I had a total hip replacement, anterior which was supposed to be easier than the posterior method 8 wks ago. The Dr. warned me I could possibly have one leg shorter than the other. The surgical leg is now 3/4 to 1 inch longer than the other. This causes difficulty in walking. After surgery I had little pain, but now each morning its so painful just to get up and get started. I have 13 steps to get downstairs and I need to take a pain pill just to move after that. I have had physical therapy continously since I've been home so I think the pain should be better not worse. I do have 3 ruptured discs on my other side and I realized that the hip replacement would not help that constant pain. I was supposed to have back surgery 4 yrs ago but kept putting it off. I'm seeing the Dr. today, to me the answer is not more pain pills. I do have diabetic neuropathy and know the difference from that pain and the surgical pain. I get around in the house using a cane but outside need a walker for stability. I do most of my own housework and laundry. How long does pain from the replacement last and should it get worse with therapy? Maybe thats the problem. I'm 76yrs
Would appreciate your advice.
I'm very sorry to hear about your pain. I know how discouraging it can be. I also have nerve pain and know the difference. Do you think your pain could be muscle related, such as Tendonitis, or does it feel like it's coming from the bones? If it's muscle, it will hurt when you move whether you put weight on it or not. Bone pain is usually a deep ache that can be sharp but mostly associated with putting weight on it.
Can you describe your pain with a few more details?
I'm 61 and had 9 weeks of rehap.Did hurt sometimes when they did something I was not ready for.Its really fine now except my leg is 1 inch shorter
Got a lawyer to start the process for being a cripple I know some people don't like that word but I was so active before and I really can't do a lot of things thats not possable now ! Good luck but your pain should be gone by now.
Hey first thing is you're 76 and very sharp. I would say that if taking painkillers is what it takes, then that's that. Whatever it takes. Painkillers are addictive, but so is diabetic medication. Maybe we have to consider that we will be taking painkillers for the rest of our lives. And that 50 years ago, osteoarthritis would have crippled us. I am 20 years younger than you and took painkillers for 6 months. Even now I take them occasionally to avoid getting too fatigued mid afternoon. As far as the level of pain is concerned, from personal experience, yes the pain is bad when doing the physio and for myself I have decided my own limitations. Rotation will never be as good as the other one. You sound terrific for your age. Think positive and persevere in very small increments. If painkillers needed, be consoled that half the nation is on something if not painkillers.
One thing I would add for the entire community here is that I invested in a leg massager kit. It cost £450 and I encased my legs in them twice daily. The swelling went in the first day. An hour in the morning and an hour at night. And it was very very soporific. Worth every penny. Swelling went literally overnight. If anyone's interested I can look up the supplier..
I had anterior too, this is the 11th week. I was practically normal (no pain and walking without a cane) until week 6 post surgery, then week 7 and until about last week, i was in such pain that i had to go back using the cane and taking anti-inflamatory meds. Today i am almost back to normal again. In my case i think i overdid with exercise during the first 6 weeks, which triggered the nerves and tendons and muscles to relapse. So, you see, you are not alone in this recovery journey.
My Dr. told me before surgery that it was possible that the leg would be longer than the other. Its like yours an inch difference except longer not shorter. Right after surgery he told me he did hhis best to match them up. I will admit that the thought of a lawyer crossed my mind. I saw him yesterday and he said I should start using a lift in my shoe so my gait was better. We'll see how that helps me walking.
Thanks for all the replies. First of all I'm in the U.S. so your offer of looking up a supplier won't work, but thanks for the offer, and thanks for the compliment. I did see my Dr. yesterday and he said I'm progressing nicely. The pain could be sciatia or muscle pain. Either way it hurts. I'm going to look into a leg massager. I'm just afraid that the ruptured discs in my spine are the cause of the increased pain. Early morning, 4.44AM, I had to take a pain pill, I'm not a fan of that. But as other responders said, one does whatever it takes to be confortable.