It's only been 10 days since my surgery, but the pain and tightness in my thigh seems to be getting worse: I am walking worse now (via my walker) than I was 5 days ago because it appears that I either have "a kink" in my thigh or a possible muscle pull?
Does this sound normal to anyone...
HI, I'm new to this forum but I do have some experience of THR.
In December 2011. I had a bilateral hip replacement with ceramic-on-ceramic prostheses.
The tightness in my thighs commenced within a couple of days and got worse over the following week or so. The phsyio assured me during my hospital stay that this would dissipate in a short while and would simply disappear suddenly. I really doubted that assertion but she was absolutely right...it did.
During my recuperation, there were times when I seemingly "went backwards" but , apparently., this is completely normal. Good days, bad days syndrome I'm afraid. Don't forget, hip replacement is MAJOR surgery and it takes longer for the soft tissues to repair than it does for the bones so muscle pain is inevitable. Don't be afraid to use painkillers...they take the edge off.
Are you trying to do too much too soon as well...I know I did? Ten days is not a long time. Doing too much has a tendency to bite back and you will experience pain. Rest is essential of course but get up every hour and walk around and do your leg exercises regularly. Not only will it aid your circulation, it will programme the muscles to expect work.
One caveat though, I was told that using a walker isn't wise after the first few days as it can compromise your walking position and can lead to additional muscle strain. Try to use some elbow-crutches if you can, they help enormously AND they keep your straight which means less impact on your lower back which will have gone through some grief during the operation.
I hope this helps to put your mind at rest.
John, UK
What about muscle spasm. I'm going on 3 weeks P Oand I'm starting to get very
Frequent spasms. Especially at night when I'm trying to sleep. Is that normal?
JP
How is your recovery now? Did the pain go away? How long did it take? How soon did you start to walk properly?