THR Spongebob's Recovery Journey

[Charlie33]

Over the last few weeks i have started doing strengh training of my glutes to help with my hip pain but my question is how do I know what exercises/strengh work will actually help I'm doing glute strenghing as I was told by strenghing my glutes it should help my hip pain/ache also I'm also still in the healing period too for potential another 12 months

Sadly there is no magic playbook. Trial and error my friend!

 

[Spongebob]

I'm not exercising only stretching and walking

Over the last few weeks i have started doing strengh training of my glutes to help with my hip pain but my question is how do I know what exercises/strengh work will actually help I'm doing glute strenghing as I was told by strenghing my glutes it should help my hip pain/ache also I'm also still in the healing period too for potential another 12 months

Ok, one question and an observation...lets break this down:

1) What exercises actually help? This is what I did: I started with PT (which you said you did) and then when I 'graduated' said 'thanks for the help, what are the progressions of these exercises' and tried them. Plus I watched a ton of you tube with search terms like 'hip flexor' and 'glute'. I don't use PT anymore, I just mix together everything in a way that makes sense for me. There is no magic playbook. You gotta put in the work and figure it out by trial and error amigo!

2) 'also in healing period for potential another 12 months': respectfully ... wrong ! you are not 'healing' anymore from surgery: you are 'recovering'. Recovery has no time limit. I'll be doing hip exercises for the rest of my life because they improve the quality of my life. All of my friends in the real world who have had hips and knees say the same. And there are always niggles and issues along the way.

I fully respect what you say and your advice has been fantastic and yes I'm sorry I got it wrong I'm not healing I'm recovering (which could take another 12 months) your correct and yes I'm now doing glute/hip flexor strenghing exercises daily with 1 days rest a week and walking and plenty of water and good nutrition but more importantly than that I'm now adapting the postive mindset that if I continue with it I will see improvements without even knowing it

 

[Charlie33]

I'm now adapting the postive mindset that if I continue with it I will see improvements without even knowing it

It's all connected my friend!

 

[Spongebob]

I'm now adapting the postive mindset that if I continue with it I will see improvements without even knowing it

Positive mindset is almost more important than any exercise you can do. A month before surgery I lost my job. Day 1 post op had to worry about finding a job and take care of my family. I lost sleep at night and lost a ton of weight. Turns out emotional stress not great when recovering from major surgery . Six months post op I found a job all of sudden my recovery started to pick up pace. My attitude and outlook improvement was absolutely connected to my physical improvement. It's all connected my friend!

Thats it positive attitude will bring positive results

 

[Spongebob]

Hi quick 9 months post op update I am feeling mentally better but it seems when I lie on my front I can feel like a pulling sensation in my groin (in the crease) and when I sit for a while and upon rising from the sitting postion I feel a stabbing pain and the first few steps are tough but then eases up but the main 1 is when I'm on my feet I feel more hip ache than usual (slight Instability) I just wondered is this all normal in recovery (as no surgeon told me how long to except these symptoms for) and is a dull hip ache normal till past 12 months thanks

 

[Spongebob]

Hi my doctor has requested a mri scan to see why I'm in more discomfort to see if there is any tendon/muscle/ligament issue but I have heard that it won't be able to see near the metal and get a false reading is this right but it does say they are fine after a hip/knee replacement to see muscles etc..

 

[Mojo333]

Although some old MRI scanning equipment were not compatible with prosthetics, the majority of MRI scanning equipment today is safe and compatible with hip replacement parts and your implant is most likely titanium.
Titanium is a paramagnetic material that is not affected by the magnetic field of MRI.
An MRI is an effective tool for the assessment of the periprosthetic soft tissues in patients who have had a total hip arthroplasty.

It can be effective for the evaluation of the surrounding soft-tissue envelope as well as intracapsular synovial deposits and are more effective than radiographs for the detection and evaluation of osteolysis....so if there are any issues, hopefully this can give them some insight or at least give you some reassurance.

 

[Spongebob]

Although some old MRI scanning equipment were not compatible with prosthetics, the majority of MRI scanning equipment today is safe and compatible with hip replacement parts and your implant is most likely titanium.
Titanium is a paramagnetic material that is not affected by the magnetic field of MRI.
An MRI is an effective tool for the assessment of the periprosthetic soft tissues in patients who have had a total hip arthroplasty.

It can be effective for the evaluation of the surrounding soft-tissue envelope as well as intracapsular synovial deposits and are more effective than radiographs for the detection and evaluation of osteolysis....so if there are any issues, hopefully this can give them some insight or at least give you some reassurance.

@Mojo333 You have reassured me so much thanks for that and that it's completely safe to do. Also if nothing else it will give me peace of mind that nothing is wrong hopefully or if there is a tendon/muscle/ligament issue then they will find it and also I'm not sure if a hip ache at 9 months post op is normal?

 

[Layla]

Hello and Happy Thursday to you Spongebob.

