I had my surgery last July 24'th and was back to work in three weeks. The first couple months were awsome I was literally feeling pain free. By month 4 I noticed an increase in discomfort, I saw my surgeon and was told that the x-rays showed everything looked great. By month 6 I was in pain again, I saw my surgeon again, and again was told the x-rays looked great, yet the more I walked the worse my thigh pain got. It has gotten so bad that within 4-5 hours on the floor my thigh has spasmed so bad I can feel every heart beat through my femal artery. I have been off work and in therepy now since January. I have seen progress in loosening up my quads but I cannot walk around the grocery store without my thigh going into spasm. It is extremely frustrating. I am 61 and have always been active, I need to mention I have also had both knees replaced by the same surgeon in the last 4 years. And have experienced no difficulty with either. My hip just seems to be increasing in pain daily. I am at a loss for what to do. I have started using a Tens unit again to control the pain, and it helps but does not seem to have legs. I know that it will take time to heal, I just want to know why it seems to be getting worse rather than better.
Do you have pain in your groin area? I had same thing happen was an irritated psoas tendon which is very common. If it is get a cortisone shot under fluoroscopy to see if that eliminates your pain if it does you have options
Patrick, so sorry you are having this pain and disability! If your ortho surgeon says there is nothing wrong with the implants/bones, then it must be soft tissue problems. Have you seen a physician who has expertise in this area, who can give you an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan for what is wrong? Musculoskeletal diagnostic ultrasound and/or MRI can tell lots about what is going on with soft tissue. I had a THR and afterwards tore two gluteal tendons and could not bear any weight on the surgical leg, which needed a surgical repair. I had MARS MRI, which makes the MRI images clearer when you have metal implants, and a new orthopedic surgeon that I found was able to diagnose and do surgical repair.
Your issue is different, with problems in your thigh muscles, but medical science can certainly figure out what is wrong with you. Pursue professional help, is my suggestion, going for second opinion if your original surgeon can't help. I sympathize with those thigh spasms. I had a number of them after that second surgery, and it was always related to me doing too much. I needed to rest, rest, rest. Also, you might want to think about stopping the physical therapy for awhile (a month, at least), since it isn't helping anyway, and see if rest helps, giving your muscles time to heal from whatever damage has been done. Muscle relaxant medication helps with the spasms, too.
Good luck in your quest to full recovery!
...I have also had both knees replaced by the same surgeon in the last 4 years. And have experienced no difficulty with either. My hip just seems to be increasing in pain daily...
Patrick-
Sorry for your pain. Your bone surgeon has pronounced your bones in good shape, reassuring after the beating they took the past few years. But small comfort, now that the other body parts ("soft tissues" are complaining. As for what to do, you have slowly realized that you are working your aging body pretty hard. Probably, some reduction in time spent on your feet is called for. No need to put in for handicapped license plates just yet, but a more sedentary job assignment is an obvious first order strategy.
Physical therapists will offer heat, massage, stretching--all good things. Maybe some warm water exercise would help. Anything that puts less cumulative stress on your legs will improve things.
We're all getting older.
Good luck.
metal toxicity???
Hi same thing for my sis and after a serious talk with surgeon, it was acknowledged that something was wrong with femoral nerve. She is now on lyrica and it is helping with the spasms but they need to assess and see what is causing the issue. It could be a disk or it could be that the nerve was damaged during surgery. She has been referred to a neurologist.
I am now 15 months post op with Posterior THR and also was fine until 4 months post op when I started getting intermittent pain when walking. I walk 5k with my dogs every morning and found after abou5 1,500 paces on some days I limped due to pain. I couldn’t find a pattern and the consultant couldn’t find a reason when I saw him 7months post op. I’m fairly active doing about 15,000 steps daily including Pilates , some gym and dog agility. Two weeks ago I tripped at the gym while doing circuits and landed heavily on the pin bone of my operated hip, appt from bruising since then have not had pain nor limped and feel as though my muscles are working properly for the first time. I can now walk fast for the first time! So I just wonder if it was the fall which jolted things back into place? Odd or what?