7 weeks post op THR opposite thigh leg pains

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I had THR left side June 5th. Finished PT, surgeon say everything look good from xray. I did tell MD I havw numbness in thigh area opposite leg. He think its from siatica. After the post op visit pain thigh leg lower back. I do have a history if siatica. I was still using cane but putting most weight on operated side and ready to go to YMCA and walk more maybe cycle. I called my pain management Dr they called in Ketorolac for 5 days. It hurt to walk now, I can't sleep and was suppose to return to work next week (office job). Any ideas??

2

Dear Brenda

A couple of thoughts. I suggest that you are not walking in a balanced way with a good gait and this is one problem. Try returning to a pair of crutches or walking poles for a few days to see if there is an improvement.

I suspect that you may have an unbalanced back and that you should eliminate that possibility by seeing a decent chiropractor, preferably not a McTimoney one.

Cheers

Richard

3

Thanks RichardKen, I am still using cane anyway, I would hold it up while walking. I did have to go to the walker but only for one day. I will watch my gait. I was sleeping on the opposite side also. Now trying to sleep on operated side some maybe that will help also. Will find a good chiropractor also. I was getting depressed thinking I am not progressing.

Time to walk more.

4

Dear Brenda

It can be a tough journey but you will get there.

All the best

Richard

5

Hi Richard..have been trying to reply to you but keep getting an error msg when I hit Reply.  Re swimming, my doctor in Bangkok is young, not conservative and trained at the Mayo Clinic.  He uses the anterior approach and has done well over 100 - he does approx 5 surgeries/week.  He is very anti swimming, to be fair, I only really checked about breastroke and he said, no never.  It puts too much torsion on the hip joint and he felt it wasn't worth the risk.  So, since I am really only comfortable with breastroke, I think swimming won't be for me.  He said the best exercises are walking and cycling.  I trust him and so will follow his advice.  But to each his own.  Cheers, Maureen

6

dear brenda,  

warm welcome to this hippies forum -

so you are about 7 weeks post-op from THR surgery and I am assuming that you had your 6 weeks followup appointment with your surgeon - 

I think Richard might be correct and that the way you walk might still be off ... 

with a cane you are supposed to keep it in opposite hand of operated leg and put your weight there - not the other way around ...

When did you become aware of this numbness and did you discuss this with PT? 

You also might reconsider going back to work ...

come here anytime okay ?  we come in all stages and ages, so to speak - 

big warm hug

renee

7

Dear Maureen

Seems to have worked this time! Thanks for taking the time to explain. I can quite understand why one should not use the normal breaststroke leg action but really cannot see what the problem would be if one used the leg action of the crawl.

As I only learnt the breaststroke like you it will feel very strange to learn a different leg action but obviously I must if I'm to return to swimming.

I reduced my walking to slow down the wear to my ankle as I was waiting for a revision to my four year old replacement ankle joint and found that swimming was a far more effective way to stay fit as the upper body action was far greater than it could ever be with walking.

Cheers

Richard

8

Thanks for the welcome Renee.

I do always hold cane on opposite side right and put more weight on right since left is operated side. But with PT and not as much pain on left side I stared putting more weight on left so I could gradually walk with out cane. But last week I saw surgeon and told him I have numbness in right thigh and for some reason some thigh and leg pain. I did have spinal block for surgery. He thinks the siatica

was irritated from surgery. I had started walking a few steps every time I get up without cane. Last PT was last week also she wasn't sure what it could be maybe satica, told me to continue exercise which I have, but the pain is worse. As I said before pain management MD gave anti-inflammatory that helped very little, still hurt especially the leg. I may have to reconsider returning to work with this pain