I'm not sure if a hip ache at 9 months post op is normal?

I think you realize we can not answer this. What is discomfort for one, registers as pain to another. We have different pain thresholds. This is a question for your surgeon when discussing the MRI results. We do not know what you are physically doing on a daily basis that may be causing ongoing discomfort or pain.

When are you scheduled for the MRI?

I wish you luck and hope it brings you the reassurance and peace of mind you're seeking. I know you have been troubled by this for months.
@Spongebob

 

[Spongebob]

Hello and Happy Thursday to you Spongebob.

I'm not sure if a hip ache at 9 months post op is normal?

I think you realize we can not answer this. What is discomfort for one, registers as pain to another. We have different pain thresholds. This is a question for your surgeon when discussing the MRI results. We do not know what you are physically doing on a daily basis that may be causing ongoing discomfort or pain.

When are you scheduled for the MRI?

I wish you luck and hope it brings you the reassurance and peace of mind you're seeking. I know you have been troubled by this for months.
@Spongebob

In relation to my mri scan I have got to wait for a date now also I presume its the best scan to see what's going on (if anything) and also I just wanted to know if discomfort at 9 months is not out of the normal

 

[Spongebob]

Memory gets a little foggy as it has been almost 6 years.
I had very little discomfort at 6-7 months, unless I did too much.
At 1 year, mostly pain-free, but could still cause discomfort as my muscles were still adjusting...so I knew when to dial it back.
By a year and a half, I was good to go.

So basically i have been looking back at my threads to ease my mind and read that at 1 year out you was mostly pain free (pretty much the same as me but I have a dull ache all day probably about a 2-3 at worst now) as your muscles was still adjusting (it seems to me as it's a long process for everything to settle and re adjust)then by a year and a half you was ache/pain free I really hope this is me soon

 

[Spongebob]

Knowing your history helps understand what you’re going through. Thank you for providing that critical key. I’m sorry you had to deal with Perthes Disease as you grew up. It sounds like you did an excellent job of keeping it at bay with a lot of good exercise and activity.

As you probably know, Perthes Disease causes a reduced blood flow to the head of the femur (the “ball” in your hip joint). Lack of blood weakens the bone, causes pain, changes the shape of the head, and eventually results in its collapse and the need for a hip replacement. It’s usually a very slow process. As the bone deteriorates, your soft tissues (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) all try their best to compensate for the changes in the bone to make your hip function. Your exercising through the years probably helped you strengthen your muscles to the point where it delayed the point where you would need surgery.

Now you’ve had surgery and a couple of things have happened all at once. Not only did you have the normal trauma of hip replacement surgery, but all those readjusted soft tissues have been forced back into “normal” alignment. They will readjust, but it takes a lot of time….it’s a slow process and it’s important that you take this transition to a “normal” hip slowly. Trying to push yourself too quickly will result in a lot of pain and it could slow your recovery. You must allow your body time to readjust and normalize itself.

The best news for you is that you now have a normal hip….something you never had with Perthes Disease. The bad and deteriorating parts are gone and replaced by a functioning hip joint implant. Once you’ve healed, your hip should work beautifully…something you may never have known. That’s the good news. The bad news is that this could take quite a while. Mojo333 had it right when she told you it took 2 years for her hips to comfortably allow her to resume her very active life. You need to get your head wrapped around the fact that it could be this long for you to realize the same goal. This may seem unreal, but consider how long it has taken for your body to get to the point where surgery was required. It came about slowly, over time. Recovery will be the same….slowly over time. You cannot do anything to hurry things up. However, pushing too hard and trying to do things when it results in pain can cause you delays in your recovery.

As Mojo suggested, try and focus on the positive changes that have and will continue to take place. You are no longer taking a lot of pain medications. This is HUGE and a thing to be celebrated. The surgery removed your diseased hip and replaced it with a strong new joint. You have improved in your ability to move and do things since your surgery 2 months ago. There may be other things you can list that are ”positives.”

You plan to start going in the pool again in April. This is a step forward. But please be aware that the water will give you extra support as you move and it’s easy to overdo things. Start your time there slowly with some water walking for no longer than 20 minutes your first day. See how that goes for 48 hours. If you don’t experience a lot of pain, then go again abnd try the 20 minutes of water walking with 10 minutes of slow swimming (no frog kicks for now). Then see how that goes for the next 48 hours. Continue like this for a couple of weeks with at least one day in between your swim sessions. You can add time and different water activities if they don’t give you pain the next day. But just do it gradually. You are running a marathon here….it’s not a sprint and there is no hurry for you to get to the finish line.

If you have a doctor you were seeing for your Perthes Disease prior to surgery, I suggest you make an appointment with him/her to discuss where you are with your recovery. This person may be able to better answer your questions and convince you that with your new hip, you have a lot of life ahead of you.

