Hip Flexion

[podgornymd]

Before surgery i had decreased hip flexion when lying down and bringing my knee to my chest, but i am almost 7 weeks out and it seems like that is the last thing to improve. It is still painful to get it to 90 degrees. Is this normal ? And if so how long does it take to get to the point where it isnt painful? Appreciate any input. Thanks

Eman

[Dannywayoflife]

Rom is generally the last thing to return. Also remember everyone is different. I'd think at your stage what your experiencing isn't un normal.

Danny

[Baby Barista]

You can still experience tightness and pain in multiple areas for several months after surgery.

[Pat Walter]

don't try to force your knee to your chest.  There was one guy that did that and dislocated.  You are still early in your recovery.  Give it time and never push anything really hard until you are 6 months or more out.  Things tend to resolve themselves with time.  Your body is speaking to  you - listen to it.

Good Luck.

Pat

[hernanu]

Eman, as a martial artist (and as Danny as well as others can talk to), flexibility of all types and particularly hip flexion are important to me.

The goal for me was true flexibility, with strong bones and powerful muscles backing it up. The key to that even when my hips were healthy was patient, slow and purposeful progression.

The enemy to good flexibility in my opinion is rushing the muscles; the warning sign is pain.

You have an extra consideration as we all did who are further along. The bones need fixing first. The muscles have been insulted, but the frame underneath needs to be solid. That solidity comes after six months, so to my mind, serious flexibility comes after that.

Despite long years of good flexibility, the OA had stolen so much of it that by the time of the surgeries, I not only had to overcome the impact of the surgery, but also the twisting and atrophy of muscles in reaction to the assault on my body.

So to reach the type (maybe not the extent) of flexibility that I had before was a long term project. My target was fourteen months. For no real reason, but it just sounded right to me. Not the kind of flexibility normal to most people, but a reasonable martial artist's flexibility.

I reached it at about that tme, not necessarily because that's what it takes, but probably because I paced it to that extent. It gave me confidence that I needed that my hips would support that for a long long time.

Knees to the chest, with work done both with at home and outpatient physical therapy didn't come for me until about five months. I slowly worked on it, stopping at the first sign of resistance and holding it at that limit. Never to pain.

Now, at almost three years, I am very flexible, can do every kick that I want not just in the air, but at full impact on a heavy bag. So for me, slow progression with as many exercises for strengthening both the large and small supporting muscles were important. I now mix weight lifting and yoga, sometimes in the same workout.

Long answer, but I feel strongly that flexibility is important to address patiently.

[hippy hippy shake]

Hern,

Thanks for another insightful post.  You always seem to respond timely and on point.  How do you manage to do that while doing all the things you do? 

HHS

[hernanu]

Hern,

Thanks for another insightful post.  You always seem to respond timely and on point.  How do you manage to do that while doing all the things you do? 

HHS

Multiple personalities   

[packman]

ROFL Hern - good one!
I follow some of your postings with interest due to your thoroughness - perhaps it is your martial arts concentration, diligence and attention to "Kata" Detail
On this subject, I find a lot of different inputs. Some people have had trouble with the lying on side leg raises - not me, but mine was the prone on back leg lifts and I still feel some minor discomfort but have slowly worked my way up to 30 reps with count of 10 and will go back to 15 with a 1-2 lb weight shortly. For others this is a breeze!
For knee to chest, I am very close to getting it to the equivalent of my non-op side and I feel very gentle stretching.
My difficult one is getting in and out of a car swinging/ lifting my right op leg either in, or getting out. It is just one of those things that I am not going to rush at 2 months plus a couple of weeks. For others at lesser weeks, this is probably easy.
The 3 slogans I am living by from Pat and Hern and others, is a) listen to my body b) we are all different c) be patient in my expectations

[podgornymd]

Thanks again. I am just a little concerned b/c the few stretches that caused pain before the surgery are the ones that are still there. I am hoping they resolve with time. 

[Bill27]

Hello I am 27 and just had my hip resurfaced 7 weeks ago, I had a really bad infection in 2004 that settled in my left hip and destroyed my hip so after suffering for 9 years I finally had a local doc resurface my left hip.. It ended up being alot worse then what they thought, x ray showed just the 2 bone spurs , once they got in there , they find a sleeve that grew up 3/4 of inch around my ball and they had to chisel that off.. The pain from surgery was terrible and im able to tolerate alot of pain, im now at 7 weeks and can only get 90-95 degrees rotation and it hurts very bad to go any further, dealing with alot of aurthritis pain to , is it normal to have really bad arthuritis pain after a surgery like this ? As of two days ago I ran out of narcotics and im taking 1200-1600 mg of advil and 1500 of tylanol a day and still have pain . Mostly aurthritis pain, but some pain from the procedure yet to .. Is this normal at 7 weeks ? THanks for your help .  I see my doc next wed ..

[Pat Walter]

I am sorry you are having problems.  Unfortunately, there is no normal for healing.  I would, however, get on the phone today and call your surgeons office and get more meds if you are still in pain.  Then make sure you tell him the problems next week when you see him.

Many times, 6 weeks is a time when people are starting to feel much better.  Some people stop meds a couple days out of the hospital while others take it for months.  It depends on your personal problems.  If you can't get your surgeon to give you more meds, you can try your family doctor.  If your surgeon does not want to work with you, I would find another that will.  It doesn't mean your resurfacing is not done correctly, but you are very young and had a very difficult hip problem.  Your surgeon should be concerned and working with you. 

Always call the doctors office when you are having problems. Even simple ones like running out of meds.  That's what you are paying the doctor for.

If you continue to have problems that are not solved by your surgeon, I can suggest some other surgeons that would give you a second or third opinon about solving the pain problem.  You can look at my list of surgeons and see the ones you can email free with a copy of your x-rays in a digital format.  They are marked in Red if they accept free email consultations - most of them are at the top in over 1000 hip resurfacings.

There are some people that took a year or two to get out of pain and back to normal, but that is very unusual. It takes a long time to get ROM back for some people. If you had pain and problems for years, it will take a long time since your body is use to that condition.  Surgery does not automatically take care of all the muscle and other joint problems.  They take time to resolve and let your body get back to being balanced.

 Talk with your surgeon and see if you can at least get some meds to help you. 

Pat

[Bill27]

Ok thanks for the advice.. My doc has only done 41 hip resurfacings .. I was his 41th patient.