Hi, i posted this in the recovery bit but didn't get any responses and I'm freaking out a bit.
I'm 10 days out of bilateral hip resurfacing.So far my recovery has been ok. My initial post op pain and stiffness has pretty much gone. My left hip feels really good, hardly any pain. However my right is super sore, or more the tendons around my groin running between my legs and the front are catching on every foot step and movement so it's eye wateringly painful. It's like my hip is in a slightly different position and all the muscles and tendons are pullling or catching.
As my left is so great it's hard not to worry about my right. I read lots of people with groin pain issues but just seems weird to have it so early on. I'm icing religiously. The Physio says it's bad luck and time will just heal it. I know I'm mega early in the process but I'd be interested to know how other peoples early post op experiences compared with there overall trajectory of recovery and whether there was a correlation? How long can initial post op groin pain last? Should I keep walking although it's inflaming the tendons? Thanks
Hi Slinkycarrot, it's really early on so don't worry. Every bilat I read about says the hips heal quite differently from each other.
It might calm your nerves to call your surgeon and tell him or her of your symptoms.
The groin pain that you read about is there right from the beginning. The surgeon has to cut through the bursa cushion under the psoas and so it hurts for everyone coming from the surgery. If your other groin doesn't have any discomfort then I would consider that unusual.
For me the groin pain lasted a couple of months but got better and better. It was best for me to avoid any movement that caused pain so it could heal.
Chuckm
Hang in there, it's very, very early.
I'm a Bilat too and would definitely agree with Chuck, the hips heal at different rates and definitely feel different. That, in my opinion, will remain true throughout your recovery. I just hit the 6 month mark and each hip has had it's little issues during recovery and rarely at the same time.
Good luck
Hi chuckm
How intense was your groin pain? It's just every movement or step is causing a sharp catching pain. The Physio is saying I need to walk through it but it's just irritating it. It starts out the day a bit settled but by the end it's much more inflamed.
My left twinges a bit occasionally but nothing that bothers me. I emailed dr de Smet and he just said to give it time. [size=78%]I'm making no progress day to day with this specific problem as you usually see with an injury or post op recovery, I think why I'm so freaked out... it just doesn't feel right or like there's any progress. [/size] I've been searching the forum to find others who had he same issue from the start that's got better but haven't found anyone to compare it to.
My groin pain was not "eye wateringly painful". Are you on crutches or are you walking right now?
My advice would be to get back on crutches or at least one crutch and keep that hip from doing anything that irritates it or causes any kind of pain. That could be totally immobile.
At about 10 to 15 days post op, I clearly remember feeling good and going about my daily life. But after a few days of that my hip and groin got so irritated I opted to go back on the crutches for about 5 days and it was a huge help.
Be very cautious of the physio. You should NOT push through any sharp pain. My physio did the same to me and my groin got very irritated so I refused to do anything that irritated the groin after that.
Chuckm
I am very much still on crutches and half of the time have to go non weightbearing otherwise the tendons catch or pull.
The physio has me doing mobilisation stuff every day as im working on both hips but Ill be back home in a few days so can back off my right hip totally and just do v gentle stretching to try and lengthen it.
Im pretty sure its due to my hip being in a different position due to my dysplasia being fixed; my right leg used to cave in, now it can't the muscles/tendons are all being pulled. Just hope it doesnt go to tendonitis.
Sorry to hear you're having a rough go of it. However, doing ANY type of 'stretching' or 'mobilizing' this early sounds like a really bad idea to me. Your hips have just been through some major trauma including the cutting and reattaching of muscles/tendons. Those tissues take significant time to heal. I'm one who pushed HARD in my recovery and even then, waited MONTHS before doing any significant stretching and even then I started it quite gently. At your point in the recovery process I'm of the opinion that the only thing you should be doing is walking a bit each day... The rest will come in time.
I am sorry to hear you are having problems. You are very early in your recovery and patience is a must. If it hurts, most likely, don't do it. Give yourself time. Healing is not a straight line recover. You will take one step forward and 2 back. Best to take it easy. Hopefully, things will work out with time.
