Hi, I had my hip replacement in October last year and have been left with one leg longer than the other so have a uplift in my shoe, but I still have pain in the thigh muscle, from the knee to the hip, does anyone else have the same problem?
Hi Valerie, This does happen where one led becomes longer then the other,
How much longer is the length?
Hi, It was originally over an inch but I went to the Chiropractor and she realligned my pelvis so now it is about half an inch, which is about the largest uplift you can have in a shoe, alternative is a built up shoe.
Valerie
Hi, Yes, I have seen by the amount of people on this line who have the problem, but I have spoken to other people and they had their legs measured before the operation and didn't have the problem.
Just a piece of advice...... three years ago i was having problems with my foot hurting so i went to a podiatrist. (He performed surgery on my mother's foot so, i trusted him). Anyway, i told him about the problems with my hip and instead of giving me a lift right away, he sent me for x-rays for exact measurements on length discrepency. When all was said and done, I was approximately 3/4 inch shorter on right side then left. He also advised me not to get the exact measurement in a lift because he said it would be very tramatic on the knees. he told me to go to a shoe maker and get a heel lift only in two different measurements and see which one worked better before getting a permenant one made. THE BEST ADVISE EVER!!!! Perhaps you should speak to your surgeon about possible knee problems first. not saying this is best for you, it was best for me .p.s i also had a built up shoe, and did not like it at all. Good luck to you. Ginny USA NJ
Hi Ginny, thank you for the information, I am seeing my surgeon at the end of the month so I will ask him. Best wishes Valerie
Hi Valerie. Yes, I had my thr end of last sept...so we are both abt same time. I have longer leg on the new hip side by about 1 to 1 half in. Surgeon asked that I give it some time to settle. I have pain In the theigh knee to groin, but some days are better than others. Also pain in the lower back that I attribute to the left side taking on more of the weight. I will return for a follow up visit to discuss these problems around May or so. In the meantime I rigged my own lift and that has helped the back pain. Went for a bike ride yesterday about 6 miles and the theigh felt good. Thinking maybe I need to exercise it more.
Hi Kathryn, I also get lower back pain but again I think it is due to the leg difference, since I have had my uplift which was measured at the orthotist it has been much better. The doctor has advised me to take Naproxen 3 times a day until I see the surgeon end of March and it has been much better.
I do take a naproxen once in a while but am very respectful of what it can do to your stomach.....I have had an ulcer so am aware.
Hi I am sorry to hear about the leg discrepancy. When I first went to see my surgeon who is a professor in Orthopedic surgery specialising in hip disorders he was very careful to measure my leg length. I was shocked to hear I had shortening of my leg of 3cm due to bone collapse. He told me he would do his best to correct this at the time of surgery but couldnt promise anything. Luckily he was able to correct the length. I know this doesnt help you but if anyone is reading this I suppose it is another factor to take into account when thinking about trying to delay surgery for as long as possible. There is no need to delay now as the new joints are so hard wearing and possibly do not need replacement within a lifetime
Hi Julia, Thank you for the information, it is very interesting as my Chiropractor also said some of the difference is due to the other hip wearing and althoough it doesn't need replacing at the moment, it will do in the future, so maybe my legs may end up the same length.
Hi Kathryn, When my doctor prescribed Naproxen she also gave me omeprazole Gastro-resistant capsules which protect the stomach when taking medication for any length of time. Naproxen is better taken 3 times a day to enable the pain killer in them to get into the system. I tried taking one a day and didn't get much relief when I mentioned this to the doctor she said I should take 3 a day and I don't have as much pain now. The Omperazole is taken first thing in the morning an hour before breakfast. Hope this helps. Valerie
Hi val. Re omeprazole. I have been on it for years ( or some form of it) since my ulcer. It is a wonder drug. But I'm still hesitant to overload on the pain killers......the pain in the back can be relieved by sitting down or by laying on the floor flat with spine lined up to floor. Not the ideal but the good is that it can be relieved without pain killers. Iam going to see the surgeon when I return home to Mass. And then I will see what are some more permanent solutions to the leg discrepancy. Not sure there is much hope as my spine has a very severe curvature.