I am now 10 weeks post-op after left hip replacement, and I am still partly reliant on a walking stick. I only need to apply light pressure on the stick, but without it I limp significantly and I seem to have hit a plateau in recovery. I am a fit and not-overweight 73 year old. Should I be concerned? There is no swelling, the wound has healed well, and when I walk there is no real pain, more a discomfort, and what feels like a muscular weakness (?) that seems to cause the limp. I still can't stand on that leg alone for more than a nanno-second!
you have found the best place on the net for hippys lol, I'm 2 weeks post opp. on my 2nd THR, so in answer to your questions, firstly, everyone heals at a different rate, no two peoples opps. are the same, 10 weeks may seem a long time to you, but in theory it's not at all, your body has been through a major trauma and is still healing inside, the muscles and nerves etc. can take anything up to a year to completely recover, as for the stick use it as long as you feel you need it, do not try and force yourself to walk or stand if it's causing you discomfort in any way, are you having physio? did you have the anterior or posterior approach? in any event, try and listen to your body, be gentle with yourself, rest when you feel you need it,sounds to me you are doing just fine, give it a chance, stay in touch, good luck,
Yes Michael, I agree with Lynne. One thing I've learned from following this chat group is that we really are all very different. Some people had significant deterioration in muscles etc before their op and so it will naturally take a bit longer to recover. Although I'm making extremely good progress I hadn't been having difficulties for very long before my op. The medical people all say we still should expect 12 to 18 months for full recovery.
I was told it is better to walk properly with a stick than badly without one. That said like everyone else I aimed to ditch it ASAP. I asked my GP to refer me for physio, that is helping a lot. The exercises I am having to do involve a lot of buttock clenching to help strengthen the muscles cut during surgery. Try the pocket physio app, one physio told me it is OK and it is by hospitals in the NHS
I'm 12 weeks post op and still using a sticl out of the house. It depresses me a bit that I haven't recovered quicker but I'm not sure what to expect really, so you are certainly not alone. I have friends who seemed to be back to normal life after about six weeks! I still have pain etc on days after I have obviously (although not intentionally) overdone things. After gardening which didn't seem very energetic I was very sore the next day and used my stick more often. It seems to take so long doesn't it?
I am 10 weeks as well and I am still use a stick when I go out. I don't feel any pain but I walk better with a little help from the stick...If I forget it, I limp and its' not a good idea. Around the houe and in my garden I don't use it.
Thanks for these responses. I had dropped the buttock squeezes as I imagined I was past that stage. Lesson learned! In response to Lynne09047, my approach was posterior. The 'carpentry ma'n did indicate to me that his approach was, on the one hand safer re. dislocation, but on the other could take longer to repair. I was also interested in what Laura85375 commented because prior to the carpentry I had 3 months of considerable pain and disability, so I guess a lot of muscle damage occurred.
My physio stressed to me that I would not walk properly till I had activated my gluteal muscles which were ' asleep' according to her. It is really hard squeezing that you need to do, but without strong butt muscles, you will not walk as well as you should
My muscles had deteriorated a lot pre op so again it has an effect
I am very fit normally and "only" just 53. At 6 weeks I gardened - well deadheaded and weeded a raised bed. I got carried away and rolled myself on to the ground to weed. Well I really did pay for it - very painful on the ground and I had to hand walk up the lawn mower to get upright again and I know I hurt my glutes for days after and am still recovering.
So I am back on the sofa and doing gentle exercises in the pool. I also swim - but I use a float under my low tummy to support my legs. This works for me and I am going to treat being on the floor as OUT OF BOUNDS for the next month.
I am doing a lot of sewing mending at the moment and making lavender bags - next on the convalescence list is the digital photographs. Having other things to do has really helped me not feel useless and doing tasks which make me sit down are really helpful as they enforce rest periods.
I would like to report to the group that I have excellent butt muscles.
isn't that so funny, such a funny thing to write, yet on this forum it's okay.
That is what I love about this place.
continuing on with what pansycat wrote about having weak butt muscles hindered her walking, I will say my butt muscles are strong and I have never walked with a limp. My operation in France they go in on the side of your hip.