I am now 11 weeks post op and walking well without a stick inside and not using a stick all the time when outside. Operation site is still a bit sore but improving. However I am still getting back thigh pain, which is sometimes very bad and at other times not really noticeable. The physio thinks it might be the sciatic nerve which is playing up and has advised me to move around as much as I can. Lying down helps when things get bad. I feel that this is really holding up my recovery and wonder if anyone else has experienced this and if so what you did about it, or is it just a matter of waiting for it to go?
Before my first operation, I was fairly active as I commuted daily to London (train, tube, bus, cycle), so my leg muscles were well used. My first recovery was fairly standard.
As I had to have revision 10 weeksafter the first operation, my muscles were not in such good shape before the operation, and I think this is holding me back this time. My leg does not hurt all the time, but the thigh from knee to hip does 'get tired' more easily.
I think a lot depends on how mobile you were before the operation, and how lucky you are with how many muscles/nerves they have pulled/repositioned during your operation.
Graham - 🚀💃
Thanks for your comments Rocketman. I did wonder about the repositioning of muscles/ nerves etc and how much they had been 'chewed' about during the operation. I am trying to keep positive and live from day to day and the surgeon did tell me it would be April/May when I really felt the benefit, so I'm hoping things will improve. I am so glad I found this site is everyone, including yourself, is so helpful and it does make you feel less alone.
Sorry to hear this, Soxy. I had sciatica when I was pregnant with my first, starting in my butt and radiating down the back of my thigh, which went away after about the fifth month. It was excruciating, and was there pretty much all the time that I was standing up. Have you checked any sites about sciatic pain? I just looked at the mayoclinic . org (without the spaces) and searched for sciatica. They have a very useful article about it, describing symptoms, treatment, etc. It says that mild sciatica goes away over time. Treatment does NOT include moving around as much as possible. It talks about what you can do when the acute pain has improved.
It is possible that your nerve is somewhat pinched somewhere due to swelling of other tissues and no damage to the nerve. After another couple of weeks, it may be better. I wouldn't be trying to do too much more activity than you would normally be doing at this point in recovery. At 11 days I was just moving around a bit from room to room in my house, that's it.
Wishing you the best.
Thanks Annie, but it's actually 11 weeks since the operation not 11 days! The physio wasn't entirely sure that sciatica was causing it, so I'm just keeping fingers crossed that it does abate.
Oops, I misunderstood! I hope it does, too. I have aching butt pain that moves down the back of my thigh, but it is because of a torn gluteus minimus muscle, which I have to get repaired. It is very different from sciatic pain, which, for me, was intense, sharp, stabbing, all of that, making it nearly impossible to stand or walk. Hope this does resolve soon. Your kind of pain is difficult to deal with.
hi soxy,
I know what you mean ..
I think it is because, when we advance in our recovery, we want to go faster - getting impatient, I know I start to walk sloppier - Just want to go and forget to correct my posture, steps etc and there I go !!! lobsided, unbalanced and then I wonder why I am in so much pain ....
well, it is not that bad, because most of the time I do remember to stand up straight, relax my shoulders, my back etc - I am walking without my cane outside and not sure if i am ready yet - Walking goes great, but afterwards I have these pains, stiffness, discomfort, in back, hip, thigh and around knees -
Arghhhh .... back to basics -
take care and slow down , love
big warm hug .... all is well
renee
Oh! Memories. I had sciatica after my first daughter was born. It lasted 18 months and then the second was born and pushed whatever was causing it back into place. It was excrutiating.
Thanks for your post Renee. I am trying to take things slowly, but it is difficult to k ow just how much to do isn't it. I think my hip is OK but I have obviously got some issues with the back and nerves which I hope will sort themselves out eventually. One thing with me though (although I know I'm in the minority), doing exercises really does not seem to suit my frame, so I have packed in doing them, as they were doing more harm than good. We are all different aren't we. Best wishes to you.
it really is difficult to figure out when to do what ... I do challenge myself and take it from there -
exercizing is important, we all know that - but here again, there is no one-size-fits-all and definitely pain-is-no-gain after THR surgery .
I know that there are good physical therapists who take the time to talk to you, look at where you are in mobility and strength on a regular base - to make sure you do the exercises correctly -
I'm about 12 weeks post op and suffer a similar kind of pain in the back of my thigh. I was worried something was going wrong so I googled it.
If you have an uncemented prosthesis you can suffer pain in the back of the thigh as the bone grows and grafts itself on to or around the replacement (or something like that).
I also suffer with pain in my back and walking has taken a bit of a downturn recently because of it and if I go longer distances, still need to use a stick. Regarding the back pain, I've been advised that it could be my pelvis re-aligning as it was out of kilter for a couple of years where I was walking badly whilst in pain with the OA.
I kind of expected to be fairly fully recovered by now, and that there seems to still be a way to go can be quite demoralising at times.
Hope the above is of some use.
hi deja vu,
thank you ....I know how you feel. ..
it really is major surgery and I sometimes forget this...I had 2 THR surgeries within 6 months, so double whammy. .and I
still expect that I should be done by now ....
Big warm hug
Renee ❤
all is well