Just reading back through these previous replies helps me understand more why I might be still be getting this dull hip ache like you said it could take 2 years to be able to fully go back to my active life with what I was living with before the operation so just keeping my fingers crossed it improves more and more each month

 

[Jamie]

I think you are right on target. Give your body some grace as it gradually adjusts to the new normal of a replaced hip and accept that it could actually be years to completely resolve.

 

[Spongebob]

I think you are right on target. Give your body some grace as it gradually adjusts to the new normal.

Like you said it's a long process for your body to readjust and everything realign but the hip ache what is that it thst literally healing ache atill

 

[Sukuma]

Hi quick 9 months post op update I am feeling mentally better but it seems when I lie on my front I can feel like a pulling sensation in my groin (in the crease) and when I sit for a while and upon rising from the sitting postion I feel a stabbing pain and the first few steps are tough but then eases up but the main 1 is when I'm on my feet I feel more hip ache than usual (slight Instability) I just wondered is this all normal in recovery (as no surgeon told me how long to except these symptoms for) and is a dull hip ache normal till past 12 months thanks

I am 8.5 months and experience something similar, though I don't get stabbing pain, it's more like tight hip flexors. I have spoken to two surgeons about it, neither were concerned and reminded me that recovery takes time. My hip flexors also start to ache when I have walked a while - it's like my muscles stiffen up when asked to work and be stretched.

 

[Jamie]

@Sukuma and @Spongebob .... I'm experiencing the same type of thing with my year-old hip. I have scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and when my hip was replaced, it has realigned all the soft tissues surrounding the hip. It feels tight most of the time and like the tissue needs to stretch out. I can get pain if I walk or stand too much. It definitely is a long process sometimes. Sometimes we just have to be patient with our bodies.

 

[Spongebob]

Hi quick 9 months post op update I am feeling mentally better but it seems when I lie on my front I can feel like a pulling sensation in my groin (in the crease) and when I sit for a while and upon rising from the sitting postion I feel a stabbing pain and the first few steps are tough but then eases up but the main 1 is when I'm on my feet I feel more hip ache than usual (slight Instability) I just wondered is this all normal in recovery (as no surgeon told me how long to except these symptoms for) and is a dull hip ache normal till past 12 months thanks

I am 8.5 months and experience something similar, though I don't get stabbing pain, it's more like tight hip flexors. I have spoken to two surgeons about it, neither were concerned and reminded me that recovery takes time. My hip flexors also start to ache when I have walked a while - it's like my muscles stiffen up when asked to work and be stretched.

That sound good to hear (well in terms of Basically what we are feeling seems to be normal in recovery) while our bodies get used to all the new changes in our body and also the new way of walking etc.. and our bodies are saying wow that was 1 heck of a surgery but now we are all in sync and back to normal so I guess it just takes alot of time to recover and our bodies to readjust but we will get there

@Sukuma and @Spongebob .... I'm experiencing the same type of thing with my year-old hip. I have scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and when my hip was replaced, it has realigned all the soft tissues surrounding the hip. It feels tight most of the time and like the tissue needs to stretch out. I can get pain if I walk or stand too much. It definitely is a long process sometimes. Sometimes we just have to be patient with our bodies.

That's Definitely true that it can take a big amount of time for our bodies to get used to all the new changes and for our bodies to recover from all the trauma that's happened and for the nerves to settle but I am keeping in my head that 1 day soon my body will be like wow that was 1 heck of a operation but we are now back in sync and the ache will fade away to give me a full active life

 

[Spongebob]

@Sukuma and @Spongebob .... I'm experiencing the same type of thing with my year-old hip. I have scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and when my hip was replaced, it has realigned all the soft tissues surrounding the hip. It feels tight most of the time and like the tissue needs to stretch out. I can get pain if I walk or stand too much. It definitely is a long process sometimes. Sometimes we just have to be patient with our bodies.

@Jamie @Sukuma So having ache at 9 months post op is pretty normal it seems to me and for it to fade it can take a while longer yet as our bodies adjust to all the new changes and everything settles down and our body says wow that was 1 heck of a operation but now we are all in sync (past 12 months )

 

[Layla]

it can take a while longer yet as our bodies adjust to all the new changes and everything settles down and our body says wow that was 1 heck of a operation but now we are all in sync (past 12 months )

Maybe it will be 18 months, it might take as long as 24 months and sometimes improvement all the way up until
36 months. No one can say for sure...

 

[Spongebob]

it can take a while longer yet as our bodies adjust to all the new changes and everything settles down and our body says wow that was 1 heck of a operation but now we are all in sync (past 12 months )

Maybe it will be 18 months, it might take as long as 24 months and sometimes improvement all the way up until
36 months. No one can say for sure...

@Layla This is not what I want to hear lol no I'm feeling so much more postive now so by being more postive the good changes that I know will happen in the coming months will be a bonus and a blessing as I hope to return to the gym and my active life