I finally got results of the bone scan my 2nd opinion surgeon ordered, and they found nothing. I sat and cried for 10 minutes after this news.
I have reported here before that 10 months post-op I am still miserable and in pain 24/7. My entire right thigh and buttock are in pain, I still need to use a cane for steps and walking more than 50 feet. I have trouble sleeping because I can't lie on the operated side for more than a few minutes, can't sleep on my back, and can't turn myself in the bed. Sitting hurts, getting up hurts worse. More exercise = more pain, so the only exercise I do is in the pool. I think I probably still need more stretching and strengthening, but I have no more physiotherapy - told I don't need it and have used up all my Medicare benefit for it anyway.
I have had 2 tests: a CT scan and a nuclear imaging bone scan. Neither showed anything. Not that I wanted something to be wrong exactly, I just wanted there to be something fixable.
I had anterior approach, and it was horrible from the very beginning. My life has been kind of on hold (re travel plans and that sort of thing), waiting for an answer. Now it seems there is no answer. I have no idea if it will eventually go away or if I will have to live with this forever.
I am 70, normally very active, I am a yoga teacher, love to travel and hike. I wish I had never had the replacement done. Pain was bad before surgery, but at least it was intermittent then. I feel as if this THR has really compromised my quality of life.
Next stop is a pain management specialist. I am very reluctant to go (and can't/won't take narcotics). But what choice do I have now?
Can I ask how long you have been in pain, has it been ever since the op or sometime after. Did you have physio after and for how long, so could it be possible you have pulled a muscle that's causing you the pain, can you weight bear fully that the pain doesn't effect or is there other issues
Karmamama
Know your dilemma,, it’s been 3yrs for me pain /burning 24/7. My pain usually starts at butt then down leg. Sitting is miserable no sleeping on operated side or back,, walking makes worse.
I’ve been told now its a nerve that we’ll try to block !
Nothing really shows a pinched of impinged nerve so think this is a best guess thing !!
I’m hoping nerve block does something so at least we’ll know we’re on right track !!
Hope your pain management helps, just take it easy as you can so you won’t top out on pain meds as i have. 225 mg oxycodone a day & still suffer 24/7. Dr says I’ve top out but I’m still miserable 😟. Meds do help but my body has got use to um & only have occasional relief !!!!
Hope & pray you have better success !!!
Luv to all
David
Why us
Why me
Hi Dave I had the same pain as you down leg and buttock my physio said it was trapped nerve she told me to sit on a chair put head down on your neck and lift leg do it 10 times 3 times a day and it decently helps if I feel it coming back I do it again and it goes hope it will help you and karma mama
Dear Karma
I'm so sorry that the bone scans did not provide an answer. Bummer.
This is how I would proceed now. I would want to visit my chiropractor to have them check me over. Whilst this may not reveal anything it would be good to get the all clear especially as there would not be any delay. Please select a chiropractor who is not a McTimoney trained one.
I would also make sure that I was taking the edge of my pain to give my body the best chance to heal and to allow you to continue with the exercises and with walking.
In addition I would also try anything to relax my body such as hot soaks in the bath or failing that long hot showers. I would also get out my pair of arm crutches and use them whenever I could.
Hope you feel that it is worth givin g these suggestions a good try out.
Best wishes, Richard
Thanks, Alexandria, I have not had a pain free day since my surgery in January 2017. I did all the physio, also exercises at home. I used up my entire Medicare benefit by June., going 3 times per week. 2nd opinion doc says I don't need more PT, and is the one who referred me to the pain specialist
Sounds horrible, David. My pain does not feel like nerve pain , although perhap pain doc can explore that further. I don't take opiods, they make me sick as well as constipated, so I manage on Tylenol (paracetamol to you Brits). Not supposed to take NSAIDs to avoid kidney damage.
Good luck to you. They sell this surgery like candy - it is so easy, anterior approach is so much better, it will for sure "fix" you. Nope, nope, and nope.
So can you describe your pain or is it like mine and difficult to describe, can you walk on it fully
Richard, thanks for the support. I have tried deep tissue massage, meditation, and soaks in the hot tub. My chiropractor does not seem to be interested, although I could try to find a better one. I also got the name of an acupuncturist, so may try that. I walk my dog and do pool walking (chest high water) and exercises every day, and use a cane for any place that is uneven, has stairs, or is more than a very short walk. I might try taking more Tylenol than I do now, because I agree it is important to get a jump on the pain.
I am a take-the-bull-by-the-horns kind of person, so I will regroup and keep trying. Just have really bad moments from time to time, like the news this morning that they can't find anything they can fix. I may be 70, but have a can-do attitude and until this, was able to hike, ride horseback, and do a lot of yoga daily. So I appreciate all advice.
My pain is usually a dull ache or a feeling like sore muscles. It hurts from the top of my pelvic bone down to the knee, front, side and back of thigh. My knee sometimes hurts also, but that is because my gait is off. There is also an ache deep within the hip joint itself, especially at night. And my butt hurts on that side, in 3 different places.
