THR sportbrown's Hip Recovery

[mendogal]

You're in the same boat many of us have been in following major orthopedic surgery. We really haven't been clearly told what to expect in recovery, so it's normal to worry!
(If it's any consolation, after my first knee replacement, once I started walking outside I was sure that if I merely misstepped I would break the implant!)

 

[myglasshalffull]

At only 3 weeks in to recovery try giving yourself a break. PT person ever have their hip replaced?
No one is "text book" in recovery. Joe down the street claims he played tennis 2 weeks after hip replacement, well good for Joe, but I can't play tennis anyway!
Continue to use assistive devices & if you still have walker laying around maybe use that as well in between times of using cane.
Hang in there, you will get better.

 

[sportbrown]

Thanks for the reassurances. Just when I think I'm making progress, I then start to compare myself to others and think that something must be wrong with me. If I could turn off my brain for a few weeks I'd be better off. Ha!

 

[sportbrown]

4 week post-op update:

Well, my groin pain is just not budging at 4 weeks post-op. The websites I read state that pain is normal for 2-4 weeks, but that if it is still just as bad at this point, then something might be very wrong. From all my reading I fear that it may be iliopsoas impingement. Has anyone else had this experience.? Some advice online says to stop PT immediately. Some advice says to get a great PT to help. Some advice is to rest in bed all day. Some advice is to wait it out. I am still using the cane because it helps alleviate some of the groin pain, but this situation is not sustainable for me. I had hoped to at least see some signs of healing by this point. I wasn't even using a cane or walker before my surgery, so thus far I am far worse off than I was before surgery with no sign of improvement. Again, thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Eman85]

What PT are you doing? Pain at 4 weeks happens easily from trying to do too much with damaged tissue. Are you icing?

 

[Jockette]

I wasn't even using a cane or walker before my surgery, so thus far I am far worse off than I was before surgery

You are worse off now, temporarily, because the surgery to help your hip caused a lot of trauma and disruption, from which you now need to heal, and healing takes time.

 

[Layla]

Happy One Month Anniversary! (a day early )
Your PT may be your problem. You can try stepping away for a time and ice the area that is causing discomfort or pain several tines a day, always placing fabric between the ice source and bare skin.

It is not necessary to exercise your injured hip to promote healing. The controlled trauma sustained through THR will heal on its own. Often though, we're impatient and want to move the process along. In doing so we run the risk of struggling with pain and setbacks stalling the healing process. The best therapy for recovery is walking, but not to excess. Start slowly increasing time and distance incrementally in an effort not to overdo it.

Wondering if this article describes your pain?

Psoas pain

People often get confused about psoas pain as it seems to be so spread out. But the psoas is a huge muscle so if you get inflammation/pain, it can occur almost anywhere. You can see the spread of it here The psoas is a unique muscle. It connects the lower spine to inside of the hip and then...

bonesmart.org

If willing, please share what a typical PT session has been for you. Also, times per week you're attending.
I wish you comfort and hope you're soon able to move forward without the pain.
@sportbrown

 

[sportbrown]

Thanks all!

I have a physical therapist who comes to the house. In the first couple of weeks she just showed me how to do things, more like occupational therapy (get up from chair, get into bed, go up stairs). The groin pain was already there but has never gotten better. Now, my PT sessions involve some stretching and strengthening because PT says that is to strengthen other muscles to take over and take stress off the one that is painful. Stretches on stairs with operated leg up on step. Stretching side to side, also some walking without cane which is most painful with operated leg bearing all my body weight. I ice and take tylenol to help. PT is 2x/week. Next week will be my last week of PT.

 

[Layla]

Next week will be my last week of PT

I'll be curious to see if it eases once you complete PT. Please keep us posted and ice and take it easy as you're able. As you already know, four weeks into the healing process is early in the entire scheme of things.
Have a happy 4th!

 

[Crazyjan62]

