4th week post op soft tissue issues

[gazza]

Hi
I am making a reasonable recovery, can walk around house ok, but still using crutches when walking distances outside (as limping along without gives me back ache later). I have a couple of issues that someone might be able to comment on and give me some advice.
1. The entire length of my scar is pretty much numb.  Not quite sure which method was used, my incision starts about where my trouser pocket would be (but slightly towards the back of my thigh) then continues in the shape of an inverted letter j to part way across my lower back ( ends about 3” from my backbone) towards top of my buttock and is approx 13” long in total.  Will I get the feeling back in this area over time?
2.  When travelling in a car (as a passenger as not driving myself yet), I get a pain in the top of my calf just below my knee, and down the front of my shin. It’s similar to a toothache type of pain but quite intense (after about 30min the pain level is up to 8 out of 10).  I am quite stiff when I get out of the car but the pain then goes after about 30 mins (I didn’t have this before this week). I suspect its a nerve issue and something to do with the healing of soft tissue around my lower back / buttock area..  Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

[Josephine18]

Hi,

I did not have any feeling in the area around my scar for nearly two and a half months.  I am about four months out now of my resurfacing, and I have regained my sensation along the scar.  I developed calf pain about two weeks after my surgery (but not front shin pain), and I too would have rated it at least 8/10 on a pain scale if not even higher.  I, like you, felt better after I walked around for awhile.  I asked my doctor if she would sign off on a Doppler scan to check for blood clots, and I found out that I indeed had a blood clot (DVT) that was responsible for the pain.  I did not have any other signs of having a clot, like fever or redness in my calf, although I did have significant swelling.

[gazza]

Josephine
Wow, that's got me thinking now. I have no signs of DVT at all, but I am going to see my GP in nxt few days to see if I can drive, and also if I can return to work a few days earlier. I'll ask thier advise on my car travelling pain at same time. Thanks Garry

[Carrie]

Hi gazza.

I'm a massage therapist of 15 years. The first thing to do is be checked for blood clots. If none are present, then your symptoms sound like trigger point pain.

Do you know about trigger points?

Carrie

[gazza]

Hi
Thanks for the reply. Not sure what trigger points are though.
Gaz

[gazza]

Carrie
Just read your other post. I see you are about 1 week behind me in recovery.  I was feeling bored, and deperate to get out and about at week 2-3. I guess you could say I was feeling a little down. I am now heading for week 5, and can't belive how much better and able I feel each and every morning.  I have a few issues as stated above. But even so I feel loads better now.  I'm sure given another week or two, you will be feeling much better too.
All the best
Gazza

[Carrie]

Thanks, gazza.

I've opened a topic called "trigger points." Check it out.

I'm on the edge of my chair waiting to find out if you get cleared for blood clots around that knee pain.

If it's not blood clots, let's talk trigger points.

Carrie

[gazza]

Carrie
Saw GP this evening. He thinks pain is originating from my lower back area due to posture and effects from surgery.  Doesn’t suspect DVT, so that’s a relief.  Maybe it is a trigger point issue (have read your post).  Is there anything I could try myself to prove one way or the other?
Thanks
Garry

[Carrie]

Here's how I do it:

Look at a trigger point chart. This is a good page:http://www.triggerpoints.net/

Identify your pain pattern.

Apply direct pressure to the corresponding trigger point(s).

If direct pressure on a particular trigger point reproduces your pain pattern, then that is the trigger point causing your pain.

Pretty high tech, ay?

Let me know how that goes. There's plenty more to say about it depending on your questions.

Carrie

[gazza]

Carrie
Thanks for the info.  I have had a look and the 2 images on the right at http://triggerpoints.net/userfiles/Glut_Min.jpg, seem to correspond roughly with my pain pattern.  But my incision passes through the lower 2 points and is still numb on the surface. Perhaps this explains why I get this pain when sitting in a car, as the slight curve of a car seat presses right on this area.  I guess there’s nothing I can do but wait to heal fully.
Garry

[Carrie]

Yeah, direct pressure will have to wait since the trigger points is at the incision.

Do you have access to a low level laser (some chiropractors have this)? Low level laser treats trigger points too. While I know little about low level laser, the naturopath doctor I know swears it will speed healing overall.

Also, look around at other muscles in the area of your discomfort for additional trigger points that may be referring to the area. It is hardly ever just one muscle's trigger point that causes discomfort.

Carrie

[pashley]

I think you'll notice dramatic improvement when you start swimming Gazza

[lizzie]

Re massage:
I've found a trigger point massage therapist who has performed miracles for pain in my shoulder and mid-back (the latter just a few days ago, a few weeks after my second resurfacing--mid-back pain when sleeping). Very helpful. Make sure surgeon/doctor clears you, and you might consider finding a massage therapist who really knows what they're doing.
Also, I have found massage of the scar itself, the tissue surrounding it, and the muscles surrounding the hip to be really helpful about 6 weeks out and beyond (I was having issues with pain--psoas, rectus femoris). I had to take a break in this massage due to a second resurfacing 3 mo after the first one, but I'll be going back to it next week. 
The scar massage and the massage of the gluts hurts like hell, but I think it's the right thing. My surgeon seconds that.
My PT does the scar massage and massage of the area--he knows what he's doing. He does it to break up the scar tissue and to loosen the surrounding area, once the inflammation from surgery goes down.