Pat
Slink. Don't worry. You will be fine. This is normal. 8) I went through the same issues but different. Bilateral is very hard. Remember you have gone through major surgery it is going to take some time. The phsyio (Lynda) wants you keep moving so you can get home safely they don't want your hips seizing up while in transit. I had massive groin pain and still do but it is going. It normally is due to Quads - Ilipsoas - not working correctly due to inactivity due to the joint so you fix the joint the tendons have to rebuild and this at present puts huge amount of stress already on your weak tendons of these areas. Dont worry De Smet should have got it 100% right he normally does he is very very good and what you experience is normal.
So take a chill pill calm down and have some confidence. Just don't do what the physio says too much. De Smet also works very hard he has not got time to explain all of this intricate stuff that happens later on in Rehab. Cheers K :)
:) Hi Slink now you and Westro are the same person or different?
When do you go home?
I'd push back against the overzealous PT. Ask for modifications and file away the painful exercises for when you feel better.
FWIW I feel like my body is realigning itself after years and years of being crooked, too. That part has been interesting and is still going on.
I just got home this morning. Journey wasn't too bad really apart from the first bit atvthectrain station - trying to pull my wheely bag whilst going very gingerly on crutches. I managed to bag a row on both long flights so I could lay down. The worst part was pumping milk in the grimmest toilet in Istanbul airport and trying to explain that to the wheelchair assistant!
My pain is definitely a bit better as I've really rested the last three days. My groin really flares on any of the PT exercises so I just have to limit my range right now.
I'm treating my right as if I've badly strained/torn some of the hip flexor/abductors. Feels like it does when you've torn a muscle so think that's what's going on. So giving it 8 weeks before I worry (easier said than done!) and hope I can make progress. I'm going to get ultrasound and dry needling this week, will see how that goes.
Quote from: Slinkycarrot on October 18, 2016, 09:43:33 AM
So giving it 8 weeks before I worry (easier said than done!) and hope I can make progress.
That's the plan that worked for me. My formal PT didn't start until week 4. By the end of the first week they had my psoas aching all the time. By the end of the second week I refused to do any exercises that affected the psoas such as leg lifting etc. It became obvious that there was a lot of healing that still needed to occur even though I was 6 weeks post op.
My plan after that was open ended. I was going to protect the psoas until it calmed down completely - however long that took.
It did take about 8 weeks but I clearly remember the day. It happened so suddenly. Where I had always been sliding my leg across the bed to rise in the morning this time I woke up and swung my legs off the bed and it was absolutely pain free.
Since that then, the psoas has always been a work in progress with tightness but that sharp pain never came back.
So hang in there.
Chuckm
Thanks chuckm
I'll llook forward to the moment of being able to get into bed without a lot of effort and wriggling! [size=78%]Do you have any tips for getting legs up? I find this is really causing my psoas to twang no matter how much I try and ease my legs up.[/size]
Try using a leg lifter for getting in and out of bed. That was an essential tool for me after HR.
I've been empathizing with you throughout this thread. Bilateral must be tough. I had groin and abductor pain after surgery, but not at the level you describe, so I'm not sure I can make a positive suggestion for you. Factors for my groin/abductor pain included injections in the area, the muscle differences from dysplasia that others have described, and the general fact that I had major surgery that involved moving a lot of stuff around. It did dissipate over time, although I would rate it as my slowest are to heal. I had my surgery January 19 (crap; I guess I need to update) and everything feels perfectly normal now, and it has for a while. Everybody heals differently. I have every confidence that you'll be fine in the long run.
Thanks catfriend, your words give me some confidence that these issues will subside :) Did you have hip dysplasia?
Progress is occurring, albeit slowly. I'm using my dogs lead to get my legs on the bed - poor thing thinks he's going for a walk every time I use it :) I'm walking around the house with my crutches but have to take small steps else it pulls my abductors/flexors.
Looking after baby is tough! I have help but they leave at 3 so im home alone for four hours with her before hubby gets home - carrying her around in a sling when we need to move and the witching hours... such an extra effort!
Yes, hip dysplasia. At some point I will need to have my left hip done, too, but it is currently only about 50% worn out so not yet (x-rayed just last week). My full story, including post-surgical, is on this website someplace, or on my site hipresurfacingwoman.com.
The first few weeks are tough. Dare I say doubly so for bilats? ;) But it does get better. At this point I feel pretty much normal. But there were days early on that were tough, and there were times that I would move in some fashion that convinced me I had done something bad to the implant, etc.
thanks catfriend - i checked out your story (: thats a bummer re your left hip but at least you know what to expect. I definitely wont be going in for a bilateral again if i can avoid it!
