Still can't tie my shoes

[mikesel]

Hi,
I'm 15 weeks post right Birmingham hip op and I'm getting worried that I still can't bend my leg enough to tie my shoe laces. I can walk well, with only a slight limp now, but my leg feels stiff after sitting or driving for the first few steps. When lying on my back I can only raise my knee to 90 degrees and can't move it at all towards my chest. Is this normal? When should my leg feel flexible enough to push towards my chest? The stiffness I feel is down the outside of my leg, mainly at the hip, but also in my knee.

 

[PRGal]

Hi Mike,
I'm an anterior THR (totally different animal), so can't relate to what you're experiencing, but if you've poked around the forum any, you've probably noticed that Mudpro is our resident "Birmingham-er." If he doesn't post here soon, you may want to try sending him a PM to get his attention--I'm sure he'll be more than glad to share his experience!

On the other hand, for traditional approaches, less than 4 months still leaves plenty of time for deep healing and muscle relearning. I'm a bit more than 6 months post-op, with a typically quick anterior recovery, but still experience various aches & pains. Mother Hen Jo has said--and I believe her--that it can take up to a year to feel totally back to normal. Keep at it--you'll get there!

 

[JudyS]

Hi Mike
Welcome. I remember my surgeon commenting about me wearing flip flops last summer. I told him no one in my family was going to tie shoes for me and he would not let me. So he said, ok you can bend down and tie shoes, with your leg going out not in. So, I got home and good plan, but my leg would not bend enough to do that. So, I did some kind of thing at an angle being aware of my restrictions.
It will happen.
Did you have pt? If not maybe you could use a month or so to help you get those muslces, ligaments, etc on the right track.
Judy

 

[mikesel]

Thanks for the words of encouragement! I've seen a few of Mudpro's posts and I'll follow your advice to ask for his comments. What worried me was that I had similar problems before the op and I'm disappointed not to feel any different after. I must be patient.
Your comments about PT Judy are very relevant. Here in the UK we don't seem to put as much effort in to it as you do in the US. I was sent home with a typed sheet of basic exercises and won't now see anyone until my next appointment with my surgeon in September. I'm sure I need to take up more rigorous exercises, but I'm not sure where to go to find out. Any help on that from fellow Brits would be welcome!
Thanks again,
Mike

 

[Texas]

Hi welcome yes if you can do phyical therapy then try it, it really helps alot. You sound like your are doing well. 15 weeks i really not long...Hang in there. I am a knee but you will have hips posting soon. This is a terrific bunch and will help more than you know. But post anytime...........Good Luck...Kim

 

[aussie]

Hi Mike,

I agree with those who say it will come with time. I am at almost 18 months down the track and all of that seems like a distant memory to me now, but I was only laughing with a friend the other day, saying "remember that day I had to call you to come and put my shoes on for me before I had my hip replacement". He put them on me on the verandah of the house, the neighbours must have thought I had him tied around my little finger if I had him come down just to put my shoes on for me

Now the only thing I can't do easily is I can't put pants on by bringing my foot to the pants I have to take my pants to my foot, (if that makes sense?) Or put them on sitting down. Other than that, nothing stops me now I do everything I need to do and more! Hang in there it just gets better and better.

 

[Josephine]

Well, have you been to see your GP? In this country, once you are discharged from hospital, you are supposedly discharged into your GP's care! So if you have any problems such as this, he's the one you should go to for advice, same as you do for your pain pills. He will probably get you some extra physio and/or an earlier appt with your surgeon.

I agree with you that your ROM is very limited for almost 4 months and something needs to be done about it. But it's not too late for improvement which can take place up to 12 months post-op. So don't worry.

 

[Troweltalk]

It is still a bit of a stretch for me too at about 20 weeks, but not painful.

If you have "no restrictions" on your ROM, something I have found to help is to sit in a lower chair or ottoman when putting on the shoe. Bring your foot in under your leg by bending your knee and then reach down from the inside, between your legs, and tie the shoe.

I'm not sure why, but sitting in a LOWER chair, using the ground to help push the foot towards you, makes it easier for me to reach the shoe than trying to bend my torso down to reach the shoe that is farther away when sitting in a taller chair.

We tend to gravitate towards taller chairs because lower ones are hard to get out of early in recovery, but in this case I've found the lower ones helpful when getting dressed.

 

[Laurie]

Hi, I am no expert, but had RTHR over 8 months ago. I still find that my right hip lacks the same flexibility of my left but chaulk it up to over 20 years of muscle atrophy. Could be that with your Dr/Pt's guidance you will have to work hard at stretching/flexibility exercises? Just a thought. ANd I agree, you still have lots of recovery time left.

Laurie

 

[JudyS]

Mike
I never considered myself a flexible person and do not like to stretch. I spent many years before my hip replacement running. But my flexibility is much better in my operated leg than non. I know I am loosing it in the originally equiped model (left leg) but the way I gained lots in my new hip was swimming. My doc gave me the OK at 3 weeks, I started at around 4 and did lots of the frog leg kick. My range of motion surpassed the other hip in no time. My doc commented on how great it was, he said he did not want to dislocate it right in his office by testing how great it was!!
Do you by any chance have access to a pool? I was certainly not a swimmer either, just an obsessive exercisor.
judy

 

[mikesel]

Hi All,
Thanks again for all the helpful advice. Yesterday I managed to tie my laces on my operated side and today I put my sock on without my trusty plastic sock aid (a piece of flat plastic with string attached to both sides). I feel less helpless, but boy did I have to huff and puff to do it!
I tried your suggestion Mudpro, but I find it easier to put my foot up on a chair and lean over my foot, albeit with my knee sticking out to the side.
I will take your advice Josephine to see my GP. I wanted to find out if I was worrying unnecessarily and shouldn't bother him. He has also told me he has virtually no experience of Birmingham hip operations.
I think your comments about swimming Judy are very valid. We have a pool five miles away and I think I should use it.
I'll post a message after I've spoken to my GP. He'll be able to give an objective view of my progress. We'll see if I've been making a fuss over nothing!
Mike