THR So much pain after 8 months

[HertsHippy]

I had groin and other pains for a while. My OS said the groin pain was normal and was due to the adductors being atrophied from OA. All is getting better over time but niggles take a while to go away totally.

 

[hbl]

I'm also having a lot of glute pain and then running down outside of leg and into inner knee. Had bhr nearly 4 weeks ago. If you can take a high dose anti inflammatory (at least 75mg, I have Dicoflenac) then this would help. My physio has also given me some great advice which has really helped - when you are walking clench your butt muscles on and off as you walk this really helps strengthen the glutes. Also if anyone is still on double crutches but can get around with one then, as you walk, raise the opposite arm and hand in the air. This balances the body and ensures all the muscles in both legs/hips and butt are working as they should. Probably looks very strange when you're out and about but what the hell! Lastly, my physio has worked on pressure points to release and soften the really 'hard' muscles. VERY painful at the time (I don't think she realised how many swearwords I knew) but boy does this prove to work. Hope all this helps.

 

[Stellamac]

@hbi I do take the anti- inflammatory you are speaking of too. I also have been doing exercises that helps with piriformis muscle. When you speak of phisio? Is that Physical Therapy you are speaking of? Your information is very helpful and I will definitely try that suggestion. Who cares what we look like as long as it helps right? I wish there was a miracle cure for all of it. When all of my issues began with the pain in glutes and groin they thought it was piriformis and/or bursitis. Treated me for 4 years with injections and PT, and of course none of it helped bc it was actually my hip. I had something called retroversion which caused a torn labrium and impingement. So THR was my only option. I am happy it is behind me but get frustrated when I am still having the same pain afterwards. I just can not decifer whether it is healing pain or something is wrong. Kinda silly I know but I have learned so much reading some of the posts on here. Thanks again for your info and I hope you get to feeling better soon.

 

[hbl]

When I say physio it's short for Physiotherapist (that's what we have in the UK maybe US different?). I have had this type of pain previously but down my left buttock and leg which was triggered by an L3/4 disc prolapse then badly treated by a chiropractor who literally did something which trapped the sciatic nerve when I was in my early thirties. Over the years I have managed this and not had another attack by a) regular osteopathy maintenance every fortnight b) a GOOD bed (so important and I certainly know it when we travel and experience bad beds - for me it has to be firm but with a soft top) and probably the life changer was c) weeky pilates which I have now done for 9 years on a 1 to 1 basis so my core is very strong and d) occasional 75mg dicoflenic (can't take this for the moment as am still on blood thinners for another 10 days). All of this keeps my pelvis in balance and any periformis issues at bay. Of course I have not been able to do a), c) or d) for 4 weeks now and combined with back sleeping I think this has triggered everything off. Plus I have learnt on this site that the degree of man handling that goes on during surgery your knees are badly treated so God knows what positions they had us in! The other thing I'm finding vital is my wonderful recliner - lived without one for a week and I thought I was going to go through the roof with pain and as everyone else says ice, ice, ice on my lower back, thigh and knee. My left side hip is feeling super strong but my right hand hip is a long way behind. So, I know our histories are a little different but hopefully you might find this helpful. Best wishes for everything.

 

[tollertwins]

I’m about a week out. The adductors are mad (groin pain) and I have the knot in the butt, too. If you are going to PT have them do some soft tissue work. Otherwise, see if you can get the surgeons OK to have some deep tissue massage done.

Part of what the soft tissues have to do is adapt to your body not being crooked. They get really confused.

They lengthened my right leg, but it had been short for so long that I keep wanting to list over that way anyway.

 

[Jaycey]

@Stellamac 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. If you would like a new thread title just give a shout.

Piriformis - I had a horrid case of this post LTHR. I found 2 things that worked. Sitting on an ice pack and gentle hamstring stretches from a seated position.

 

[Stellamac]

I wanted to poll the forum to see if anyone has tried or would recommend a deep muscle massager for abductor muscles and glute muscles. I was encouraged by a PT friend of mine to use one as it is to hard to do the hamstring exercises and massage the abductor muscles. I guess I am using all the right terminology. The one where leg hangs over bed to stretch.

 

[Stellamac]

Please forgive me if I am posting in wrong place. I know there is a place to add but I can quite figure out where to go. I am still having a lot of pain after 4 months. I am having daily hip pain still and my knee swells also. I am elevating, icing, taking pain medication and Tylenol and still no relief. I am not doing a lot of exercises bc I did Pt and it only made my piriformis muscle and abductor muscle very tight and sore. I had deep tissue massage and dry needle to loosen the muscles so that I could actually walk. I am just wondering have I done something out of normal that could cause this. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[SE Florida]

So sorry to hear you're in such pain. One of the forum advisors will be on here soon to answer your questions. Have a restful evening.