Progress here is SLOW. Im still pretty sore now on both hips - just my abductors and flexors are super cranky, especially in the mornings after shifting around all night trying to get comfy. I'm not really progressing my exercises or how far I can walk - pretty much just crutch round the house (although its a bit house).
I am making progress but its tiny steps and incredibly frustrating when I read other stories of people walking a fair amount at this stage.
I think you over did it early on, that set you back compared to others. I did the same at 8 weeks, and got psoas tendonitis, took at least 3 weeks of babying to get it back to what I would call comfortable.
I am 7 months out and my hip flexors are still cranky, they have been dysfunctional for so long, its going to take time to unwind. I think people fail to realize that muscles can take along time to start working properly/symmetrically again. All the years with a bad joint your body adapts, now with a new joint in cannot just snap back. I know it stinks I have been through it, and the hip flexors are just finicky causing back, groin and tightness.
Hang in there you will get there!!!
Larry
:) Hi Slinky Carrot - Hi Viper the same. I have just started the gym with a trainer to get these things to work properly now.
I am not a gym person. Interesting the Left side is starting to change with the training she has provided and seems to be holding. The right side still has the groin and or hamstring - groin - ilipsoas issue but it may resolve with time and strengthening.
Why it is good to go to these people because they see the faults with you and give you new ideas. They initiate changes and sometimes they are for the benefit of you.
Totally with it and one has to give it time to heal change and tissue to rebuild.
All those years yes of bad joints your body does adapt. When the new joint is put back in it then has to adapt back to original if the joint surgery has been done well.
Bit of a process but achievable.
Catch ya later. Cheers K
Karlos & Larry,
Do you think at this stage one should be doing light stretches so they get into their new position? or wait for the muscles to completely settle down? And do you think its better to try and walk more or to hold off?
I have conflicting advice from the physio and biokineticist. I've been staying on the conservative side of activity given that is felt like i had torn or strained the muscles, so was giving it 6-8 weeks to heal before I do anything much more.
I hear you Larry on the dysfunction side of things, Im preparing myself for at least a year of dedicated physio to try and get my muscles balanced. I hope you keep making progress. Prior to the op I bought myself a simple EMG monitor to try and work on switching off my overactive psoas on my left. Really hard to get it to switch off. I was just googling the machine I have and came across these which look pretty cool, although I think they only measures glute, quad and hamstring activity (and a much fancier EMG machine than mine!).
http://www.myontec.com/products/muscle_monitor/ (http://www.myontec.com/products/muscle_monitor/)
Thanks, Roz.
I suggest working on strengthening before stretching. If you don't have any strength there's not much to work with for stretching. The more walking you can do, the better. If you can only manage short walks, do them frequently. Walking builds strength. As your strength increases you will be able to walk longer distances. Then you will be able to stretch more. I can now reach around my pack, grab my ankle, pull it up, and stretch my quad on my surgical side. While I used to do that all the time before surgery it was many months before I could do this on my own (my pt would do it for me on a table). Even when you sprain an ankle (speaking from experience) the early emphasis in pt is on strengthening, so if you're comparing your surgery to that (and I've compared my recovery to those I've had coming back from injuries) then developing strength is the primary task.
:) 8) Yo Roz nice to hear from you. Do what your body tells you. If you feel like your legs want a bit a walking do it.... Blood circulation is what you want for tissue repair. Not too much not to little. Sounds good though your thinking about it so that is cool. If you have torn or strained one would not even be able to use crutches.
Example torn Achilles tendon WOW!!. The iliopsoas is the strongest muscle - tendon in the body so it is massively hard to tear. Don't worry you may really get ahead of Larry and me you are a lot younger and your issue has been identified early on. An overactive iliopsoas can be, can be I say ( I am not a doc) due to weak Gluts due to pain in the hip joint. If there is pain in the joint the gluts (the butt muscles) give up first. The iliopsoas is normally the last one standing so it takes all the load of what is not been working correctly. Pain is a disabling factor and switches of muscle actions due to the pain. Until the gluts get ahead - pain resides in the the joint and then strengthening occurs then the groin pain should go because now you are using your gluts to walk with and not the iliopsoas. Don't worry it will happen. Be positive. It takes time. Concentrate on the gluts if anything. Many a hippy here will tell you that. Once the butt is firm she's all go!!!!
Remember if you do some exercise wait at least 48 hours for the tissue to rebuild before the next session.
