limping or does anyone else notice that you limp?

From week 7 to early week 9 I had been walking without a limp, but when the hip became irritated I subconsciously started limping a bit. This was pointed out to me by a family member. I have started using the cane whenever I notice myself limping. Otherwise, I walk with a normal gait.

I felt no pain doing them, but after a couple of days noticed that the hip is a bit angry at me while walking. And then it built up to the point where I had to go to serious pain killers and anti inflammatories.

That is exactly how it comes on for me as well. I will do something that triggers the inflammation. On the day that I engage in exercise, it will not be very painful. The following day it will usually only be a little painful, but by then it's already too late to do anything about it, because even if I rest and ice it all day it will be much more painful the following day.

After my first flare up, I started keeping logs of the days that I feel bad.

It's really easy to read. The first number in the parentheses is my average pain throughout the entire day. The second number is my worst pain I felt during that day.

(Average Pain - Maximum Pain)

(1-2) - 4/16/20 - Heavier PT exercises
(1-4) - 4/17/20
(1-4) - 4/18/20 - Gentler exercises
(4-7) - 4/19/20
(1-4) - 4/20/20
(2-4) - 4/21/20
(1-2) - 4/22/20
(2-6) - 4/23/20
(0-2) - 4/24/20
(1-3) - 4/25/20
(0-3) - 4/26/20
(2-3) - 4/27/20

(0-1) - 5/12/20 - 30+ minute slow walk
(1-3) - 5/13/20 - PT Exercises, 20+ minute walk
(1-2) - 5/14/20 - New PT Exercises with PT
(1-2) - 5/15/20
(3-5) - 5/16/20 - Feeling bad, walking with crutches again
(2-5) - 5/17/20
(3-6) - 5/18/20
(2-3) - 5/19/20
(1-3) - 5/20/20 - Feeling better, resumed gentle walking without crutches
(3-4) - 5/21/20
(1-2) - 5/22/20 - Today, feeling much better

Lots of ups and downs, as you can see. Aside from the first week, pretty much all other days were painless or nearly painless. I did not bother to record those days, but they would all be (0-1) or just (0).

Also, I feel like if I did not have that face down massage pillow for my bed that lets me rest on my stomach for long periods of time without causing neck pain, I would be in much more pain. I don't know why resting on my stomach helps so much, but it really does make me feel better - usually within 30 minutes. Without that, most of the days where I recorded a (1-4) would likely be a (3-4).

 

[Natka]

@EricC thank you so much for sharing your story and very detailed response. Really appreciated! I suppose my problem is that the pain doesn't ease, instead building up. I am now off PT since last Saturday, lying and can barely walk around the house! Icing as much as I possibly can. Take pain killers and anti inflammatories, but the pain is not any better. Saw my surgeon today and he did x-rays and confirmed that nothing is wrong with the surgery he has done which is very positive. He suggested that I have a steroid injection done to ease pain and inflammation. I have never done it before so don't really know what effect it might have and for how long. Really frustrated! Thank you once again!

 

[EricC]

@EricC thank you so much for sharing your story and very detailed response. Really appreciated! I suppose my problem is that the pain doesn't ease, instead building up. I am now off PT since last Saturday, lying and can barely walk around the house!

I know the feeling of being barely able to walk around. When my hip is irritated it seems to stay irritated for a very long time, and may hurt for many days even if I rest it, unless I'm lying on my stomach as that seems to offer me a little temporary relief.

When my hip was not irritated, I was able to walk around normally without pain between week 7 and early week 9. However, when it was irritated walking only compounded that irritation and made me feel much worse. I think that is why 5/21 felt so much worse than 5/20 in my log, even though I was on the recovery phase of this latest flare-up. In the days prior to that, I had been walking with the crutches to keep my hip happy. Had I tried to walk normally at 5/16, when the inflammation was coming on strong, I feel like 5/17 would have been hell and I would have been hurting for much longer.

What I mean to say is that just because you can't do something you were able to do a couple of weeks ago, does not necessarily mean that something is catastrophically wrong. It just means your hip is angry, and you'll be back to where you were again when the inflammation goes down. If it's anything like my hip, it could take weeks to become less irritable.

I just read your thread and saw that your pain was between 7 and 10. Sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better soon!