 

[Pumpkin]

@Stellamac
You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:

• That way, we have all your information in one place. This 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.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.

 

[Pumpkin]

I am having daily hip pain still and my knee swells also.

Has your knee be checked to find out why you have swelling?
A bum knee can refer pain to the hip and vice versa.

You or PT may have overdone your exercises, setting your recovery back. Go back an read the recovery articles left for you in post #5 of this thread.

 

[Stellamac]

Yes I had an x ray and it showed arthritis also. I had a lot of pain in my knee prior to surgery and just thought it was coming from the hip. But obviously it was another issue. So next step is injection in knee which I hope helps with my walking/gait. I hope this will then relieve some pain in the hip too. It is still as painful today as it was before the surgery. I still can not put full weight on it or walk right. I still take steps one at a time also. Is this normal? At 4 months. I expected healing pain but this doesn’t seem to be that. Any suggestions on what to do next?

 

[Yogigirl]

Yes I felt groin pain yesterday... after doing the leg raises it felt like my hip flexor muscles were very sore and aggravated. If yours were weak or tight prior to the operation (they very often are) then maybe cut back a little on leg raises and quad activating movements as they may grab in your groin :(
Also this is where we tighten up during stress! So try not to stress about it as it will make it worse.
And ice. I found that really helped

 

[prairienut]

Stellamac, to answer your question from a couple of months ago, I had a revision because the femoral component became loose 9 years after a THR, most likely caused by "bad luck," When the loosening happened starting over a year ago, the pain was on the outside of the hip, but even worse than the pain was a feeling of instability. A couple of times, my hip seemed to suddenly "give way" and I fell to the ground, luckily in my garden both times so it was a soft landing. I never felt groin pain as you say you are experiencing. It seems unfortunate that at 4 months you are still having so much pain. The diagonsis is complicated in your case because of the knee issue. I hope you get some answers. What does your surgeon have to say about this much pain at 4 months out?

 

[Stellamac]

He is not sure at this time he feels that the pain in my hip could be possibly coming from my knee because with the swelling and fluid it causes me pain and that throws my walking off. He wants me to get an injection to drain fluid which will possibly help my knee which Will hopefully improve my walking and take strain off of my hip. If that doesn’t work he wants to recheck my hip with scans to see which one it truly is that is causing the pain.

 

[Stellamac]

Wondering if people on this forum can comment on how their recovery is @ 8-9 months. I still have a lot of the same pain that I had before my surgery that I can not tell if something is wrong or if it is still considered healing pain. Most of the pain is near the incision site and I have a sore, burning, and pulling sensation in the groin. I also have right flank pain and sometimes back pain that runs down the sciatic nerve into the balls of my foot. I recently had an injection in my iliosos that hasn’t helped much, I still limp when I walk, and I ice every single day many times a day. What else could be wrong when the x Ray shows that everything was done correctly. What could I suggest to my surgeon to check, could this all be from nerves and muscles all this time? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Pumpkin]

@Stellamac
You'll notice that I have merged your newest thread with your original recovery thread. For several reasons, we prefer that you only have one recovery thread:

• That way, we have all your information in one place. This 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.
How to tag another member; how to answer when someone tags you

Here are the instructions on finding your thread, How can I find my threads and posts? . Many members bookmark their thread, so they can find it when they log on.

 

[Pumpkin]

Stellamac,
Sorry to hear you are having continuing problems and pain with your THR.

Sounds like you need some fresh eyes to take a look at your hip, and do a comprehensive evaluation of your symptoms to determine what is causing your pain and where it is coming from.

Recommend you seek a second opinion for your THR, from a surgeon specializing in Revisions, they have the education and background to determine what is happening with troubled hips. Look for a surgeon specializing in complex joint reconstruction or revisions. They should have no relationship with your present OS, not even golf buddies.

Keep us posted on how you are doing.

 

[Stellamac]

Could you tell me what test that could be done in order to show that a revision would need to be done? Like what would show that would warrant that? Would it mean the replacement was too big or too small? I am trying to determine how to get to a revision specialist?

 

[Layla]

Hi @Stellamac
I'm sorry you're struggling so. Since you're not getting any satisfaction from your surgeon it may be best you try to locate a revision specialist for a second opinion. Start with our Surgeon Locator https://bonesmart.org/surgeonlocator/ and see if you come up with a specialist in your area. If you don't have any luck, begin doing some online research for surgeon's in your area.

Sadly, you shouldn't have to make suggestions of options for your surgeon to investigate. It should be the other way around. Please do some research, stay in touch and let us know what you find out. We're here and we care.
Wishing you comfort in your search.