THR Terrible muscle pains

[YogaLesley]

Thanks all. @Magsmom, doctor has prescribed Naproxen for me, due to get it today so . Last night I had my patacetamol, amitriptyline and a shot of Oromorph and had a pretty good night relatively pain free. I also have a cream called Balmosa prrscribed before the op, has capsicum in it and when my partner massages it into my leg it is just wonderful and lets me drift off to sleep!!! Now, another day awakens, I can't help feeling guilty that I am not doing anything much except reading, which I love, our house is very small so doesn't take long to walk around it!. Maybe I will get my partner to help me walk a little further down our country lane near house today. Are other people going out at 2 weeks?

 

[Layla]

Now, another day awakens, I can't help feeling guilty that I am not doing anything much except reading, which I love

Please do not feel guilty about lazing around only days after major surgery. Your body just experienced “controlled” trauma and needs the TLC you’re providing yourself.

You will find a mix of activity at all stages, depending upon age, condition going into surgery, pain levels, restrictions and advice received from your surgeon.

Through reading here, in my very early recovery I wanted to be especially mindful not to over do it. I read of many that were overly ambitious, trying to rush the healing process only to land in the ODIC (Over Did It Club) as we refer to it here. I didn’t want to stall my recovery, which can happen, so I used the Activity Progression for THR as a guideline. Some excel, some lag behind, both are okay. It’s meant to be used as a gauge. I’ll leave the article here and you can see what you think.

Activity progression for THRs

For THRs. Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are assessed in hospital as a means of assessing your fitness to be discharged home. Your domestic circumstances will be taken into account as in if you are living alone, etc. ADLs include: ~ Personal hygiene and grooming ~ Dressing and undressing ~...

bonesmart.org

Have a great afternoon and evening! Good luck with having clips removed tomorrow. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Eman85]

Shouldn't feel any guilt for healing and taking care of yourself. The relaxing is the reward for having suffered through a bad hip and the surgery to replace it. For me walking down my country lane had 2 problems. One it wasn't flat and the inclines were very rough on my new hip. The other was the more I walked the further away from home I got which made the return trip rough.

 

[YogaLesley]

Had clips out yesterday (ouch!) but it feels better less tight and sore without them. My partner drove us to our beautiful nearby coast where we had coffee overlooking the sea, then a 20 minute round trip walk on our flat accessible bit of tarmacced coast path . So all good, BUT last going to the loo I dropped something and reflex made me bend forwards to try to catch it. Ouch, ouch! Realised I shouldn't have straight away but too late. It seems to have set all the nerves off in the joint and down front of thigh. Aching a lot today so icing. Do you think I have set myself back?/ done serious damage? So annoyed with myself!

 

[Jaycey]

Do you think I have set myself back?/ done serious damage?

No, you have just aggravated soft tissues and muscles that have not been asked to work in awhile. Rest, ice and elevate. Give it a couple of days.

 

[Magsmom]

@YogaLesley
I’ve done the exact same thing. Drop something and reach for it without even thinking about picking it up. I have one of those grabbers but it’s often not in the same room as me (duh)

I have gotten pretty adept at picking up certain things w the toes of my good leg. My husband calls it “monkey toes” though I’m trying to not go that either……..

 

[YogaLesley]

Thanks, @ Jaycey, for that reassurance!. After yesterday it feels like 3 steps forward and 2 steps back! The nerve pain down in my calves seems to be easing, but my thigh muscles feel really tight, including the unoperated leg!? I am wondering whether I am unconsciously tensing my muscles as I walk with the crutches, or perhaps I have overdone the isometric PT exercises, clenching muscles and lifting leg a little etc? It's very uncomfortable, though I have taken to heart your advice and am icing thigh muscles.

