Pain 8 weeks post op

Bones, joints and muscles
1

I had a THR 8 weeks ago and I'm still in pain when I walk , and I have a pronounced limp because of it. The pain is in the hip and buttock. I have been attending a 'hip class' at the hospital which gives post op exercises run by a physio. At the last class he said it just needs more exercises to be done to build up strength. He told me to abandon the one crutch I was still using to force the leg to do more work.

I'm on the same dose of painkillers that I was on before my op which is really depressing, although the pain is different and I am not in pain when resting. The physio said I needed to take pain killers if the pain stopped me doing the exercises.

I have a close friend who had her op 2 days before me (at a different hospital) and she is pain free, walking without a limp and wasn't given any exercises at all to do!!

Any thoughts anyone?

2

I can only say each operation and each person is different so no two THR are the same....Hang in there and keep us posted !!!

3

Hi Matthew , I am 7 weeks post op and sound same as you .

i have a limp and pain in thigh and buttocks . Dr in check up said all was fine but I needed physio to strengthen muscles . Dr said I should feel a lot better by 8 weeks and  I must say I am feeling pretty good now . Before I had op I wasn't in constant pain so find it  strange now but surgeon said my hip was dreadful no cartilage left although my x ray didn't show that . Waiting for physio appt now . Good luck 

Mary 

South Wales

4

Dear Matty, I am sorry to hear of your disappointment and pain. I did have butt or gluteal spasms after physio and had to be put on muscle relaxants. I am doing my own exercises, seemed the physio triggered these spasms and could not bear it any more. The doctor told me to walk slower and lift my knees slowly to help with the limp. I walk in the pool and do the exercises. Guess see if you can speak to your doc and get some suggestions, keep us posted and hope next week is better, rest and try not to worry, take each day one day at a time, hugs, Susan

5

Try leaving off doing so many exercises for a couple of days and try doing a bit more walking on level ground for a few days to see if that helps.  This is only a suggestion but I am wondering if the exercises are making your hip ache.  I know after doing keep fit for 2 years that my legs used to really ache two days after doing keep fit, so I should try that for a short time to see if it improves.

6

Sorry Matty, I should have said after doing keep fit for 25 years, not 2!

7

Thanks jimmy and Mary (and btw its Martha not Matthew😊)

My pain level and freedom of movement hasn't really improved for about 3 weeks. I think that's why I feel so down. I went to see the surgeon after 6 weeks when, apparently, he would usually sign people off and see them again after a year but he was surprised how weak my leg was so is seeing me again after another 6 weeks - 4 weeks now. The feeling of being on a plateau for so long is depressing 😒

8

I was not able to do many exercises because I have Lumbar Stenosis which is squashing my Sciatic nerve, so any exercises cause a nasty attack of Sciatica.  I seem to have done much better than everyone who do their exercises.  I am 5 weeks post op and I,m walking freely with no pain.  I don,t need to use my crutches or stick.  I know we are all different, but although I,m medically trained and know the value of physio, I think that if it hurts, then it needs to rest and heal.

i really hope you feel better soon.

love and hugs

Sue

9

Thank you everyone. I think over this weekend I'm going to give the physio exercises a rest and just go about my normal daily routine. I'm pretty busy anyway as my sister and I run a b&b - I don't clean rooms etc, I do the paperwork side of things - so I'm active. I'll keep you posted xx

10

Hi, I am still limping and I had mine in October, I have pain from the knee to the hip in the muscle, I have now got one leg longer than the other and have had to have a uplift in my shoe to compensate, but I still get the pain.  I have been advise by the chiropractor who did get my pelvis back to normal, to use one crutch when walking the dog as this seems to be the most difficult, especially when going up an incline.  I am still trying to keep up with the excercises hoping it will help.

11

Hi Martha, I am also 8 weeks post op, nod in a great deal of pain, night spasms stop sleep and exercise and physio cause pain in my thigh. It seems that although painful and depressing, it can happen. 

12

Dear Martha, I went to the clinic with awful gluteal (butt) spasms following fisio and the doctor put me on muscle relaxants, It happened twice. I saw my doctor for the month check-up and he said it is a result of low potassium and to eat more bananas. I do that, but have the muscle relaxants on hand. In reading about these spasms, they sound pretty normal in the earlier part of recovery. Hope that helps, Susan

13

This sounds unusual as most people are a lot better at 8 weeks. It might just be sciatica if you have ever had back trouble before and this should eventually go away

14

I did have terrible back pain before. I have scoliosis anyway but one Dr said that, as my hip was so immobile, it was pushing pressure onto my sacroiliac joint which isn't supposed to move much anyway. That became inflamed. I had a cortisone jab into it which didn't do any good. That pain has gone. The pain now is in my thigh and into my buttock, but it's not a shooting pain like I understand sciatic pain is.

Thanks everyone. We'll all get there eventually. Xx