THR Second THR

mad welshman

new member
Joined
Jan 17, 2013
Messages
6
Age
74
Location
UK
Gender
Male
I am 7 weeks post THR op on my right side and have no problem walking [without sticks ] but I do have some problems.
1. If I sit for 10-15 minutes + and then get up my hip is very sore for a couple of minutes until I get walking again and then no problem. [Like this now for about 4 weeks]
2. When I get up in the morning my back is very painful and stiff and feels as if it could "go" at any time and does not improve until I've had my shower. This has been like this since the op. [but I do suffer from a dodgy back at the best of times]
Anybody got any ideas please
 
@mad welshman Welcome to the other side. What was the date of your RTHR? I'll put the information in your signature for you.

All this sounds like normal post op issues. You are walking very differently now and depending on how long you limped around pre-op it is going to take some time for this to settle. If you already have lower back issues you new gait will impact them as well.

With all the recent chaos I doubt you can do much. But when we are done with this lockdown you might want to work with an osteopath. I have lower back issues and they really kicked off post my LTHR. A few sessions with an osteopath and things quickly settled.

I'll leave our recovery guidelines here for you:
Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
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.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of this BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for THRs
6. Access these pages on the website

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Thanks for your surgery date! You will notice that I have merged your two threads together as we prefer that members in recovery only have one thread.

This is for three reasons:
1. if you keep starting new threads, you miss the posts others have left you in the old threads
2. it often ends up that information is unnecessarily repeated
3. it's best if we can keep all your recovery story in one place so it's easily accessed if we need to advise you.

Please keep all your questions and updates on this thread.
 
@mad welshman Your description sounds a lot like my experience dodgy back and all. With my first I had what many describe a stutter step when first getting up. On the second one I had the soreness for the first steps, still happens but it's less and less every day. As far as my back goes it's hurt before and I guess it will continue to hurt. Hot showers and the hot tub make mine feel better. My back hurts when I first get up in the morning and eases off with walking, then gets to hurting depending on what work I do.
 
I developed piriformus syndrome before my TKR and it really bothered me after my surgery.

I found the lidocaine patches help and a back compression belt. I bought my belt for about $20 at a drug store. Heat helped me more than ice. Try both and see which works for you.

After I have my hip replaced I'm going to a chiropractor. Pamper your back!
 
Recovery from hip replacement surgery is pretty uneven, with things popping up unexpectedly sometimes. Checking in with people here on the Forum will be really helpful for you in determining which things are common, and which might be worth a call to talk on the phone/teleconference with your doctor.

The other thing that many of us have found is that while the hip replacement did take care of the pain generated by our bad hip, the reality is that many of us have concurrent issues, and those will still be there after the hip surgery. For me, while I do have some ongoing back pain, it is manageable, and nothing like horrendous pain from the bad hip. And because I have a new hip, it is much easier to do the kinds of activities that actually help my hip. So hang in there---you are very early in your recovery. Take care.
 
Hello and welcome to the forum! :wave:
That stiffness and tenderness when getting up after sitting is very common. Then one day it's not nearly as noticeable, but it can still hang around for several more months.
I find it still happens if I take a long walk or do some activities and then sit down.. I stiffen up.

I am also getting older. :loll: That may be part of the problem.
Hang around with us. We will help you pass the time.
 
Hello and Happy Monday @mad welshman
Stopping by to say Hi and see how you’re doing these days. We’d love to read about your progress if you have time to share an update.
Wishing you a great week and all the best as you continue the journey.
HAPPY TWO MONTH ANNIVERSARY!!
 
Happy Three Month Anniversary!
We miss you and hope all is well. We’d love to hear from you.
All the best moving forward! :)
@mad welshman
 
Hi @mad welshman ,
#1 - is totally normal and should get better with more healing.
#2 - This is a situation that I have a lot of experience with! I did "something" to my back a way long time ago when I was in college - doing light weight dead lifts (I'm such a glutton for punishment) - it has persisted for these years until recently I started doing what I call reverse planks. GET A DOCTORS APPROVAL IF YOU WANT TO TRY THESE. I lay with my back on the floor, get a chair (you would get a very low object, shoebox height to start), place my heels of my feet on the chair and stiffen my body so it is lifted off the floor in a plank fashion. I held it for 10 seconds when I first started doing them then upped the height and duration of the exercise. I found it strengthens and "contracts" muscles in my back that were directly responsible for my low back pain. I AM JUST SAYING THIS WORKED FOR ME IT MAY NOT BE RIGHT FOR YOU.

This is something else that worked for me - my wife got a back exercise pad from Walmart and I stole it because it worked so well.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/SPRI-Back-stretch-Relax-Massager/124874528

I'm going to use it right now!

Good luck!
 

BoneSmart #1 Best Blog

Staff online

  • Jamie
    Staff member since Feb, 2009

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
65,179
Messages
1,597,054
BoneSmarties
39,363
Latest member
HikerWalker
Recent bookmarks
0
Back
Top Bottom