Hi all, any of you feel your hip, buttocks and thigh muscles tense up?
I’m a very tense person but I can tell my muscles would tense up prior to surgery in a way to protect myself from falling or to get around walking with the joint pain.
Now I feel my muscles tense up after my THR I think to protect my leg from further hurt or injury. Plus to hold myself better while walking.
I think that why my right hip (which I had THR a yr ago on) has gotten a bit painful. I’m sure I’m using the right leg to compensate for my recent THR on my left.
I finally took a pain pill yesterday to walk more comfortably and I noticed how relaxed those muscles were.
How Can I relax those muscles without meds?
It’s been too long walking around tensed up like that and my body I’m sure is used to it. I think I would feel less uncomfortable with this current THR if it weren’t for that.
Dear Dsilk
We'll that is progress. Perhaps if you repeat this fora week or two your body will sort to think that being relaxed is the new norm.
Spending time with your feet up is I find a good way of relaxing my muscles. Oh yes and a long hot shower or a good long hot soak in a deep bath. There is a cost attached now for me because I have to pay for every gallon of water whereas before the water came from a spring for free
All the best, Richard
You told us what worked, go with the pain pill, and yes you are right, you have been favouring your left leg, and carrying all your weight on your right, which is still healing up from THR a year previous.
I didn't believe my Dr when he told me 12 months to heal up and even then more like two years to heal up completely, experience with double hip has taught me he so right, and he didn't only mean the surgery, and although he didn't explain it very well, afterall his expertise is not in dealing with people, its in doing the surgery.
Muscles take up to two years to heal and mine occasionally get tight now and I'm just over two year RTHR. massage will help and also ice, even though in this cold weather you may not want to. Try going tot a pool and just walking up and down and doing your exercises. I had to have foot surgery on the other side and it upset my gait and hip was painful. I had to remember to walk upright and use heel/toe movement. I also have a very good osteopath who stretches me out, to me its a cost worth paying. Good luck.
Dsilk: I could be wrong, but I would take the pain med until the pain is gone or better. If you are in pain
you can't relax and be comfortable. Sometimes the pain will get worse if you ignore it. AI am 7 weeks R thr
and I still take pain meds before I go to pt. I had to take them longer than usual as I had horrific swelling and
hurting foot from the surgery. I started on Oxey codine and now I take a vicadon 1/2 when needed. To me it isn't worth the pain. Good Luck
Thank you all for your comments/suggestions. I will take the pain meds when needed.
I do a lot of resting but as I’m reclined in bed I also feel my buttocks tightened up so I relax them and then later they are tight again.
Wish I could soak in hot tub but incision not ready.
Hi Auntie yes it’s important to keep saying heel toe, I haven’t walked properly for over 18 months at least. I think I will find a good osteopath too once I’m over the worst of all this nightmare. Would you say an osteopath is more appropriate to hippies than a physiotherapist?
Yes I’m not bothered about taking pain meds for a long time either. I’m only 2 weeks post op and things haven’t improved much I must say since I came home. I never expected this level of pain at all, nor did I think I would find it hard to sleep even for an hour. So the way I feel at the moment is really depressing for me personally so no way could I even think about cutting down on my co codamols.
Dear Sarah
Have you not considered a good chiropractor?
Cheers Richard
I can't sleep for more than an hour at a time either! I don't have much pain at all but am a side sleeper and obviously can't do THAT for 6 week's. I'm 9 days post op and really don't see how I will deal with it...it is depressing. It is 8:45 am and im already bored to tears...
What is the difference Richard?
Dear Sarah
There is a big difference though they both deal with basically the correctness of your skeletal frame
My understanding having had experience of both is that the osteopath is the most basic form of manipulation and a step on from what a physio does whereas chiropractors have a far wider and significant range of techniques at their disposal.
Within the Chiropractic profession are the traditional chiropractors and the so called McTimoney ones. The McTimoney ones have a more limited approach and IMO would not be my first choice because if I would want someone who is not limited in their approach.
It is interesting that the annual cost of insurance for the traditional chiropractor is many times (three times I understand) to that of a McTimoney trained one.
Anyroad up all chiropractors should be able to see and feel where you have a frame problem and with gentle sharp pressure sometimes put you right or start the process in a way that pills simply cannot do...or surgery.
As I have said on many threads here since I joined, many pains and discomfort can be traced directly back to ones back and frame. It is very much tied up with pressure points that I started a thread about yesterday.
I hope this helps.
Cheers Richard
Very interesting thank you Richard
I’m allowed to sleep on my side, posterior approach restrictions have been lifted. But yes it IS so boring 
Dear Sarah. Thanks. Cheers Richard
Richard I’ve now been thinking of seeing a chiro. But since I’ve had issues with my hips the last 8 yrs that’s something I didn’t want to do. But now that I’m done with both hips I’m considering. Just need to heal completely right?
Hi Stacy, I am going to take my pain medication Norco w/acetaminophen. My main problem is side of thigh and side of knee going down below knee a bit. Feels likes it’s my bone.
The Norco is only 10 mgs and taking a whole one makes gives me a fuzzy feeling in the head and I can’t walk too much as I’m afraid to fall. But it did help me loosen up.
Going to try half a pill again though at one time I felt no difference in pain with half before.
Thank you.
Ps still can’t sleep on operated side but managed other side not too bad last night. Went half on tummy half on side and managed a bit of a sleep 👍
Hi Dsilk: Glad you are going to take something for pain. I do also take 1/2 a Norco still and when I go to PT or out shopping I take a whole. I am 7 weeks now and I didn't think I would even be driving the car or going shopping so trust me it will get better. If you can keep some of the pain away you will find that your life will start to get back to normal each day. A am so far from 100% but soooooo much better each day. I actually have been taking 3 1/2 pills a day. I'll ween myself off when the time comes. I am allergic to aspirin (which wouldn't be strong enough anyhow) so this works for me.
Good luck..
Dear Dsilk
I've got an appointment to see a McTimoney one on Monday as where I'm now living there are sadly nine of the usual ones. My hip revision is not far behind me but I have no worries .
I'm sure all will be fine and regardless you will be making sure that everything is as it should be, and if not which is very likely then you've made a start in sorting out the problem or problems.
All the best, Richard