More flexibility, more clunking?

[Baby Barista]

I'm entering week 8 now and feeling good. I've been going to PT twice a week and working on regaining my flexibility. In the last week, I've made great strides and can nearly reach to put on my socks and shoes. But it seems the tradeoff for this has been a spike in clunking. I especially notice it when going from a seated to standing position, or from bending over to standing up. Doesn't hurt, just a bit annoying

Does this jibe with what other hippies have experienced? Also, if yours flared up around 8 weeks, how long did it take before it began to subside?

[John C]

From my experience, and from the input from my doctor, 8 weeks is still early enough in the recovery to warrant taking it easy on the stretching. Basic range of motion is good, but it may be a little early for serious stretching. My approach was to first work on basic strengthening to get the muscles and and capsule strong and tight to support and hold the joint together, and then later work on stretching the soft tissue after things have healed. My understanding is that clunking occurs when the muscles and ligaments are not holding the parts in constant contact, so they clunk as the come back together. Nothing to worry about early on, but if it is increasing instead of decreasing, my approach would be to back off on trying to stretch things that are still trying to heal, and focus on tightening and strengthening in an effort to get the joint solid and secure.
My experience was that a normal range of motion comes back very naturally over the first few months as things heal, and once they have, those that want to go for more extreme flexibility can then safely do so. I realize that it is controversial, but my doctor is not a big fan of working with PTs during the first couple of months, because he feels that they are often too aggressive about early stretching.

[johnd_emd]

I can relate to your "Clunking".  But, I would almost bet it's more of a "popping" then a clunking.  At least mine is.  The reason I think this is is because the IT Band is "popping" (sliding) back and forth across that greater trocanter of the femur as the hip goes from flexion to extension.  Therefore, that's why it happens when you go from sitting down to standing up, and vice-versa.  I'd imagine it also happens on occasion when you're standing and there's some flexion followed by extension in your hip as well.  I'm sure there's still some inflamation within and around the joint capsule that helps cause this.  And, I'm sure the angles and distances of the hip joint are not exactly the same as they were pre-op; I'm guessing that the femur is actually pushed out a slight bit against the IT Band.  And, I'm sure John C is somewhat correct too, in that as the muscles around the joint stabilize and strengthen this will lessen. 

[Neild5]

I am almost at 4 weeks on the right hip and the clunking feeling I get is the muscles and tendons not sliding nicely over each either.  On the left side that feeling lasted about 5-6 months.  It was a gradual thing, the last couple times it did it was a couple weeks apart. 
My doctor is a big fan of PT, he does not want clots to form and muscles to atrophy.  I was operated on a Monday afternoon and had inpatient PT twice each on Tuesday and Wednesday, went home on Wednesday.  Out patient on Thursday and Friday and then  3 X a week for 6 weeks.  His focus starts on ROM and then stretching.

[Dannywayoflife]

My surgeon was not keen on me stretching early. He recommended waiting 12 weeks before trying any stretching exercises. The hip capsule can take a long time to recover fully and at 8 weeks certainly is not recovered. You don't want to tear it as I'm told that is very painful!

[Baby Barista]

I should add that my therapy does not involve any stretching. It's all stabilizer muscle exercises and massage. The only time I'm stretching is when I put my left foot on the top of my right leg and slide it upward to test how my ROM is improving. As I've noticed in the last week that it's able to slide much farther, I've also noticed the increased clunking.

[mslendzion]

I'm feeling a clunk or popping. It started a week or so ago.

[Dannywayoflife]

I noticed more clunking etc when I started moving more but it went after a few weeks if your not stretching or over doing it I wouldnt worry.