I can stand with full weight on the operated side, yet cant lift that foot up a stair and put weight on it, or lift my knee in a "clamshell" exercise.
I will say it does not hurt in all those places all the time, but at least a couple are hurting at any given . Does not feel like nerve pain (as experienced with sciatic and shingles), but more like over-used muscles. But I am certainly not overdoing it - if anything, I need more exercise.
Hoping that pain doctor and a new year when Medicare resets will enable me to have more physio.
I’m so sorry KarmaMama.
I too have discomfort in those areas but I just had my surgery. My first THR was pain free.
I don’t know what to suggest but have you thought of doing some deep tissue massaging?
I wish you the best sweetie.
Karma
You got a great attitude it’s hard to keep one after 2yrs pre surgery,3 after in pain
Hope your journey is smoother than mine. I’m a few yrs younger than you (64) i was hoping to travel some. Still going to somehow. Even if I have to drive on my good side 😜😜😜
Wishing you the best
David
Hi Richard
Had to look up that mctimoney chiropractor. I see thet ain’t approved in UK & other places. I haven’t try one because of previous experiences with one (quack). But thanks for info cause I don’t know one from the other!!
David
Oh Karma so sorry they have not found anything. My pain post op was the worst I ever experienced so much so that when I had a foot op there was hardly any pain by comparison. Mine was nerve damage. Had a course of amitryptaline and it cured it. I also see an osteopath and she stretched the muscles. Painful at the time but I have a great range of movement. Try acupuncture but also try a reflexologist. Until i saw one never had any experience. He diagnosed several problems with me so worth a shot. Big hugs xxx
Thanks, AuntieBeanie - nice to hear from a few others who also found this difficult. I've had many surgeries in my life, abdominal as well as multiple foot, ankle, and achilles tendon repairs. I agree that even the latter, which are supposed to be the most painful, were nothing compared to the hip replacement. It has been by far the worst from the beginning. I was sent home from the hospital to manage all alone on the 2nd day after surgery and it was a nightmare. Has continued to be a horrible experience ever since.
So after 10 months, I am still in disabling pain, but since they cannot"see" anything wrong, well too bad, I just have to find ways to "manage" it.
I appreciate all the suggestions people have given, and hope to see the pain management doc soon. In the meantime, I need to check with 2nd opinion doc to see if he has ruled out nerve pain, infection, and metal allergy - although I have said this has never felt like nerve pain to me, turns out I know someone who had no other symptom of infection but pain, and the same for the metal allergy. She was in pain for 2 years before they checked for metal allergy, which is very rare.
I intend to keep on chugging, don't plan to just accept this lying down, so to speak (which hurts, anyway).
I have tried deep tissue massage, it is excruciatingly painful, but I thought it was helping for a while. Does not seem to have any lasting effect, though.
Good luck with your recovery also!
I just joined this forum because I'm in the beginning stages of what you described. I'm also 70 yrs old and had my "other" hip replaced Oct 9th. Things started out ok but after two weeks my pain increased, moving all over the leg above the knee. My surgeon halted all PT but pain continued to increase. I returned to the surgeon who added (1) muscle relaxer a day to my 10mg hydrocodone and 300mg gabapentin 3x a day. Pain got worse still until I was in tears and couldn't walk even with a walker. Back to the surgeon for blood tests and a CT scan w/contrast. His diagnosis was a probable bone bruise, prescribed increased rest and ongoing narcotics. I'm scared to death this will not get well and wondered if a bone bruise from hammering the device down into the femur is a possibility.
My sympathies, KarmaMama! I am 69 and had a lateral THR in 2015. Had thigh and buttock pain afterwards, never able to balance on surgical leg, 15 months and a new orthopedic surgeon later I had gluteal tendon repair surgery. My hip replacement cup and stem placement were fine, no problems. But I had tears in my gluteus medius and minimus tendons that made me unable to walk without aids, and put me in constant pain.
I had a MARS MRI (Metal Artifact Reduction Sequence) of my hip about 7 months post-THR and that was how my second surgeon was able to diagnose my problem. You may need other physicians to get a correct diagnosis. This second one I found was experienced dealing with gluteal tendon tears. My original THR surgeon could see nothing wrong with the MRI scans, nor could either of two radiologists.
Bottom line, I suggest you keep searching for help as there are other physicians and imaging that could help with a diagnosis. Another possibility is diagnostic musculoskeletal ultrasound. I hope you take heart, and keep up with your quest to get relief. 70 is too young to stay debilitated for something that can very likely be fixed.
Thanks for this, Annie. You mentioned the MARS MRI before, and I am pushing for some additional tests,and may seek yet another opinion.
It does not make sense to me that I can have such pervasive pain when "nothing is wrong." All that says to me is that something IS wrong, we just haven't found it yet.
I have been saying all along it is not the implant, not likely nerve pain, I think it is soft tissue damage, so I am adding your issues to my list of rule-outs. I dont think allergy, nerve pain, or infection have been ruled out yet, either.