Sore/Stiff After Activity Normal at 1 Year Post Op?

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hi everyone,

I am almost a year post on from my LTHR. Prior to my surgery my pain was manageable, but I had extremely limited range of motion: no internal or external rotation, limited flexion (60 degrees) and negative extension (- 15 degress… meaning I couldn’t straighten my leg)… and I walked with a very noticeable limp.

Anyway, my ROM is much improved since the surgery, and most days are minor pain to pain free. I average between 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day (between 7-10KM), and usually feel pretty good. However, I have noticed that on days where I do a lot (like when I hit the 10 KM total walks… or after a single long 6 KM walk) my hip (or more specifically, the muscles around the hip) can feel quite sore and a little stiff the next day. I have read that bone and tissue continues to remodel itself around the implant for up to two years or more, and that it can lead to some soreness.

So I am wondering, for those of you who have had a successful THR and are a couple of years out, do you still get sore/stiff after lots of activity? If not, around how longer after your surgery did this soreness/stiffness stop occurring?

Also, are you completely pain free, or just mostly pain free? Just curious on that one.

Thanks

2

Hi there

I Had THR left hip Sept 2017 and yes I can still get a lot of pain after a lot of exercise. I have been concerned at times but this is major surgery I keep reminding myself so I do feel this is normal and feel sure it may take 2 - 3 years after surgery to be pain free. I have been informed from someone it took 5 years before he felt he made a full recovery so this has always given me hope.

CRAIG

3

My surgeon - knowing that I wanted to return to tennis and skiing - said that I should continue my exercises for 1 - 1.5 years after my right hip replacement. Implying that healing takes (at least) that long.
I feel really good now after 4.5 months, but I do get some aches if I overdo it.
I also find it pretty hard to cross my right leg over my left (which I want to do because I have very dry skin and I want to be able to apply moisturiser to my left foot). This tells me that I still have room for improvement…

Joan

4

Hi, I am 3 years out rthr and 1 year out lthr. After having pain for the last 40 years I can say I am now 90% pain free. I also do a lot of forest walking and if I do a longer walk, can get some muscle pain round the hip. If I do my leg exercises this usually helps. I have read differing advise from physios, but some say we should do our leg exercises for ever after a thr. I do know I have a great day everyday I do my exercises first thing.
Sounds like you are doing great.

5

Correction: right foot; I can do the left one.

6

be careful ! you should NOT be crossing your legs at this point nor for quite a while

7

hi
i had 2 ThR just over 2 years agobeing a self employed joiner i was worried as i get pain late afternoon and stiffness only in left hip ive been assured by my doctor to keep doing my exercises and it will eventually settle downas i was told there was alot more work done on left hip so i wasnt walking with a limp and will take a lot longer to heal 100% for the record i was told never again to cross my legsano everyone is different but i hope this helps

donny

8

I am almost a complete year in after THP I’m in a lot pain after standing and walking at work. listening to you all I will continue with my exercise. I was getting scared about the pain so I should feel better in few years.

9

stay positive your only a year and this is not long after what is quite serious surgery.
I’m sure you are still recovering but recovery can be very slow .
You will continue to get yourself back to normal although this will be at a very slow pace!

10

Hi! I’m glad to hear others still have stiffening and some pain after their ops too! I am almost a year post op now and am doing really well most days but I too find that after a day of walking I do get sore by night. I never had physio as my op was performed out of our area (had to go to Crewe as the waiting list was getting longer and longer at my local hospital). Been doing what had been shown to me on a leaflet at the hospital but maybe it wasn’t enough?
Anyway, I’m still glad I had the op as I am 100%better than I was!
Good luck everyone–keep in touch. As they say ‘it’s good to talk’, :wink:

11

Ya, it sounds like it is pretty common. For me it tends to take a couple of days for the soreness to settle down. Although sometimes the nerves get irritated and it takes a little longer.

12

Interesting! - my physio says it’s OK to work on improving this movement now, and has given me exercises (ie to improve my ability to cross my right leg higher over my left (for me operated over un-operated side)).
I was told not to cross my legs in the early days of course, and I obeyed completely. But my surgeon removed all restrictions at the 6-week check.
In practice I still felt more comfortable raising my seat with a cushion until about 3 months, but am fine now. Now it’s just getting at my right foot which is difficult.
How has everyone else done with crossing their legs?

Joan

13

HI
I am 14 months Total left hip replacement. its interesting to read you post as i am covering around the same number of steps and distance as youare whilst walkung my dogs. i still have unknown groin pain. that is being managed with strong painkillers. however i also experience pain around the hip and top of the left area after more strenuous exercise or prolonged activity. i have recently resumed my pilates class weekly to try an strengthen both those top of leg muscles and my stomach and core muscles. whilst this does give me pain the following day im very hopeful that eventually the strength abd balance i feel will outwreight any pain xxx

14

Hi, I am eight months out now, went camping this week in beautiful Lathkill Dale and my first ‘serious’ walking since the op. I must say after uphill, down dale for around 12 miles over one and a half days, my backside muscles are screaming at me but no pain in hip. I do tend to struggle downhill though and wonder if this is more of a balance issue, scared of falling, although uphill I can get going like a mountain goat unless there are steep steps as I’m only five two, this has always been an issue! Does anybody else find downhill more difficult? Cheers, Helen

15

Yes I think downhill is definitely worse. (Except on skis!)