Post op 16 Days Still constant pain How long does it last???

[jerryf1970]

Hi all I will try to make it short just had a left BHR I read a lot on this site about quick recovery's and had very high hopes about BHR.  I am 40 and suffered for 3 long years before finally finding a doctor that could perform this procedure and was actually a doctor recommended from this site (love the doc).  It seemed everything was falling into place I had the surgery 2/8/11 and since then have had improvements it seems everyday.  The one thing that keeps me mentally down is the pain in the hip, it is deep aching feeling and seems never to let up without some motrin or pain med.  I saw the doc the other day and he says the pain is normal I also have a lot of clicking and he says it's tendons/muscles.  I have started to swim and have done my daily exercises since post op but the pain is a nuisance.  Has anyone else felt like this?? How long does it last??  I want to be positive but it feels like the pain will never go away!!!! 
     
   

[jgenese]

Jerry,
Congrats on your new hip! I'm 46 yrs old and had my left BHR 10/22/10 and pretty much doing everything. I know when I was at 16 days, I felt quite a bit of discomfort. I also felt the clicking which was actually the PT band. That went away with lots of PT. If you're not going to PT, I strongly suggest you do so. Without it I don't think I would be feeling this good. How much pain are you feeling and are you feeling it in the front of your hip? The surgery is pretty invasive and they're not gentle when they do it. I was wondering why I had so much pain until I watched a video on Youtube.
Tough to watch but it explains a lot. If I lay on my back and do a straight leg lift I still feel a little pain coming from the PT band but it's slowly going away. Don't get discouraged. You'll be amazed how things will improve daily. Like I said, if you're not going to physical therapy, go! Keep me posted and best of luck to you!

JohnnyG

[jerryf1970]

Thank you I am not currently going to pt the doc said it wasn't necessary but I do have a script to go so it's up to me and by the sounds of it I should go. (script from hospital before i was released).  The pain is deep in the joint  and radiates also to the front some..... I am not familiar with the term pt band could you explain??   I will definately keep you posted any other info on exercises or what they did for pt would be appreciated thanks for your feedback I need it!!!!

[FlbrkMike]

Hi Jerry

I'm 13 days post-op (an old fart at 55).  Like you I've seen significant improvement every day.  I do my exercises regularly and am now walking without a cane, except when I'm tired or on a long walk.  I'm surprised that you're swimming.  They won't allow me to swim or take a spa (I can shower) until my incision is completely healed.

I also still have some significant pain, though I mostly notice it at night.  It seems to be mostly in the iliotibial band, which I had never heard of before having this surgery.  It feels like somebody kicked me really hard about 12 times in the side of my thigh.  I don't know why the IT band is so affected - it hurts all the way down to the side of my knee, and also right behind my knee.  It seems to get worse if I sit in one position for too long, and then I have to get up and walk around.  That's hard to do when you're trying to go to sleep.  I don't have any particular pain that seems to actually come from the joint, though.

I also have some muscle pain in what feels like the hip flexor.  This, I think, is left over from before the surgery, and a little pain left under the incision.  I don't expect the pain to go away completely for a while - this is major surgery.

My surgery was on my left hip and I usually sleep on my right side.  I now have to lie on my back occasionally for a position shift.  Also my right hip is getting worse and it bothers me at night when I'm lying in it.  The right hip gets replaced in two weeks...

[crowejim]

I am 3 weeks post-op and am working through the pain. Remember, your muscles have been through severe trauma. For the first week or two, I felt like I had over done it at the gym and damaged a lot of muscles. I am a big fan of strength training and the only "natural" way to build muscle mass is to damage the muscle through activity and then let the muscle repair itself with new growth. Any time you over exert yourself and have sore muscles the next day, that pain is the damage/repair process at work.

I believe my almost total lack of pain at 3 weeks is significantly due to the light strength training. I alternate each day, one day I work on flexibility and the next I work on strength. This gives the muscles a day off between strength sessions to repair. Supporting a new hip requires new muscle mass and flex training won't do that for you. Simple variations on leg-lifts and thigh-closes with a pillow between your legs are great strength builders for someone recovering from surgery. I also to deep squats, which are difficult and I support some of my weight on a chair.

