THR Scared of getting a hip replacement

[Fitness123]

Hello,
Would like your thoughts. I have been in pain for a year now. I still workout everyday. Even if it hurts I do it. In the beginning I would still do high impact, squats lunges lots of abs. Actually kept doing it until about 3 weeks ago when the groin pain felt like fire was down there constantly. I first went to the gyno to check for infection. Had none. Then urologist. Urine was clean, bladder ultrasound and flow we’re fine. Had a pelvic transvaginal ultrasound and if showed three very small fibroids which could explain a little pressure in my lower abdomen. Is if possible I may have screwed up my pelvic floor by doing all that exercise with my hip being so bad? I have a crazy pain tolerance. I also have a 6 year old and OCD of cleaning the house. I know I am a hot mess!!!!

 

[Celle]

Yes, @Fitness123 , I do think you're doing too much exercise. You should never continue to do an exercise if it hurts. Pain is a warning sign that you are doing more than your joints are ready for, and you will only do harm if you continue.

I don't think you have damaged your pelvic floor permanently, but you have certainly inflamed it.

Squats and lunges are bad for an arthritic hip. They will just cause you more pain, so stop doing them.

You'll have to be careful during your recovery not to exercise to the point of pain. Listen to your body and try to keep it happy.

"No pain, no gain" is the wrong approach this time. I blame Jane Fonda for it. It may be part of athletic training, but it should be no part of preparation for surgery, or of recovery.
Myth busting: no pain, no gain

We prefer to say "No pain - more gain" and this is what we advise:

a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​

b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​

 

[Fitness123]

Hello,
Advice needed: Should I put off surgery to see if the pelvic floor therapist can help. Or do you think the hip needs to be fixed in order for my pelvic pain to get better? I fear that I will get the surgery and come out of it still burning in the groin/vaginal area. Then I will always be thinking do I have a UTI or vaginal infection. I am tired of living with this pain but sure don’t want to get a replacement not knowing if I have some kind of infection. Any thoughts???

 

[Pumpkin]

If you are concerned about a UTI/vaginal infection, ask to be tested now, and have it treated ASAP. You have plenty of time right now to be tested and treated.

IMO: From your description of your pain and the state of your hip, until you have a THR you likely will continue to have theses symptoms.

 

[Fitness123]

Pumpkin: I have had 5 UTI tests in the last month! All negative . Vaginal test 2weeks ago- negative

 

[Jamie]

If at all possible you might switch to water exercises. It can be easier on your body and especially your joints. But even with water exercise, please be careful not to overdo things. It's very easy to do when you're in the water, buoyant, and things feel good. Always stop way before you feel like you've done enough to allow yourself to work up the time spent in the pool slowly.

 

[Pumpkin]

Glad the tests have been negative multiple times. Should you feel like you have an infection between now and your THR, ask for another test.

IMO: your muscle spasms are caused by your hip pain from the arthritis in your hip. The pelvic floor muscles, and many of your hip muscles attach near each other on your pelvis, and are causing you the symptoms you are having.

 

[Pumpkin]

@Fitness123
You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your pre-op threads.

• That way, we have all your information in one place and will avoid duplicate advice. It makes it easier to go back and review your history before providing advice.
• If you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts and advice others have left for you in the old threads, and some information may be unnecessarily repeated
• Having only one thread will act as a diary of your progress that you can look back on.

So please post any updates, questions or concerns about your recovery here. If you prefer a different thread title, just post what you want and we'll get it changed for you.
If you need an urgent response to a question, just tag a member of staff.

Many members bookmark their thread in their computer browser, so they can find it when they log on.

 

[Celle]

Should I put off surgery to see if the pelvic floor therapist can help. Or do you think the hip needs to be fixed in order for my pelvic pain to get better?

IMO: From your description of your pain and the state of your hip, until you have a THR you likely will continue to have theses symptoms.

Pumpkln is right. It's most likely that your pelvic symptoms won't get better until your hip is fixed, so don't put off having the hip replacement.

Meanwhile, ease off doing a lot of exercises. Jamie's suggestion of exercising in water sounds good, but don't do too much. Your pelvic floor muscles need a rest, so they can calm down, relax, and lose some of their inflammation.

From now on, keep asking questions on this thread, so you'll have all the answers in one place.

 

[CricketHip]

Hi Fitness123.. Unfortunately, having an arthritic hip can cause all sorts of pain. There were days that I would have sworn it was my back that was the problem, other days it was my knee or foot! Mega pain!

I think it is in your best interest to have your hip attended to and then to let yourself recover and heal, then address whatever may still be bothering you after that. I would bet that your pelvic floor symptoms ease up significantly after your THR. Hopefully, while waiting for your surgery, the PT people can help ease some of the pain and tension that you are experiencing.

Many of us were scared and worried and then were so relieved afterwards!! If you chose your surgeon and liked him/her and the support staff, then you will need to trust in them. They seem to have hip replacements perfected, as you will see on our forum here.. meaning if you read some of the great recovery threads.

I liked Jaycey's suggestion about a nutritional drink, that could be very beneficial for you while you wait.

I hope today is a better day for you.

 

[Fitness123]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and dentistry/pelvic-floor-dysfunction
Any thoughts on the section that says Female athlete?

 

[Celle]

@Fitness123 , I'm afraid that the link you left above did not work.

