Hi, I have been doing my exercises everyday with no groin pain whatsoever. Groin pain/agony was my biggest pain by far before my op 11 days ago. So I was delighted this had gone.
Today whilst doing the knee raise exercises (bringing knee up on the bed and from standing position) that same pain is back. I don’t get it doing the other exercises just bringing up the knee ones. Should I exercise through the pain or avoid as I don’t want to make the situation worse. Your advice would be most welcome here thank you.
The only safe advice I can suggest is to not work through real pain till you speak with your physical therapist. I am waiting on my hip surgery now but when I had a shoulder rotator cuff repair 2 years ago I was told by my therapist to work through discomfort and tightness but not pain. I could do most of the exercises prescribed but there was one or two which caused me really bad pain, so we backed off those and gave the shoulder more time before adding them back to my routine. Good luck to you.
Hi Sarah, Maybe you are pulling knee up too high? or it could be the position your leg is in when you start. i used to have to bend knee up then push my leg out behind me from standing position. If you are still getting pain rest that exercise for a day and see if any difference. It could just be tight muscles and muscles healing. i occasionally get groin pain two years out but usually because I have done something hip doesn't like.
I Found lifting the leg to the side exercise would give me pain if I went to far so I lifted less. The same goes for the marching exercise. When I first started I can only lift my leg just so high without it hurting so I limited how high I went. I don’t know if this will help but it is all I can say.
Do not work through pain, that is your body telling you to stop (unless physio/surgeon say otherwise).
Gradually work on your exercises, build up range of movement, muscle condition and stamina.
I used the 'little and often' approach, doing several small exercises spaced out through the day.
Graham
I had the same thing while in the Transitional Care Unit. I think it was because of muscles unused or protected in the months leading up to my hip replacement. It basically went away but every now and then, and I am in week 11, it comes back. If it gets severe I would worry, but otherwise I think it might be normal.
It only pains in the groin when I have an exercise that involves bringing the knee upwards. Taking the leg out, sideways or back there is no groin pain, but as soon as I even try to bring the bent knee up, even a little bit, the pain is a sharp groin pain.
Thank you Graham. Yes I get no pain really from the other exercises so goodness knows why I’ve started to get this stabbing pain. I’m having to put a plastic bag under my foot lying down on the bed taking my leg out to the side as my whole thigh is so painful doing that particular one but as you say little and often. Do you know the name of the muscle that goes into the groin?
Hi Sarah,
I know you didn't have restrictions but I wonder if it's when your knee is passing the 90 degree mark? I've found as I've begun to think I'm normal, I've often forgotten and brought the knee up too high - then the groin tells me it doesn't like it. I get the same discomfort when driving as I have to have the seat so close to reach the pedals, so my knees are higher than the hip. In the years pre - op I was always aware that knees higher than hips were a no - no (as told to me by a physio, as it puts a lot of strain through the hip) Maybe it's worth only going to the 90 degrees and no more just to see if it makes any difference?
If its painful don't do it, at least for a few days. Have a break and try again gently next week. 👣
Sarah I hadn’t noticed but just now I lifted my right knee while in sitting position to put on my slipper and I too feel groin pain. And I’m 1 year post op anterior approach.
As I have mentioned before I get groin pain every once in a while when I drive. Now that’s very uncomfortable when it comes on without moving and only holding leg in one position.
Hope your pain goes away.
I remember having great difficulty with taking my leg to the side too, good idea to use a plastic bag for that.
No idea what that muscle is - sorry
Sarah, try the Pectineus or Adductor Longus
Sarah, I also found a good read on this forum. Search GROIN PAIN AFTER HIP REPLACEMENT - Hip tightness after THR
Ahhh yes Jools you might be right. It had not used to hirtbdoing that exercise so I may have abused the groin. I will test it then remember to only lift it a bit. Thank you.
Hi Sarah, not sure I understand what exercise you are doing. Are you standing and bringing your knee to 90 degrees? I haven’t done any exercise that involve bringing my knee onto the bed. Have you been doing this exercise daily? Did you do anything different before the pain came on? I find some Pilates exercise can be a bit sore in my groin also using the clutch a lot when driving starts to hurt there, if I’m in a traffic jam for instance. If it’s the normal sort of pain you can get when you are exercising perhaps don’t do as many repetitions but do it more frequently. Little and often rather than over taxing your healing muscles. Probably as well to speak to your physio for advice though. They might understand more what exercises you have been given.
Cheers
Ann
Lying flat on your back you bend your operated leg a bit and drag your heel up over the mattress bringing your knee up. I could do that ok until I got a bit blasé and maybe brought my knee higher than it should be. Doing it now brings on a bit of groin pain so physio said to just bring my heel up minimally and then back down. Otherwise she said it could seize up so I move the heel up only an inch. The other knee exercise that causes groin pain but never used to is standing holding onto something and then bring the knee of the operated leg up, hold it, then back down again. i used to find that easy but now I get groin pain so physio said to just take my foot off the floor for now to stop any seizing up.
When I first realised something was very wrong long before my op was when I started to experience intermittent groin pain a year ago now. All year long that groin pain disabled me to such an extent it was like a knife going in there every time I stood up. So that’s why I felt so utterly depressed when it came back again the other day.
Hi Sarah - From what I can tell you're about 2 weeks from your surgery. They did things to you that should not be discussed in front of children.
Your body is in major recovery mode and it will take time. Two things I learned from my physical therapist after my second hip.
1) It's important to learn the difference between soreness/stiffness and pain. Soreness is OK to test (push against a little bit) and pain is not. She further clarified by saying that I was unlikely to do any damage to my new hip as long as I was reasonably careful. "You will know you have done damage if you find that you are in unbelievably excruciating pain."
2) While the PT exercises are helpful, the only thing you really need to do to rehab your hip is walk. Walk as much as you can
Kyle