Also, building muscle requires lots protein, so don't ignore that. Upping your meat intake will provide plenty of protein for the muscle building process (and of course, eggs).

Finally, bear in mind that this is simply MY opinion and I have no health care credentials whatsoever. Take it for what it's worth.

Good luck in your recovery.

Jim

[jerryf1970]

Cograts to you that you are up and walking.  I can barely put 50% of my wieght on the hip hurts like hell.  I can only walk with the aid of a walker for another 6 weeks taking no chances as per docs orders in it for the long haul.  I have the same pains that you are talking about exactly the same!!!!  Are you going to PT??

[obxpelican]

If your pain does not trend toward the better within the next week or 2 I would get a 2nd opinion from another doctor, it may be nothing but it's always nice to have another pair of eyes looking at an x-ray. 

Clicking and clunking is normal as longs as it's not associated with pain.

Are you on a slow recovery with 50% weight bearing?

Chuck

[FlbrkMike]

I've had three home PT visits, mostly to get me going on and continuing the exercises.  I've been cleared by my doctor to start outpatient PT, which I'll do on Monday.  Need to build up the strength in my left leg before I get the right one done.

[jgenese]

Sorry Jerry. I meant the IT band (iliotibial band) that runs from your butt to your knee. If you also feel pain on the side of your knee, it will be your IT band. Hopefully you have a physical therapist familiar with hip resurfacing. Why are you swimming so soon?

[jerryf1970]

doc said it wasn't an issue that swimming is good therapy?  Is this not something you were able to do post op? Yes and i definately have the it band problem...

[crowejim]

I have had two PT sessions and will go to my final one next Friday.

As of yesterday, my groin pain is completely gone (leg lifts fixed that) and I am now working on my glute, which is really my only remaining issue - it's a little stiff yet and fatigues after a walk or a session on the stairs.

Jim

[jerryf1970]

jim,

How long ago was your op did you have bhR???

[obxpelican]

Jerry,

Is the pain always there?  Even when you don't move?


Chuck

[crowejim]

Hi Jerry,

I had my BHR procedure on Feb 3, 2011, just 3 weeks ago.

Jim

[jerryf1970]

chuck,


  The pain is always there even when i dont move it.

[obxpelican]

Did your doctor do another x-ray?



Chuck

[jgenese]

Jerry, who did your surgery and what do they say about the pain? Maybe you're overdoing it
The whole purpose of PT is so you don't hurt yourself, but heal yourself the correct way. I had my surgery Oct 22 and started outpatient PT the second week and continued twice a week until the last week of January. I'm still amazed how great I feel now and after each PT session I attended. I still can't understand why any surgeon would not recommend it after such an invasive surgery with the amount of muscle tissue they have to cut through just to get to the joint.
I would give your surgeon a call and get an x-ray to make sure everything is ok.
Sorry to go on about the whole PT thing but I'm still amazed how much it helped me.

JohnnyG

[jerryf1970]

JIm,

   Yes i did have an xray done this past monday everything looks great as he had said it looks "text book". My doc says the pain is normal to have but didn't say how long it would last.  I will tell you that you guys hit it when you said the IT band thats definately were my pain is coming from.  I think though by the sounds of it that after this type of surgery that PT is 50/50 depending upon the doctor.  My docs name is John Czajka Albany NY I think he's been fantastic so far and I trust his judgement.  I just want to have the pain gone and it doesn't want to go away yet.

[FlbrkMike]

As I mentioned eariler, most of the pain I have seems to be centered on the IT band, plus an area right behind and above my knee.  It seems to get worse if I sit or lie in one position for too long, it sort of stiffens up.  It seems to help if I get up and walk around occasionally or, if I'm lying down, to do what my PT instructions call a "heel slide" (slide your heel toward your butt) several times - maybe it just gets the blood moving.

Mike

[jerryf1970]

Mike,

  I have the same exact problem and i also have to do the heel slides while lying in bed.