It will switch off (iliopsoas) if the gluts are working as they should believe me I have experienced this.
Take it easy.
Cheers K
Thanks Larry & Karlos!
I think there are just some of us that get these muscle issues to deal with and some that dont. It seems like my hips are in totally new positions and I have to stretch and retrain all my muscles to accommodate them. Its just going to take time but I hadn't really prepared myself for this rehab projection prior to surgery.
Since my last post Ive really upped my walking and it's definitely helped, so I'm walking with crutches about 2 lots of 600 metres a day and increasing. I went to a party on the weekend and was up dancing (or more swaying!) for a good few hours, man was I sore and stiff at the end but it was so good to let some steam off! Around the house I can waddle a few metres without the crutches, not really good for my gait but useful if I need to carry something. Im 6 weeks as of wednesday and think i have another 2 weeks till i can get off the crutches.
I start physio tomorrow which I think will help.
Sleeping is still a pain. When were you able to sleep on your side? Ive tried to on my better side but its not comfy and I think it's making my scar worse. Cant wait till the day I can sleep on my side and spring in and out of bed!
Larry - I just saw your post on my bilat story bit.... yup 5 scopes. Dont ask - had issues with scar tissue x2 and then 2 crap jobs. Apparently Dr De Smet said my cartilage in one spot was sewed to the wrong place!
Excuse my ignorance - when they do the resurfacing do they get rid of the capsule? or just replace the joint inside and patch it up? [size=78%]Would this be a reason for my slower recovery?[/size]
No great question, the capsule is divided and sewn back to keep the integrity. Yes everyone is different recovering, and you having scopes in the past throws another curve ball.
I think you should stick to walking for now and keep upping the distance as you feel better. Once your hip feels stronger then start working the specific hip and core muscles.
good luck,
larry
:) Hi your doing well Slinky. You have improved as I am now as well. At the gym and making very good progress with the trainer after what 19 months. I can jump a bit down 2 ft example and are getting the structure back in my left leg. Yes it will take time but remember you need to have a life in between. The capsule is complete and not removed so look after it until it heals properly. 2 issues to deal with. Muscular from the joint deformation and the joint itself and then rehabilitation once the new joint back is back in place. Then getting the muscles to regenerate again.
I have still along way to go but I ran another half marathon last weekend. It was a hard one but I did it. My next challenge is 26km but I need to get it totally together and get my nutrition right just due I am not 26 years old anymore. But hell I love it.... I hit the wall around the 1hr.45m mark so I doing ok for an old fella who was told he would never walk again.......... :o 8) Yo laters........ K
Karlos, that's amazing you did another half! Congrats :)
So I'm now 8 weeks post op and finally off the crutches. I waddle a tiny bit as I'm so stiff and my hip flexors get so tight. I've started swimming a bit now with a pool buoy which is fine.
In general my recovery is ok, still slow and so much muscle and hip capsule tightness/stretching to do but each week my range of motion slightly improves. It's a marathon not a sprint!
It's great to hear you're finally doing a bit better. I was worried about you. Everybody's recovery is different. What matters most is the long term results, not the first few weeks. I don't know why your recovery (or any other individual's) has been slower than others, but you're not the first or only. You will get there.
Hi Slink
I am a fresh bilateral now 10 days out. I am also a PT. I too have clunking, catching and residual pain with lots of stiffness. I agree w many of the prior posts re no "aggressive" stretching . I'm doing my own self stretching and I see small gains. I'm staying away from any painful motions vs appropriate stretch discomfort. Your pain should not be worse after stretching ... It should settle to baseline. Remember our OA hips usually have lots of limited mobility going into HR which are not effected with the procedure. I can see how this recovery will be very gradual. Lots of things need work in the long run.. Mobility... Smooth walking with improved function and eventually strategic strength and conditioning.
My biggest problem now is that I cannot sleep at night...any suggestions?
Dr Su : Bilateral 1/13/17
I really just walked for the first month. If I did too much strengthening everything would get flared up. Then I started doing strengthening, but only stretching if it felt good. I would stretch for functional things, like to reach my foot to put on socks, but mostly just that.
I think I sort of had a sense of if something felt like a good idea. And if it didn't feel good, I wouldn't worry about it, I would just try again in a couple of weeks. I'm at 7 weeks out now, and ROM is slowly getting better, strength too.