Standing on one leg?

[Larrymer]

Hi, I'm a 29 year old male and I just had a couple BHR's done. Yes I'm young but I had bone spurs, terrible range of motion and OA which stopped me from enjoying running and playing sports that I once had done.

Anyway, I am at 9 weeks for the left leg and 6 weeks for the right leg. The left feels very good and I don't notice any issues or pain with it so far. The right, however, is still giving me a bit of pain. I'm not on medication so it isn't severe or anything but I've noticed I am not able to stand on one leg for more than a second or two before having to brace myself or put the other leg back down. Did anyone else notice this during their recovery? I don't remember having this problem with the other leg when I was at this point. I understand that they probably won't heal at the same rate and I should expect the exact same recovery, but I just wanted some feedback.

I'm in PT still and the only real nagging thing is the right leg and glute pain associated with standing on one leg. Without doing the exercises on one leg I don't have the glute pain. I still walk with a cane but walking around around the house without it (with a heavy limp) doesn't cause pain in the joint or my glute.

[Tim Bratten]

I'm sure I wasn't balancing on one leg at six weeks. My limp went away during the seventh week. Now at four and a half months post-op, I can can do all kinds of things while balancing on one leg. My advice would be if it hurts standing on one leg, avoid doing that for a few more weeks.

Cheers
Tim

[Jerry C.]

I am a bit older than you are 54 vs 29 but I also just had both hips done.  7 weeks out on rt and 1 wk out on lt.  The second one has been harder to deal with than the first one because of more fatigue and a much harder time dislocating the joint.  Full of bone spurs and almost fused.  I have a lot more glut soreness this time.  I think I can stand on either leg but the right is easier for that. I think we both have to be patient.  Jerry

[Larrymer]

Thanks for the feedback.

It's interesting that you say that because the doctor mentioned he had a hard time dislocating my right (problem) leg also. Lots of spurs (even after having it scoped in 2011) and it was more sore than the left leg after surgery. I suppose I'll just be patient and hopefully ditch this cane in the next few weeks. :)

[3Chords]

I had my BHR 5 weeks ago. Little older than you, too... Balancing on one leg is one of the exercises I'm supposed to do, and it's a bit tough. Are you using the "good" (I use this loosely) leg as a balance? I have to use it like a wallaby's tail. Once I get balanced, I can let go of the counter upon which rests my beer. 10 seconds, 10 times, one good belt between sets. Sometimes leaning further forward than normal helps, and it does work on that glute a bit.

Surgery was normal, recovery normal, everything normal so far.

Best,

Jim

[Larrymer]

I can't stand on my "bad" leg for more than a few seconds without pain in my hip. Even then I don't feel stable at all balance wise. Doing those sort of exercises or leg extensions to the side or front leaves pain in the joint and in my glute for the next day or so. I think it just needs a bit more time.

[3Chords]

 
Yeah, time wounds all heals, I guess! I'm having some minor pain with those side extensions (standing abduction?) but it goes away quickly. Lying on my side, those abduction things are really, really hard. Mostly I just do as many as I can then go back to the beer.

I don't even see my PT person or the surgeon until the end of next week!

Jim

[Larrymer]

Same here, when laying those are really tough. I had them take out most of the stuff where I'm forced to put all my weight on one leg during PT and so far it's feeling better. Still can't wait to be walking normally again.

[Larrymer]

Small update after another week: I'm able to put a little more weight on my hip and walking more normal with the cane. I can walk around the house with a limp but wouldn't go out without the cane. I think I'd get too tired after a decent walk. I'm still getting pain in the glute and down my leg if I do the standing leg extensions to the side, which worries me. I called the doctor today and am awaiting a call back to see what he thinks and if it's normal with where I'm at in the recovery. Almost seems like a nerve is getting pinched by the muscle in that area or something.

[hernanu]

You're still very early on. At nine weeks, your rehab is probably at the right place, just need some patience with your body.

Remember:

• You've had not one but two major surgeries.
• The recovery is bone first, muscular much later. You want to allow your bones to heal.
• Being in muscular shape helps greatly, but is not the main thing in the beginning, that bone is the thing.
• Your body is trying to replenish the blood loss, heal the manipulation done in the surgery.

I loved my PT both times, but there are some things that will take longer. Balancing correctly is one of them. I spent thirty years doing high speed moves that involved sophisticated balancing (Tae Kwon Do), and it took me about a year to balance properly.

Others were able to do things more quickly, each of us heals at different rates, but I think patience is the key on healing.

[Larrymer]

I talked to the doctors again, and they're suggesting anti-inflammatories for a week and see how things are. It wasn't a reassuring phone call and I still don't think it's normal during recovery. I had a pinched nerve in my back from a herniated disc which was resolved with surgery already, so I hope I'm not going back down that road again...However, the right side is getting better and I can walk more without the cane, but I still have the glute and leg/nerve pain. I'm a bit worried about this obviously but I'll give it more time and see.

[oldsoccerplayer]

Larry, I also had a herniated disk fixed by surgery about 5 years before I had the HR on the same side. After doing certain moves, I get a pinching feeling in the lower back on that side that feels a lot the disk problem used to. My chiropractor checked it out and reassured me that the pain is coming from muscle and not nerve. I assume this is just one of the things that can happen after they cut through you. While that pinching feeling isn't as bad as it used to be I just take the approach "if it hurts, don't do it". It only happens occasionally when I twist or bend a certain way, usually during fitness classes, not that often in daily life. I think I can bring it on by heavy lifting with my back a bit twisted, so like I said, I just try to avoid those moves.
Hope this helps

[Larrymer]

Thanks for the reply. I don't get any back pain (besides what I normally get still...) and it doesn't quite feel like the same nerve pain as before. It's more just pain in the glute that continues down my leg. I'm hoping it's just muscle pain that eventually goes away but only time will tell.

[Larrymer]

Searched around and saw this http://bonesmart.org/forum/threads/piriformis-syndrome-a-pain-in-the-butt.9837/

Going to try doing this stretch more often, but it's one I'm already doing.

[Larrymer]

Doing the piriformis stretches seems to help quite a bit. I can stand on one leg with some balance and not too much strain on the leg a little better now. :)

Slowly but surely.