Hi
@Chrisadeline (and
@scottfamilyman too for that matter
) I have had some of the issues that you guys are having; I felt I was the only one that was still having such discomfort weeks out, with EVERYONE "overtaking" me in the recovery stakes; firstly it's just not the case... lots of people have (mainly muscular) niggles, the ones that
don't are just so happy to share their new found pain free status - and why wouldn't they be? it's what we're all after! - that it makes the rest of us feel that our recovery is somewhat retarded.
Secondly, it gets better! I still have pain/discomfort in my groin, it's better this week than last week, but like
@Chrisadeline I was "in as much pain as before surgery" and certainly worse than I was at two weeks a few weeks ago (at about 6 to 8 weeks) When I look at it, I had reduced my meds, increased my activity level and frankly the euphoria of actually getting through the worst bit had worn off... not that surprising that I either was in more pain or at least FELT like I was.
My OS explained to me at my 2 week check when I complained of the groin pain especially when laying on my back (due to restrictions, the only way I CAN lay) ... he said I had been holding my leg flexed for a long time (the OA has been treated for the last ten years!) and it had caused the tendons and some musculature to "shorten", stretching would help but it wouldn't happen overnight... if it didn't help then he would consider surgery to release the tendon but not until 12 months - I trust him implicitly so took from this that in the vast majority of cases it DOES resolve itself in that time.
I have to say that it has been uncomfortable at times, in the groin, (quads and IT band - for which I had acupuncture... with great success!) and most recently my hamstrings. BUT in the last week or so there has been a HUGE improvement; I am doing stretches... not huge extensive stretching, just gentle (so you can feel it, not so it hurts) stretching. My Physio gave me some pointers on my gait, which I have had to adjust, and they aggravated it at first but now I'm walking more freely and "naturally" the aches are definitely diminishing.
Ice helps for sure... but I have found that heat helps sometimes too! "Suck it and see" which works for you. I do find that "pushing through it" doesn't work; sometimes you've just got to rest those muscles. I get frustrated as (obviously) I had the op for the same reason as everyone else here... to improve on my pre op pain and mobility levels, and until this last week it didn't feel like I'd achieved anything at all like I was expecting; YES there was no bone on bone pain, but the pain I had was more constant so added up to feeling the same... now I can honestly say I can see some light at the end of the tunnel - I went down a flight of stairs yesterday on alternate feet and didn't have so much as a twinge in that area, hooray and at last!!
Don't be afraid to medicate, even paracetemol can take the edge off the pain, meaning you can actually "DO" the stretches... improving the chance of the stretching actually working. I am doing my stretches and step up type exercises (I haven't done much 'formal' PT, it wasn't prescribed, wasn't deemed necessary and I've heard mixed results with overdoing it being an easy trap) in the pool when I can... I find the reduced weight bearing really helps get the movement into the stretch - maybe that's something else to think about.
I wish you well with it, that relentless pain/discomfort is very draining and seems to come at a time when all your resources are diminished. You WILL get better, sadly that terrible ingredient is required once again... PATIENCE.
Donna
United Kingdom
(small amounts of low resistance cycling are meant to be beneficial), start back to doing some core work, cover off the stretches/exercises that my physio has given me to get my posterior chain firing again and then a little upper body stuff, just so I can 'feel' like I'm exercising again! I think I've been getting too negatively focused and I need to do something to get the endorphins flowing 