 

[YogaLesley]

Oh dear, what a hell of a night. I have had the most excruciating nerve pain from the base of my buttock down the back of my thigh and from the groin down across the leftish front of the thigh. Didn't know what to do with myself. Icing seemed to make it worse. I am panicking now in case I am one of the cases where there has been nerve damage due to the excessive stretching needed as my surgeon told me 3 times. My local surgery isn't much help with pain meds. They prescribed Naproxen but I spotted that it wasn't meant to be taken with blood thinners which I am still on for 4 weeks from op so didn't take it and rang surgery back and they agreed! Good job someone reads precautions! Now they are suggesting codeine which really doesn't do much for me or agree with me so I probably won't take that. So I am down to paracetamol, and amitriptyline at night plus I have an odd shot of liquid morphine but have been trying not to take that. I am worried this nerve pain may be some kind of damage. (BTW yesterday seemed a good day, went out, short walk in local town/village for coffee then later a longer walk down local lane. In all a mile over the day, doesn't seem too much? Or is it?). Help!!!

 

[Magsmom]

@YogaLesley

I’m not a dr but based on my experience I’d strongly suggest to
Ask them about Gabapentin (generic for Neurontin) or pregbalin (generic for Lyrica).

I had terrible nerve problems (radiculapathy - fancy name for pinched nerves) until I had a decompression/fusion of 2 discs in my cervical spine. Gabapentin was a lifesaver. Truly. For me anyway. I did not experience any side effects but that’s just me. I took it for about 6 mos until I could get on his calendar.

When I asked why I still had pain after the surgery, I remember my surgeon saying (exact words) “nerves are stupid, it can take a while for them to repair and figure out how to refire properly” and he was right.

Opioids (oxycodone, tramadol etc) were not helpful for me at all w this.

Good luck!

Btw I’ve also read about tricyclic antidepressants as a treatment for nerve pain. Plus the have the added benefit of helping to chase the blues away!

 

[djklaugh]

@YogaLesley " (BTW yesterday seemed a good day, went out, short walk in local town/village for coffee then later a longer walk down local lane. In all a mile over the day, doesn't seem too much? Or is it?). Help!!!" Ummm given what you said about your pain last night and today I'd say that yes that was too much. You are only 2 1/2 weeks out from having MAJOR surgery! Hopefully with a day of rest, elevating the leg and your pain medications this will ease up and feel better!

 

[YogaLesley]

Thanks, that's just what my partner said! Maybe little and often ( tho' not TOO often!) in future!

 

[JulieH]

Thanks all. @Magsmom, doctor has prescribed Naproxen for me, due to get it today so . Last night I had my patacetamol, amitriptyline and a shot of Oromorph and had a pretty good night relatively pain free. I also have a cream called Balmosa prrscribed before the op, has capsicum in it and when my partner massages it into my leg it is just wonderful and lets me drift off to sleep!!! Now, another day awakens, I can't help feeling guilty that I am not doing anything much except reading, which I love, our house is very small so doesn't take long to walk around it!. Maybe I will get my partner to help me walk a little further down our country lane near house today. Are other people going out at 2 weeks?

At 2 weeks I was walking around my house and garden. I think at 4 weeks I went out for a cuppa/sandwich with my husband - loo before I went and wanted back before I needed it again, and I may have asked around the block (small) with the children one day the following week.
Now at 8 weeks I'm swimming and trying to walk further (I don't find the walk itself too bad but stiffen up something rotten once I stop, and my back aches but that's off hips sitting at different levels for a few decades)
I took things very gradually and still sit with my leg up when I'm on the settee - it's the most comfortable by far

 

[Magsmom]

@YogaLesley
I’m glad you’re able to try the Naproxen. I hope it can help provide some relief. Btw you can also buy it OTC.

Yes I was walking at 2 weeks……too much and too far. Learned the hard way. So I simply surrendered to the process w tons of rest, ice and short walks to keep the blood moving. I’ve learned to enjoy the downtime. I also love to read so plenty of time for that.

I’m now at 5 weeks on Monday. And I feel good. Still achey at times and my lower back is barking from having to sleep on it but Ive been able to do my walks so they add up to ~2 miles/day.

