Hii I'm a 50 year old woman and just got home after THR on my right hip following osteoartritus diagnosis 2 years ago. The op went well and my mobility is pretty good ( one crutch for a bit of support, can shower , dress , get in and out of bed, do my exercises ). I am feeling quite a bit of pain from the site of the wound so sitting in one position for very long is out of the question. However the main problem seems to be my back. Obviously I'm lying on my back in bed but this means I wake up every couple of hours. I usually get up to move around for a bit and then do a few 'spine bridges' in bed as the Physio said this would stretch the back. This morning ( after my first night home ), the back pain seems far worse and I'm waiting for the liquid morphine thet gave me to kick in. I was just wondering if the back pain might be to do with the site of the spinal block rather than simply just lying on your back.? Thanks for all your posts to date which have been so informative whilst I was preparing for the op.
Donna, I'm now on day 11 post op. During first week epidural, I was told, is still wearing off. As a result of this back ache will occur. Morphine will help but other exercises might assist the flexibility needed. I find doing exercises such as leg lifts on the bed and standing leg movements allow me to remain supple. If I sit for sometime then it's obvious after a while that I need to get up and practice walking.
To to cut a long story short, it does ease but it's your chance to get your leg to heal to the best it can be. Avoid the twisting. Do the exercises well and regularly but also rest the leg afterwards.
Hi SImon that's great thanks for the tips I'll press on with all the exercises. Sounds like it's all normal .
Hi Donna
glad to hear you are home and you sound as if you doing really well with your mobility. You are younger than me but I wasn't given the spine bridge exercises until about two weeks after my op. Sometimes your back can hurt as you start to walk around and you walk more upright (correctly). The hospital sent me home with Tramadol for pain relief but if you have been given liquid morphine the pain must be pretty bad. How many days post op are you?
Linnet x
Me again! Meant to say as well I had a spinal block but didn't have any problems with pain in my back. However sleeping on your back if you aren't used to it can be difficult and I used to wake up every couple of hours to begin with but it gets better. Exercise and rest are a big help including having a nap in the afternoons. But if you are worried you should have been given a phone number to ring the hospital with any concerns.
Linnet x
Hi Donna, I'm 52 and 5 weeks post op and was exactly the same. It is the sleeping that makes your back ache especially if you're not used to it. Roll on next week when I hope my surgeon says I can sleep on my side. That is my only problem, I have no pain and walking well. Good luck I'm sure you'll be fine
Sue xxx
Hi Donna I am a 50 years old male and I was diagnosed with osteophytes on my hips 5 years ago. Strangely on my left hip hurts, though under X-Ray they both look the same. Every 12 months I'm getting X-Rayed and each time the Dr tells me they are getting worse but I'm in no/very little pain, so the surgeon will not operate. But I walk with a limp and can't run at all. I still ski and walk up mountains, but generally do not use any pain killers.
Trouble is after 5 years with a limp I now suffer from a bad back, I must be compensating and putting more strain there. I had an MRI scan and one of my discs (5th) appears to have ruptured and started pushing back towards my nerves, this affects my left leg. The pain in my back comes for 3-4 days and then goes again, I've been taking oramorph when it's really bad and sleeping tablets.
So I have the back pain before the operation!
My surgeon keeps telling me the THR is good at getting rid of pain, but I may still limp after the op., so do not have it until I'm in more pain. At what point do I push for the hip replacement? Looks like I'm doing more damage to my body because I've not gone ahead. What will go next my knees?
Great to have this forum where we can talk to others that are at different points of the same problem, hopefully your back pain is due to the operation and will go away in time. Good luck.
Hi I'm 4 days post op now. I've been on 5 ml per day of the morphine, as well as the standard paracetamol and ibuprofen. I didn't have morphine on one of the days but felt worse off the next day as a result so I'll stick with it for now, probably before bed time to see if I sleep for a longer period.ill keep going with the exercises thanks for your reply.
thanks sue that's really encouraging. Best of luck for your continued successful recovery donna x
HI Mark, I had a similar dilemma in that for 18 months I felt like I was managing the situation well with sensible low impact exercise and very few pain killers. However over the last 6 months I felt a deterioration in that my walking pace became slower, getting upstairs was much more of an effort and the limp was becoming worse. The turning point was realising that there were a number of my beloved Pilates exercises that were beginning to cause me problems where previously I had been able to do the majority of a demanding class. I also felt that my knee was becoming sore caused by compensating. When I went to see my consultant I was preparing for a battle ( whilst still wondering if it was maybe all in my head!) but the new X-rays showed that on my problem right side it was just bone on bone. I felt vindicated and he was more than happy to operate. I just explained to him that I felt relatively young and energetic with my youngest child still only 10 and I would rather have the mobility now, accepting that I would probably need it done again at some point in the future. I had it done privately as we are lucky in that my husband has bupa through work, but it shouldn't make a difference to the consultants willingness to operate. One my main concerns was the possibility of a differing leg length and hence a limp post op. My consultant explained that there may be some pre existing reasons why you may end up with a different leg length, but excluding those he said he felt that with his cases it would be in the minority. It was the first thing he reassured me about after the op as the length seems perfect.
its obviously a very personal decision as to whether to go ahead, but in the end I was very comfortable with my decision and I'm looking forward to skiing again next year ( decided I'd better give it a miss this year!!). I won't ever take up running again but I fancy the 3 peaks challenge at some point... Best of luck, let us know what you decide. Donna
Hiya Donna, thanks for your reply, it is very reassuring to hear from others that have gone before.
