I am 6 and a half weeks post bilateral THR anterior approach. I'm 45 years old and mostly have been doing great since surgery. I started back to work, albeit from home, after 2 weeks, released from physical therapy and driving after 4 weeks, and at this point I feel better than the entire year of 2016. Still need to get range of motion and strength back, but I couldn't be happier that I went through with surgery.
However, at my 6-week post op appointment with my surgeon this week, he mentioned that I have SI joint arthritis as well, and may need to continue taking NSAIDs. I realize this may seem minor, but I was hoping to stop taking anything for pain and was just so hoping to get back to normal and be much more active again without pain. Until hip osteoarthritis got me to the point of limping, I was a runner.
And now my lower back seems to be hurting the past few days, even as my hips continue to feel better and heal, and I wonder if this is the SI joint arthritis already here to take the place of my previous hip pain. Ugh!
Does anyone else have experience with this or have any suggestions? Thank you!
Wow, you have done so well in short a short recovery time.
I too have sacroiliac joint pain and have had it for years. It is pretty much located where the two 'dimple' areas are on your bum. I was told by a physio years ago that it is the result of wear and tear and it will always be there. Other than cortisone injections and NSAIDs they don't fix it apparently (((
When I mentioned it to my surgeon pre op and told him that it gives me a lot of pain, he said that maybe fixing my bad hips would relieve it in some way, maybe not
I had one hip fixed 3 months ago and the S1 area gives me more trouble than my still bad hip. I guess I just have to live with it?
please let me know if you find out anything that helps.
Not wishing to add to your misery... But you may want to ask for your spine to be xrayed too. This is also associated with lumbar spinal stenosis, which I have. So far I have managed to control it with exercise and gabapentin, but that may not, probably won't, remain the case.
I had this diagnosis a couple of years ago, so before the hip need to be replaced (i've had LTHR - so far the severe OA in the right had never hurt at all! Perverse, huh?). Like you I had a dream recovery from the hip replacement, but already knew that wouldn't be solving the spine. Some stuff, you just got to live with and push on. I did find that exercising works well, at least for now. Like you, I was active - 59 now and practiced judo from the age of 8 until the arthritis got me at 54! I took up yoga after that - you may find that helps, and I bought a very good book that is thorough advice on yoga for people with forms of arthritis (as well as lessons of course!) - both what to do and what not to do.
If you want cheering up, after my hip surgery they realised my ankle was severely damaged (broke it in May and haven't barely been able to walk since then because while still in the cast my hip bone disintegrated due to necrosis!). Now I need the ankle totally rebuilding. Three and a half hour major surgery, at least six weeks non weight bearing, then the same partial weight bearing. And they can't do the surgery until my hip has completely recovered - about nine months!
So it could be worse !
And I'm staying positive and cheerful so I didn't tell you that to make you feel sorry for me! The point is, don't let it get you down. Plan some actions and take some control. It may not actually make you better, but it'll make you feel better. Attitude matters. So what if you did have to continue taking meds? There's worse things that can happen. But life isn't a rehearsal. You get one shot to make it worthwhile, for yourself and others. So grab it. Turn this into something positive.
I've had an excellent recovery from my direct anterior LTHR i had on Nov 14. As that problem was resolved others were unmasked. I have a degree of dextroscoliosis *spine curvature to the right (don't know if it is thoracic or lumbar... I think lumbar). This creates a condition where the hip (on same side of curvature) his is slightly rotated and allows the hip to be elevated above the other (my recent TLHR). This causes one leg to be slightly shorter than the other (1 cm for me) and causes lower back pain. I have begun to use a 1 cm lifter in my left shoe.
I will take NASIDs (lotrine) when required (a bad day where inflammation may be higher than normal) but daily asprin also works. The point being that I will never be totally pain free. I have educated myself as to what types of exercises can help and have incorporated them daily. The combo provides very good relief from the pain on any given day (but not total and some days are better than others). I don't have to take opiods which are a whole other matter.
I am an active person. I understand you had been a runner. Running is patricularly rough on joints even for a healthy person. I learned to channel my need for being active to events that produce less wear and tear on my joints: bicycle touring (very good), river kayaking (not through rapids ), hiking and other sports/activities where I can still challenge myself wo/ hurting myself and knowing what my limitations are.Discover those new activities.
Most importantly, maintain a positive mental outlook and concede that you are not 25 years old anymore (with the attendant body that comes with). Remember that physiological "normal" changes with age. What was normal 10 years ago is not today. That's life.
You will be fine. Just deal with one issue at a time, undestand what's going on and do the things that help alleviate the condition you are experiencing as best as possible. Exercise is a very good solution to many physical problems. Maybe not running anymore but other activites...
It was visible on the x-ray. Would you go to a Rheumatologist for osteoarthritis? What might they prescribe differently than an orthopedic doctor and my primary care doc?
Thanks! I am trying to stay positive and get back to being as active as possible.
Thanks! Yes, that's what I've found out so far - no real fix for SI joint arthritis. I think I did have lower back pain from it before, but just assumed that all of my pain was from the ball and socket hip joints that have now been replaced. I guess I can't complain too much, because I am still doing and feeling so much better than before surgery. I was just hoping for more of a complete return to "normal."
I had my spine x-rayed about a year and a half ago and all was well then at least, but my osteoarthritis also progressed fairly quickly, so if I continue to have much pain or it gets worse, I will definitely start looking into other things.
At this point though, I'm also just a little afraid to find something else wrong - almost like ignorance is bliss - but I also don't want to do something to unknowingly cause more damage.
I am so sorry about your ankle! That must be miserable. And you're right - there are worse things than having to continue taking meds. At least I feel pretty good while doing so, which I certainly could not say before the hip replacement!
Thanks for the positive words. I hope to hear about you doing better after ankle surgery as well!
Thanks. I'm actually going to our local YMCA today to speak to one of their wellness people that is supposed to have suggestions for exercises post hip replacement beyond physical therapy. I'm not sure how that will go, but I feel ready to do more without overdoing it.
I hope to do more bicycling once I reach 12 weeks post-op (my doctor doesn't want me biking up and down hills until then, and it will be good timing for the weather hopefully improving here in Indiana as well. Lots of folks have suggested swimming or water aerobics, but I've never been one to really enjoy that kind of activity. I have even thought about walking half marathons instead of running them, at least when I can find ones that allow enough time for walking.
Yes, trying to remain positive and just build back up to what I can. I just refuse to be one who sits around. I have a desk job so that is enough sitting through the week! Plus, that is why I had surgery - so I can get back to being as active as possible.
I know just how the "not wanting to know" feeling works! I was on crutches for so long this last year I got a frozen shoulder and RSI. Along with everything else. I have told them that I will not allow xrays on my left ankle and knees. They feel fine and if they aren't I want to carry on living in blissful ignorance since they seem to be the only part of me that works right now!
), hiking and other sports/activities where I can still challenge myself wo/ hurting myself and knowing what my limitations are.Discover those new activities.