I am not sure how you rank your pain, but here is my scale, and what I generally do when I feel bad at week 10 - but I'm a guy who tends to overdo it, lol

0, No Pain
Normal activities

1, Very Mild Pain
Normal activities (Slower Pace)

2, Mild Pain
No strenuous exercise, just walking and range of motion stuff. No long walks.

3, Moderate Pain
At this point, things become very uncomfortable, and I only do gentle slow walking around the house, every few hours. I rest and ice off and on throughout the day. I may take a single IBUProfen at night if the pain keeps me awake.

4, Moderate Pain
At this point, I only get up only for necessities, and I use the cane to walk. I switch between lying on my stomach, lying on my back, and sitting for short periods of time. I ice throughout the day. I take a single IBUProfen at night to sleep.

5, High Pain
At this point, I have messed up and I'm using both crutches again. I spend the entire day resting, mostly on my stomach. I use ice frequently. I take 1-2 IBUProfen at night to sleep.

6, High Pain
Same as 5, except I may take painkillers during the day in addition to the night.

7, Severe Pain
This is the point where I actually begin to tremble in pain. At its worse, it has caused a panic attack. There is nothing to do but rest, ice, and take painkillers at this stage.

10, Extreme Pain
Dental drill going into a nerve without anesthetic. My hip pain has never reached this level.

 

[Natka]

@EricC thank you so much! After reading your message, I feel a bit more positive, I hope I will be able to go back to no pain days. And reading your pain scale, I suppose I am more like your 7, but I suppose I am not that strong. When the hip issue started, almost 2 years ago, I managed without pain killers for months, though some days were very challenging! But I believe the pain chipped away bits by bits from old me (till 45 I was blessed with good health and very good life! always active from childhood!), this is the first serious health issue I have encountered, And when the left hip started giving up on me in addition to the right flare up, I did have shakes and panic and more! Sorry for a long message. I have been trying to stay positive, but it is hard when the pain hits you. It is so good that this site has so many people like you, who can offer advice, support and share their stories. I read some information prior to the surgery and nearly always it said you will be back to normal life within a few weeks! Maybe some people are that lucky, but would be great if some more helpful information like on this forum was offered before the surgery. It is a shame I didn't find this forum before my surgery. But now I have some hope. Thank you once again!

 

[Mojo333]

Hi @EricC
Hope today is a good day and I echo the above sentiments that pushing activity levels as far as one can will often land you in the ODIC, and nothing is to be lost by cutting way back, as strengthening and toning is easier after all that surgical trauma has settled.
Not sure how long you have been sleeping on your stomach, but i I must caution members to check with their surgeons first, as this is a position most surgeons want you to forego for at least the first 6 weeks.
The concern is that you would turn your leg outward or twist at the hip, which could put you in danger of dislocation.

Slow and steady wins this race...hope your weekend is sweet!

 

[Natka]

Hi @EricC I hope you are having a great day and enjoying a bit of walking around.
If you don't mind me asking as your situation in regards to surgery is similar to mine. How often do you have flare ups and is it any trend in them, eh.though they might happen, but shorter in terms of timeframe, etc. and how soon you would expect your recovery to be complete? I know everyone is different and does it at their own pace, but I now realized that I received very misleading information about this surgery and now have to rethink a lot including realistic exercise routine and recovery time.

Any advice from anyone really would be great!

Thank you in advance!

 

[EricC]

Hi @EricC
Not sure how long you have been sleeping on your stomach, but i I must caution members to check with their surgeons first, as this is a position most surgeons want you to forego for at least the first 6 weeks. The concern is that you would turn your leg outward or twist at the hip, which could put you in danger of dislocation.

Thanks for the warning. I did not rest of my stomach on the first week or so, because the painkillers made it unnecessary. In the next few weeks, I did not need to rest on my stomach much either, as my activity level was very low and I was mostly resting. I only started lying on my stomach on a more regular basis around the 4-5 week mark, and I was very careful not to twist the hip in a bad way at first. Thankfully, at week 10 it feels like much less of a danger now.

How often do you have flare ups and is it any trend in them, eh.though they might happen, but shorter in terms of timeframe, etc. and how soon you would expect your recovery to be complete?