I've done a bit more reading and here
https://journals.lww.com/acsm-csmr/...loor_dysfunction_in_the_female_athlete.5.aspx
I found this:

Because of the interactions between the hips, pelvis, and spine, dysfunction in any part of this interconnected chain may account for overcompensation by the pelvic floor muscles and the development of hypertonicity . Ultimately, the collaboration of several different events and symptoms can contribute to the development of nonrelaxing Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. ​

That supports what Pumpkln told you, in Post #27, above, where she wrote this:

IMO: your muscle spasms are caused by your hip pain from the arthritis in your hip. The pelvic floor muscles, and many of your hip muscles attach near each other on your pelvis, and are causing you the symptoms you are having.

Now, we are not experts on either eating disorders or pelvic floor dysfunction and we can't really advise you on those, but we do know that groin and pelvic pain can be caused by a hip that needs to be replaced.

We also know that your hip needs to be replaced and nothing is going to make it better except having it replaced. If it's not replaced, it will continue to get worse, and so will your pain.

Probably no one will be able to prove why your pelvic floor spasms and causes you problems, but we do know one very likely cause - the state of your hip.
Having your hip replaced will remove that possible cause and may resolve your pelvic floor problems as well. If it doesn't, at least you will have eliminated one possible cause, and also gained a new hip as well.

It will be interesting to hear what the pelvic floor therapist has to say, but don't postpone this surgery. You need that hip replaced, regardless of anything else.

 

[Schaargi]

Hi @Fitness123 ,

Gosh, you have so much going on and so much stress and anxiety, I want to make sure you have some emotional support.

Have you had someone you have been working with for your eating disorder and OCD? All of this going on can really take a toll.

 

[Fitness123]

I recovered from my eating disorder in 2012 when I started fertility treatment. I was able to have a beautiful little girl who is now 6. The labor was 3 days long, emergency c section in the end. Doctor thought I could give birth vaginally to s 9 lb baby. I am 5’1 and 102. My husband and family are amazing. I just can’t wrap my head around how I could manage if an infection happened now or even in 5 years. I am not so much anxious about the actual surgery itself but the foreign implant that could get infected at any time, that is very unsettling to me. I am a full time teacher and mom. I would be devastated if I couldn’t work or be at all my daughter’s events if I was dealing with infections or other complications. Yes pain is daily but I am still moving.

 

[Elf1]

@Fitness123 welcome to the forum, I see you're getting lots of great info from the staff and other members.

Just a little bit of my journey, was always a tomboy growing up, joined the Army and did things that I never knew my body could do and also had pains in places I didn't know you could hurt! I also had a tilted/out of whack pelvis, possibly from my time in service.

Had been trying to ignore the arthritis for years by going to physical therapy various times, getting injections in various locations, back, hip, sacroiliac joints, anything to avoid the idea of surgery. Fast forward to early last year, found out I had acetabular protrusion as well as severe arthritis. The injections were no longer providing any relief, my world was getting smaller, the pain was constant. I eventually started using a cane to try and take some of the pressure off my hip.

Started researching hip replacement and was totally petrified with the information I was finding online. Everything seemed to be room and gloom, worst possible outcomes. Thank goodness I found Bone Smart! Everyone here helped me weigh through all the pros and cons so that I finally got the nerve up to schedule surgery. They stayed with me all the way through pre-op and through recovery. I just passed my one year anniversary and couldn't have done it without their help.

You have definitely come to the right place and we'll be here to support you too!

 

[Jamie]

The problem with trying to endure the pain of a hip that needs to be replaced is that the arthritis is not static - it worsens with time. Not only does the pain increase, but you run the risk of having the hip suddenly collapse. That pain would put what you're going through right now to shame. You don't want that. The hip replacement offers you the opportunity to get an excellent quality of life back. Yes, there are risks with the surgery just like with any surgery. The risk of getting an infection is about 1%. Infections are treatable with excellent results most of the time, so even if you should get one it's not the end of the world.

Life is full of risks that could impact the things you're worried about like working or being at your daughter's events. By focusing on this small chance for developing an infection, you're not allowing yourself to see the good life you could have with your daughter with a functioning hip.

 

[Fitness123]

Thank you so much for all your wonderful advice and support! I cry as I write this because for the first time I have a community of people that understand me and are reaching out with so much information and guidance

 

[Celle]

We're all glad to help you.

We've all been scared before our surgeries and we've all been through joint replacement and now we know how much it improves our lives.

We'll be here for you. You can do this.

 

[Greg555]

Oh my. Can I ever relate. My hip problems most likely began from a snowmobile crash in 2007. The accumulation of that crash resulted in an eventual breakdown of the cartilage and by 2017 it was bone on bone. I to was very fitness oriented. Lots of kettlebells, weights, biking. I had to stop everything by 2018. My weight increased and I felt a loss of zest for life. I tried PT, soft tissue work, massage. My PT told me during February of this year that she couldn’t do anymore for me and offered me the name a surgeon. I eventually consulted with him in May and had my procedure on 6/29. I was so scared. Everything from not waking up following surgery to things going totally wrong. I hid my pain from everyone. To the point where I found my personality beginning to change. All to make room for my dark passenger, Mr Pain. I had no one that actually supported me though it. In fact a lot of people I was used to depend on discouraged surgery. I guess I really can’t blame any of them because I hid it so well. Surgery is a very personal thing. The thought of having some appliance in my body was creepy. In the end I just couldn’t live with it any longer. I surrendered to the inevitable. It was three weeks yesterday. I’m walking without a cane and the arthritic pain is gone. I’ve recovered all the internal and external rotation that I had in my 20’s and 30’s. I’m now 60. I’m still struggling through the early days. It’s not a cake walk. But it’s so much better than what I had before.

 

[Fitness123]

I had a complete breakdown today! I can’t do this! It is consuming me.