I am using a private physio who virtually told me I should "pretend" to be in more pain to get the operation sooner!!!! I think I trust my own Dr more and will put off until I need it done. I'm just worried that my back ache is because of my limp and I'm wrecking my own body!!!! I do not realise I'm limping, I think I'm walking straight but others tell me and when I see myself on video I look like an old man, I expected to be like this when I'm 75 not 50!!!!
My situation was very similar to yours Mark. I had very little pain but my mobility was so restricted. I had years of being told I needed a new hip but.... This year I saw a different consultant purely by chance and he said you need a new hip -it's bone on bone and the only reason you are not in agony is because of where it is (I could avoid moving it in that direction). 13 weeks later I have a new hip and am looking forward to getting my mobility back. I think sometimes we are bad at saying how much something bothers us. There is an anlgogy about frogs and hot water. If you put a frog in hot water it will hop out. If you put it in cool water and heat it it will stay until it dies. I think we get used to being restricted and in pain but it doesn't mean it's right. If it's damaging other parts of your body then I think it's probably time for a serious discussion. For me the lack of pain led to a long wait but the damage to the hip was clearly there.... good luck
Like that answer Norma. It's so true.
I feel the time is almost right for the op. but I never was one to run around much anyway. My kids are teenagers so no longer want to play football with Dad. I can cycle pain free and use the X-Trainer, but can't take a long stride and occasionally take a stick hiking.
Just not sure....
Hi Donna you will have pain for the first 2 weeks, its a major op. I found I turned a corner after that and I could sleep better at night as my pain at night subsided. You do need to keep on top of your painkillers to ensure you can exercise and move about, but it all takes time. Take it easy and don't try to do much too soon.
Hi Donna and mark, I feel if I'd had my op mid last year I would now be able to walk, but although my right thr is great and no pain is hampered by my left leg which has borne the brunt and so I think I will still have to walk with 1 crutch until my left leg is operated on but my surgeon won't do it for 5-6 mths and he was not sure after this op needsed doing, I think he'll change his mind when he sees me next week at 6 week check up, he also did another angle xray before I left hospital which I don't know the results of, but they do know I've got Osteo arthritis in my left hip as well, my surgeon just didn't think it was bad enough to do. Don't get me wrong I don't want to have the op, but I have no option as I know I won't be able to walk properly until I have it.my advice to anyone is have it done sooner than later, if you are in significant pain as it will affect other parts of your body plus I became anaemic due to the amount of pain relief I was on long term.
Thanks Christine and everyone for your comments and advice. , it's really helpful.
I know I got fed up with people commenting on my limp. Trust your own instincts , you will know when you've had enough and you want it operated on.
Hi Donna.
Im 16 days post op from my 2nd THR and it's been really tough,lots of pain,lack of sleep and days when I've felt really low..a day seems like a week, and a week like a year..but each day I see a slight improvement and I can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
I know from my previous op that time will gradually heal,you've just got to somehow get through the first tough 0-6 weeks, you will get better.
As those who've had 2THRs will probably agree it's amazing how you forget the pain of those first few weeks,I've certainly had a hard reminder
Hi Mark, I am a 55 year old male 10 weeks post thr, at 50 was same as you, I followed up every year with surgeon and he said when the risks associated with surgery out wiegh the pain and mobility I will then know it is time for thr. But up until I was 54 I hardly took any meds for pain but the year before surgery I suffered with pain and lacked mobility I limped could hardly walk. you will know when you are ready, it is hard to decide when to go cause you have good and bad days and thoughts of surgery are scarey, but for me im glad I did it feeling great, going in March 9 to have other hip done.
Hi Donna, well done you!! Get well soon. I am due to have mine done on Monday 2nd March, in the Nuffield Hospital in woking, But under the NHS . I am suffering from awful anxiety as I am terriified, cant stop booing my eyes out. I also have to care for my Disabled Husband, and he too has OA of spine, hips & knees & is severely sighted. & deaf. I am hoping to get into a Hydro pool as soon as poss. Tell me did you have a sedative as well as the spinal block? They want me to have injections in my tummy. ! But I am pleading with the Nurses to only do this while I am in hospital Just wish I could have another form but I have to follow the consultant. I have asked the district nurses out. So they will check me out. .How long were you in Hospital for? As for the excerises I am dreading them as I am just so tense all the time. Butwe will see what happens regards Amandah