Mystery Pains

[kimberly52]

Hi all

Well I am 9-weeks post op and things are going relatively well with the exception of weird pains in various places in my body.  Since surgery I experience weird pains in weird places.  One week my shoulder was so painful that it hurt to raise my arm.  There was like a quarter size area that was very tender to the touch. After a week it was gone.  No explanation as to why it hurt so bad.

I had that weird rib cage pain just a few weeks out with no explanation.  Again, about a week and then it was gone.

Now my back is teetering on the edge and any movement can set it off into spasms.

Other weird stuff is that my knee, back of my legs, and elbows gets tender where it is like my shoulder, painful to the touch and increased pain with or without movement. 

Aside from these things, My hip feels great and when the rest of me isn't falling apart I have been very active biking, power walking, gardening, etc. with no hip complaints.

Has anyone ever experienced such strange things like I described post op?

Kim

[kate71]

hi Kim

I am 3 weeks post op and have pains in my knees quite often, getting pins and needles in my hands, shoulder pain today and back pain previously.

Had some great ideas from the lovely people on this site though especially the cushion under your knees at night for the back pain - works a treat. just tilts your pelvis enough to reduce the pressure on the lower back.

for me I put the back and shoulder pain down to walking normally for once after years of walking with a limp. not sure about the pins and needles today - feels a bit weird! hoping its not too serious!!

I guess the body is sorting itself out at last but I am not good when I dont know why something is happening and always think the worst!! I know its good to hear that others have experienced similar symptoms so I hope this helps!

[MikeF]

Those symptoms confuse me post-surgery. I have lower back weakness/pain, groin pain, knee pain already. I have surgery scheduled for July 15 and I'm counting on those referred pain areas to be relieved pretty quickly. Any thoughts out there??

[kate71]

hi mike

i know what you mean but these are new different pains!! I had knee pain before but this is more muscular and seems to go with massage. the back pain is only when I lie down and this was bad with walking preop.

I know you expect everything to go but I think I was walking so badly before, and didnt realise it, so now my body is straightening up to normal and everything is having to readjust. 

Good luck with your op

[chuckm]

Hi Kim, it's probably nothing. You have to realize that in the early stages of recovery, you begin to do things that you haven't done in a while. New stresses on the shoulders from crutches and then the cane can trigger pains days later. I know early on I was lifting myself using my arms a lot and my hands, wrists, and shoulders really started to be painful. Seems like that mystery soreness around the knee just lingered for months. Soon enough things will really start to sort out so just hang in there.

Chuckm

[hernanu]

Hi Kim,

I think it's just your body getting used to a new architecture. For a long while, to avoid pain and to compensate for the loss of cartilage, your body twisted itself into the most pain free shape possible. It's not the best shape for someone with healthy hips, but it was the best possible.

I think this caused you to overuse some muscles and underuse (to the point of atrophy in some cases) others.

Now you are back to a normal hip, the rest of the body has to readjust. In some cases, some muscles are relieved because you're asking much less of them, but others that may be atrophied would suddenly be asked to bear the weight that they did before, maybe years before.

In my opinion it eventually works out, but that imbalance is not going away immediately.

So soreness, etc. was something I also experienced, but expected that the recovery would have a few extra twinges, especially with atrophied or underused muscles.

[kimberly52]

Hi all

Thanks for the feedback.  I will hang out a bit longer and see if all settles out.  All of the pains here and there were not a big issue with me until the back started.  I had herniated my disc last year not too bad and was able to settle it back in with PT and traction.  So the pain in my back is similar to the pain I got right before I popped that disc which concerns me.I am doing my McKenzie exercises and they are helping. 

I guess my concern is that I was expecting only to have to deal with hip recovery and not all of these other weird things that are popping up.  I really want to get back to the gym but every time I turn around something else is going wrong. 

I guess this recovery is a real test of patience.  :-\

Kim

[lycraman]

I'm 9 months post op and I'd endorse everything that has been said about the body having to readapt to a correct (new) posture after years of muscles and joints trying to compensate for hip pain. I took it easy post op for 3 to 4 months and just concentrated on walking (several slow miles a day within 2 weeks). I first got on a bike at 4 months but didn't get into gym until 5 months. Since then I've been working hard but sensibly and have had bouts of back pain and shoulder pain. Back was caused by the fact that I was still squatting with a twist of the hips. I'm now suffering shoulder problems!  The motto is that it just takes time to get your body back into the right shape and planes of movement. The help and advice of a good physio and a sensitive/sensible personal trainer is invaluable.

Take it easy, don't expect too much too soon and you'll keep making steady progress