I had two flare ups so far. One at the 5-week mark, and one at the 9-week mark. In these flare ups, the worst of it usually lasts for a few days, as you can probably see from my log, but my hip may remain generally irritable for much longer than that. For me it can take over a week to be totally pain free or nearly pain free again. I have no idea when my recovery will be complete. It's taking longer than I expected as well. I hope that in a month or two I will be mostly recovered, though I have read here and elsewhere that it can take up to a year before things like jogging will not cause pain.

 

[Natka]

[QUOTE="Mojo333, post: 1415630, member: 251
I had two flare ups so far. One at the 5-week mark, and one at the 9-week mark. In these flare ups, the worst of it usually lasts for a few days, as you can probably see from my log, but my hip may remain generally irritable for much longer than that. For me it can take over a week to be totally pain free or nearly pain free again. I have no idea when my recovery will be complete. It's taking longer than I expected as well. I hope that in a month or two I will be mostly recovered, though I have read here and elsewhere that it can take up to a year before things like jogging will not cause pain.

[/QUOTE]
Hi @EricC . Thank you for your prompt response. Greatly appreciated! I hope the rest of your recovery will be smooth and you will be back to your favourite sports activities very soon!
Please send some updates. It is reassuring and always good to talk to someone who is ahead on the journey one is taking and knows what it feels like.

 

[EricC]

Thank you for your prompt response. Greatly appreciated! I hope the rest of your recovery will be smooth and you will be back to your favourite sports activities very soon!
Please send some updates. It is reassuring and always good to talk to someone who is ahead on the journey one is taking and knows what it feels like.

No problem

This forum has helped me too, so I'd like to give back a little. I intend to continue posting status updates every now and then, until I eventually recover. As of today, I am mostly pain free and walking around again. Mild pain is still present every now and then, and I'm taking frequent rest breaks so that it stays mild.

 

[EricC]

Week 11 has been pretty good to me so far. I've been walking casually again through the house without any kind of crutches. I did go outside again a couple of days ago, but only for about 15 minutes. I was careful and walked slow. Pain has been present off and on, but overall it's minimal. It remains within the 0-2 range most of the day. When I start to feel even a little pain I rest until it goes down.

 

[EricC]

I have been walking a lot and using the elliptical at a slow pace. Pain has been pretty low in general for weeks 12 and 13, aside from one point when I slightly overdid it on the elliptical and got inflamed for about 3-4 days afterwards. It's almost week 14 now, and I'm feeling pretty good in general.

Sitting for long periods of time still seems to irritate me a bit. The pain from sitting is not nearly as intense as it used to be before my surgery, but it's still present at times and can be a little annoying.

 

[zauberflöte]

@EricC oh my! My pain scale is very different from yours. I medicated to stay at 1.5 or below, where 10=being flayed alive. I've had many periods of chronic pain in my life, and I know how it wears me down. For my hips, I took narcotics for much longer than you have taken anything, because they allowed my outlook to be positive by suppressing the pain to a dull niggle. Had no problem weaning because after a time the side effects just plain aren't worth it. And was lucky to have quite seamless transitions to tylenol+ibuprofen at about 4 weeks each time. We are all different, eh?

 

[EricC]

@EricC oh my! My pain scale is very different from yours. I medicated to stay at 1.5 or below, where 10=being flayed alive. I've had many periods of chronic pain in my life, and I know how it wears me down. For my hips, I took narcotics for much longer than you have taken anything, because they allowed my outlook to be positive by suppressing the pain to a dull niggle. Had no problem weaning because after a time the side effects just plain aren't worth it. And was lucky to have quite seamless transitions to tylenol+ibuprofen at about 4 weeks each time. We are all different, eh?

For me, I generally don't take medicine during the day if I can help it. I just ice and rest if I can get away with it. However, I do take IBUProfen before bed if my pain is approaching 3 or higher, so that I can get good sleep.

Right now, if I sit for too long I experience pain in the 1-3 range. My normal background pain ranges from 0-2, depending on how active I have been through the day. If I walk around too much and don't rest my leg enough it gets a bit irritated and tends towards the 2 range the following day. When I hit the elliptical too hard last week, I experienced pain in the 2-5 range for about 3-4 days.

That is without any kind of pain medicine (during the day). I'm not sure if those numbers are good or bad at this stage. I see my hip doctor in about 3 weeks for a general checkup.