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THR Sulliy in Recovery

Hi there so my mother read that icing slows the healing down , could this be if you leave it on after a certain time it brings oxygen to the blood and stops the healing process, or is it a certain time after surgery? So I don’t know if to use it or not k
 
It could be talking about an injury vs a hip replacement. The healing guidelines are different for different injuries/procedures.
 
Sulliy said:
so my mother read that icing slows the healing down
Click to expand...
All I can tell you is I followed Bonesmart's advice and iced, iced, iced, sometimes with four ice packs in fabric covered inserts. By day 6 or 7 my log leg had left. Still could not bend my knee well for a few more days until more swelling left, and by around day 16 I was off pain medicine.

My incision looks wonderful. Not even a pink line!

There is so much inflammation of tissues from surgery. Icing with cold packs really helped cut the pain, for me.
 
I have iced pretty much non stop when sitting or reclining/laying down for all my four joint replacements and have done great. The only effect has been hugely decreased swelling and decreased pain thus leading to shorter duration of needing pain meds. With the knees the decreased swelling really helped with regaining flexion/extension without pain and with the hips it really helped my ease of walking and decreasing pain meds. My OS and hospital are also huge believers in icing and they actually provide ice packs with covers while in hospital and then they send them home with the patient. I have quite a collection now.
 
I was on ice continuously at the hospital with an icing machine. I continued at home almost around the clock. I feel it helped a lot with swelling and pain. Ice helps inflammation,swelling and pain for your muscles. All I know is it worked for me and I still use it.
 
Thank you that’s my thoughts too I always feel better after icing but do feel really stiff once I’ve sat a while so just wanted to check I have found massaging the area a great help too , it feels a different tender now like it’s healing from inside and just mainly round the surgical area is tender rather than that stiff numb feeling , don’t get me wrong I still have days when I wake up and my knees hurt both hips and my butt but they soon loosens off when I’ve done my exercises at one point after my op I felt stiff numb all the time and the only Relief was icing ,a while after walking helped loosen it off k
 
I think we all feel a bit stiff after sitting or laying for a long time. It gets better with time and I know some folks do a few quick stretches before getting out of bed or do a couple little marching in place steps when you get up from sitting. It does seem to help with the stiffness.
 
To each his own as we all need to do what we're comfortable with. Through personal research this is what I've found -

Icing for up to twenty minutes only is what most of us have heard or been advised to do following an injury. Following joint replacement, ice is a critical part of pain management and should be used not only on the joint, but any surrounding areas of discomfort for as often and as long as you're comfortable doing so. Icing helps bring relief from the soft tissue trauma and internal swelling. Icing is a great natural pain reliever and best of all, it's free. While some care providers do put a maximum time on icing, others suggest you ice as often as you see fit.

Icing after therapy, exercises, or prolonged activity that challenge ROM and endurance should help ease any discomfort, or preventively keep pain at bay. You may find relief through icing for weeks to months post op.

Hope you have a great rest of the week!
@Sulliy
 
Thank you Layla that’s put my mind at rest I feel better after I’ve iced but when someone said it slows healing down it makes you stop and think no I don’t want that to happen it’s a long recovery as it is without prolonging it but that’s great to know I will use it again now hope everyone is well happy hippies
 
Hello hippie friends , I went to see my surgeon on Thursday , he is really pleased with me he said I can lie on my side he also said my limp will go in time as I get stronger I have to say I limp because my muscles are so tight it Restricts my movement is this the case for anyone else and can I do certain exercises to stretch it I’m really hoping this will go because I am struggling with it I’m back at work next week and feel I just get so tired because my other hip is compensating more from my hip op side , and actually my op hip is stronger to weight bare k
 
:hi:
Recovery can seem Soooo Slooow.
I know I had horribly distorted expectations of my recovery time but if you are patient and careful...it really will be just a season in time that is well worth the struggles.:friends:

I just had to remind myself often -
Tightness is a normal occurrence after this kind of major surgery. Your surgeon did major carpentry work and disturbed every millimeter of soft tissue in this area. You aren't tight because your muscle is underused and needs to be stretched and rehabbed. You're tight because your tissue is healing... If a long full step right now is causing pain and limping, don't take long full steps. Take smaller steps. Take a short walk several times a day, instead of longer walks. Use your cane. Use ice. Rest a lot.

This isn't the time to do anything to excess. Baby steps now, and lots of patience, pays off big time later. Recovering from self-induced tendinitis can end up taking weeks or months. Consider yourself as still recovering from surgery and structure your return to your life as a slow, gradual process where you introduce very small increments in activity, and then give yourself time to see how you react to it.
All temporary, and worth the patience. I am certainly glad I am able to get back to a full happy life.
:egypdance:
 
Hi @Sulliy --wasn"t it great to hear that your OS is pleased with your progress? we may think so too, but hearing it from them is such a validation.
I had the tightness in my op leg this year after my THR, it was very annoying and was worrisome when trying to resume a work schedule. It felt tight enough to restrict forward movement with my leg and what Mojo advised is so true, shorter lengths in my steps and just taking things slowly and resting when needed was the best option.
Then, somewhere around 5 months, if I recall correctly, that tightness completely disappeared. It may have been like 4 and a half months... somewhere along that time frame.
Hard to hear but then one day you will look back and realize that things weren't so bad during the recovery phase. It's the worrying that wears us down, don't you think? but you are doing well with your recovery.. have a great Sunday!
 
Ice is the relief from the pain as it slows down the blood flow and helps with the inflammation. Look at it this way, there is nothing that speeds the recovery from a THR aside from rest and nutrition. For me any exercises or strains would cause pain and extend the recovery. Easy movements would relieve the stiffness and walking was all I did for exercises.I'm past 3 mos and with this new hip I have tightness still especially when putting on socks and shoes. It is releasing slowly and has improved a lot in the past month. I've used heat and ice on my muscles since about 2 mos after talking to my OS. My left didn't have this lingering tightness. I use a hot tub and sometimes a heating pad on very low and do easy stretching. I use ice after a lot of walking and over doing from working for relief still.
 
Phew well that’s a Relief to read thanks again for your advice I don’t know what I would have done without this forum I will carry on and listen to my body and not be afraid to say it’s to much k
 
Love to read this...you can get there easier this way.
Honestly, four months out was my biggest turnaround, and I saw continuous improvement up to a year.
Hope your week is sweet @Sulliy :flwrysmile:
 
Happy Two Month Anniversary!
I hope you’ve enjoyed a nice weekend in your neck of the woods.

Wishing you all the best as you return to work. Please let us know how it goes after a few days.
Take it slow so they don’t think you’re capable of more than you can handle initially.
Cheerio!
@Sulliy
 
Thank you Layla so it’s 9 weeks everyone says. I’m looking better and not limping so much , still really on my physio, I seem to be coping with work well , sleep can be alittle hit and miss but I’m thinking it is probably more than my hip ,I lost my horse in October he was a massive part of my life , I’m totally lost without him this sounds really bad but it hurts more than when I’ve lost family members.... my job is going to change employer’s as my mom and dad want to retire, I’m trying to look at the bigger picture I’m pain free and had my hip done , but I fell so lost, my brain won’t switch off at night do u think it’s grief, Delayed grief ? As I think I was so focused on having my hip replacement I didn’t grieve after losing my horse I’m so tired my body needs to rest.... I hope my hippie friends are all well and recovering well too good night k
 
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