Hello. So far not so good. I am a 65 year old woman and had my surgery on June 4. So it's been 8 days. It was lateral, minimally-invasive with Mako robot assisted total hip replacement. I was sent home a few hours after waking up in recovery. I waited so long for the right time to have the surgery and was determined to do everything right so I could get my life back and be there for my family. On hospital discharge, I was given exercises to do, and was instructed to get up and walk 5 minutes every hour. It soon became clear that my arms are very weak, so just getting in and out of bed and chairs has caused me so much shoulder pain that I worry I have already torn my rotator cuff just trying to manage. Also, groin pain from walking is excruciating, and so now I spend all day and night in bed. No walking anymore. All the pain just from trying to get up to use the bathroom has caused me to regress to worse than I was the day they sent me home. I can barely walk to the bathroom with a walker, plus the 81 mg aspirin for blood thinning is causing me nausea and vomiting and diarrhea. I can no longer get out of bed without my husband pushing me up from behind. Any slight movement makes my groin pain unbearable, and a cry out in pain every time I get up. My husband didn't bargain for this kind of recovery either. We had watched videos of people going from walker to cane within days, and so we are shocked at what this surgery has done to me. I'm afraid I will need to go to a nursing home for a time. I had been worried that something had gone wrong with my implant, so the other day I had my husband put me into a wheelchair and take me to the hospital for an xray to check that my implant was okay (it is). Tomorrow the physical therapist is coming for the first time, and I'm afraid for her to even touch me. Sorry to be such a downer, but I'm hugely discouraged and wish I'd never had this surgery. I know there is a 95% success rate, but I'm fearing that I'm in that unlucky 5% group.

Hi I'm in England. You don't mention pain medication. I was sent home without any by mistake. 26 hrs later I got oral morphine only 2.5 because of my other medication for other conditions .please ask for pain medication . I'm sending hugs and prayers

 

[mendogal]

Hi I'm in England. You don't mention pain medication. I was sent home without any by mistake. 26 hrs later I got oral morphine only 2.5 because of my other medication for other conditions .please ask for pain medication . I'm sending hugs and prayers

@Crazyjan62 thank you for caring. This post was over three weeks ago and as you can see she's doing quite well.

 

[sportbrown]

Thanks again to everyone. Will post again next week. Happy 4th of July!

 

[trailrunner]

I had a lot of groin pain after my surgery. I had my surgery 10.5 weeks ago, and I still have a little groin pain. For me, before surgery I couldn't bring my knee inwards, so I think my adductor wasted away. Now that my hip socket is functioning correctly, I can use my adductor, but it's just not ready yet. Up until this past week, I had some very tender spots in my groin and down my inner thigh, but they are gradually getting better. The PTs I see said that's normal. I get a good massage from them every time I see them, and I try to self-massage, and I think that really helped a lot. They also give me exercises that specifically target that area.

 

[sportbrown]

It's very encouraging to hear that others have been through the groin pain and are getting better. I thank you for sharing. It sounds like you are doing really well!

 

[sportbrown]

Here I am at 5 weeks post-op. I am walking a little bit without the cane now. I am still getting help from my husband in getting showered and dressed, but I can see progress. I even went grocery shopping with him last night (something I haven't been able to do in well over a year). Just slowly getting back to the normal, everyday things that I used to take for granted is meaningful. There have been times over the past few years where I thought I would never be able to go into a store and walk around again. To everyone out there feeling that way, there is hope!

 

[mendogal]

it's indeed these small but significant milestones that add up to making it worthwhile!!!!

 

[benne68]

There have been times over the past few years where I thought I would never be able to go into a store and walk around again. To everyone out there feeling that way, there is hope!

Thanks for sharing this! I think many of us feel this way but are afraid to say it out loud. Your post WILL give hope to others.

 

[sportbrown]

6 Week update: I went in for my 6-week post-op checkup, and the x-rays were good and they said I'm doing well. Apparently any groin pain and stiffness are "normal". They recommend further PT to fix that, though, and to get off the cane. I think I will hold off on further PT, though, and see if just easing back over time works better, since PT hasn't really impressed me. I use the cane mostly when "out and about" and not much around the house. My main issues are still getting up from bed and from a chair. I'm very tall so low seats and toilets pose difficulty, and that tends to keep me at home more than I would like. I can't face walking into a public restroom or someone's home bathroom and seeing a low toilet. Also, carrying a lot of cushions around to make chairs comfortably high enough is difficult while also using a cane. I guess I'm just not very patient.

 

[mendogal]

Facing obstacles like low chairs and toilets away from home is definitely enough to try anyone's patience!

 

[benne68]

So glad to read that your check-up was reassuring.

Like you, I had groin pain for a long time after my THR, and worried about it a lot. But it did eventually clear up on its own.

I don't think anyone has suggested that you try heel-toe walking when you notice that you are limping. This involves striking the ground with your heel first, then rolling through your heel to your toe, and pushing out of the step with your toe. Here is a visual

It's important to slow down and concentrate through the entire step. It can feel awkward (and a bit tedious) at first, but with practice, it will become more natural. After a week or two, you'll notice a difference. Give it a try, using your cane at the beginning and see how things go.