BUT we are all different. This hip has been relatively straightforward for me…..so far. But I had LTKR in 2019 that was an unusually long, painful and very difficult recovery. I feel like joint replacement recoveries are often like what we call a “**** shoot”. My husband had bilateral TKR in 2016 and was walking well w a cane just 3.5 weeks after! Go figure.

 

[YogaLesley]

Thanks @Magsmom, I had a better night last night but thigh still very sore, think I will leave out the longer walk today, Sunday, day of rest! Sadly turns out I can't take the Naproxen until I finish on blood thinners a week on Wednesday! They have offered Codeine but it just makes me constipated and doesn't seem to help so will leave that. Going to see my homeopath on Friday who usually manages to perform miracles so fingers crossed. Hope everyone has a good Lazy Sunday.

 

[YogaLesley]

I seem to be going backwards! Did some walking yesterday but also sat in the chair longer than usual. The groin pain I have had since the time I bent forward inadvertently has got much worse yesterday and still persistent all today, it is like a throbbing almost in the pubis sending nerve pain down the leg. Surely this kind of pain can't be normal? I had the op done to get rid of this kind of pain! I am still only on paracetamol in the day, amitriptyline at night and a shot of liquid morphine at night to help me sleep. I have made an appointment at my doctor's for Thursday morning to ask them about this and see if they can suggest anything else for pain - I can't take anti-inflammatories until I finish my blood thinners next Wednesday. I didn't really want to go back on opioids but there doesn't seem much alternative. Main thing is I am worrying if I have nerve impingement in the groin area, or some other damage?

 

[YogaLesley]

I think I must be boring everyone and sounding like a whinger as no comments or advice recently!!! Somewhat better night last night after a pretty restful day with mainly just the bed exercises. Op was 3 weeks ago today. Seeing a local doctor tomorrow which I hope will be reassuring and maybe helpful re groin pain.

 

[helenium]

Hello @YogaLesley. No, you're not boring, and you're not whinging either. My apologies for not replying to you yesterday, I expected someone more experienced at giving advice to reply! I hate to think of you worrying needlessly, because in my opinion you are just trying to do too much too soon.

Surgeon says hip x-ray is good but as my leg was short they had to pull and sttech muscles which is why they hurt so much.

These soft tissues are going to take a while to adapt, and in the meantime you are going to have to be very, very patient and pace yourself. I find this whole recovery business to be a major exercise in trial and error, with many episodes of admission to the ODIC (the Over Did It Club)! I hope that the fact that you had a somewhat better night last night, after a pretty restful day, helps to reassure you that there is no major damage. You are just three weeks in to a recovery from major surgery, with the extra complication of having your leg lengthened. All those soft tissues are going to protest if you do too much. Unfortunately, they don't always let you know until later! I hope tomorrow's GP appointment is helpful and reassuring. Sending best wishes for your recovery.

 

[Layla]

Happy Three Week Anniversary!
I hope your appointment goes well today. Consider icing the area if you aren’t already.
Let us know how your visit with the surgeon goes.
Hopefully today is a good one!
@YogaLesley

 

[YogaLesley]

Thanks @helenium for those kind and reassuring words - it seems I can't hear them enough!!! Of course there is a big time difference between me in UK and many of you in US so @Layla, my doctor's appointment is tomorrow and just with a local GP and not my surgeon, which is not till Nov 22nd. I think I really just need to sort out some medication which will help me when the pain flares up and also helps nerves more than anything. I am on just 20mg of amitriptyline at night so maybe they will suggest increasing that. Also I finish my blood thinners in a week and then I can take Naproxen or Ibuprofen (with stomach protection) which I think may help swelling. I have also been a bit erratic with the exercises, and having just done a full set of the usual bed exercises plus the basic standing ones (knee raises, abduction and hip extensions) with real attention and steady breathing, I can feel they have helped already! As a yoga teacher I really should have accepted this sooner!! Still they say we teach best what we most need to learn!! Thanks again everyone, for being there !

 

[Eman85]

What bed exercises are you doing and what other basic standing ones? For most of us that is usually the cause of unnecessary pains. 3 weeks is pretty early on and it takes some time for the soft tissue to heal.