How long should start up pain and little "twinges" last for ??

[23109VC]

Hi everyone.  I'm coming up on 7 months post op.

My original hip pain is totally fixed.  I am 100% satisfied with my outcome.  That being said, however, I do still get start up pain when I get up.. especially in the AM after sleeping.  I have a really nice bed.... it's not like I sleep on a poor quality bed... it's one of those fairly expensive pillow top mattresses... but just laying still all night long.. I get some tightness in my soft tissue.

Also.. I have experienced an on and off again pinching feeling in my hip.. it's not inside the joint where the implant is. it's more on the side of my leg, somewhat near the base of the incision.  it almost feels like a little pinching sensation when I walk.  if I sit still it's not there.  I suspect it's something with the muscles or or other soft tissue??  it's not "bad" pain.. it's just annoying. 

If I take two tylenol.. it goes away.  so it's not something horrible....  i figure it tylenol can fix it.. it's not really really bad.. but I'd still prefer it not be there.

I have been slacking a bit on my PT lately.. and wonder if that could be partly to blame?  I have had a cold, been ultra busy at work... and being sick has stopped me from my other exercise the past couple weeks....  i'm starting to feel better and may force myself to get out and go walk, maybe do a very short jog...

what other PT exercises could I be doing to strengthen my legs?  I"m really still just doing the basic PT stuff Dr. Gross recommends, and wonder if I should try something more specialized??

[hernanu]

Hi, I had startup pain until about 9 months. More in the last leg than the first, but still had it. I found that standing up and rolling my hips a bit helped (maybe lubricating a bit? ), but now at 10 and 13 months, no startup pain. A bit of instability when balancing on the last leg is left, but along with the roller, side lifts with weights and other exercises help, but mostly walking.

I also have a pretty static job, so walking is hard to keep up when you deal with a lot of stuff.

[Dayton96]

It seems to me that if you still have to take pain meds seven months after surgery, then there is something that needs fixing.  What did Dr. Gross say?

Mac

[23109VC]

I just recently tried to contact his office to look into it. 

part of why I've delayed doing anything or contacting him is because the pain goes away... it is not there 100% of the time... i've had periods of time where it's gone.. then it comes back.  i'm unsure what really triggers it.  I think certain hip motions may agitate the soft tissue??

it basically comes and goes... it will be there for a week.. then it might be gone of ra week or two... and I haven't been able to figure out what is really triggering it.. i'll have to pay real close attention to what I am doing, activities, etc...  I haven't worked out for the past two weeks....  because of catching a cold and also being super swamped at work.. my job is at a desk.. so I move very little during the day.

i honestly wonder if I am NOT moving enough.. and that is causing it to be sore. i did notice that one period of time when it was hurting, I had totally slacked off on my PT.. I did the PT religiously for a few days and the pain was gone the following day...

is there a correlation between NOT doing PT... and getting little soreness sensations??

thanks.

[John C]

"is there a correlation between NOT doing PT... and getting little soreness sensations??"

Absolutely. Sitting for long periods of time is not the best for any recovery. If not specific PT, it is important to at least get in some type of appropriate exercise almost every day. When I had flare ups of trochanteric bursitis, with symptoms very much like what you describe, Dr Gross suggested repetitive low resistance exercises, which along with a foam roller, took care of the problem.

[einreb]

I just recently tried to contact his office to look into it.

I asked Lee about this a few months back.  She was pretty clear that I should expect 'twinges' for a year or so.  Honestly, I expect to still feel it on occasion after that.

I get very few reminders now at 7 months.  When I do, I take each 'twinge' as a request for something to work on... the most beneficial thing to me has been to continue to stretch the psoas.

[23109VC]

I don't have that roller thing.  Is that something o should try?  Is it Something I can get at a med supply store?

I actually jogged last night.  Not far.  I alternate between jogging and walking. No real pain when jogging.  The only thing I felt was that my leg muscles feel weak.  I can tell they are not used to running. Towards the end of my 15-20 minute outing my knee was a bit sore on the operated side.  The last time I ran it flared up a bit too.  I've had minor issues with that knee my whole life even before the hip went bad...

This am when I woke ip my hip felt slightly sore but as I walked around on it this morning it seems to be feeling better. 

Ill have to step up my PT a bit.  What exercises did Dr Gross tell u to do?  Stuff u can do at home or things you need gym equipment for?

I honestly feel that if I have this "twinge" forever I'll still be happy.. I'm 100x better now than before surgery.  Before surgery i could not run at all, last night I did.  With only minor discomfort after.. Mostly in my knee.  I'm turning 40 next year.. I know I should expect some pains here and there even had I never hadsurgery !

I'm thrilled to be fixed and am just hoping this weird twinge I feel off and on eventually does go away over the next 5 months!

Thanks guys

[newdog]

Sean,

I've been following your post about twinges. I have noticed that when I slack off on exercises things don't feel as good as when I stick with them. It just feels "loose" or something, don't know how to explain it. This past Saturday I was working on a low hill in front of my house doing yard work. That area was let go for over two years because I wasn't able to keep up the work on it due to, guess what? Bad hips. I was removing some brush and small tree saplings. A lot of bending over and picking stuff up. When I was done I got a sharp sort of pain in my left hip around the surgery site. It wasn't inside like the new joints or anything like that. It felt like it was muscles or tendons. I started to limp a little, although I think I limped mostly because of the "limp" training    I received the years before the hips were fixed. The pain wasn't anything bad or alarming. It's totally gone now.

Like Bernie said, I considered it a reminder to keep up the rehab work. We will get little pains now and then. And the pains and sensations will be different for everybody. I found that walking is one of the best things to do, maybe even THE best thing.

So far, at 8 months, I still have start up pain and I still get stiff and sore now and then. I have to keep reminding myself that it's only been 8 months. That's not very long especially considering the surgery we had done. I don't think you will have the "twinge" forever. We are all different and will have different recoveries. Give Lee a call or send her a message about what you are experiencing. You may just need to work a specific area a little more. I"m sure it's nothing to be alarmed about.

[hernanu]

I don't have that roller thing.  Is that something o should try?  Is it Something I can get at a med supply store?

Sean, I'd definitely recommend the roller. I got one from my PT before the surgeries, when I was trying everything. It's a very simple device, but it's been great for me, for all areas. I now am dealing with tight calves, so I'm doing a lot of rolling on those, but I've used it for the IT band, lower and upper back and hamstrings.

Here's from Amazon (not advocating them, just to give you an idea of what it is and possible price).
http://www.amazon.com/Foam-Roller-6-x-36/dp/B000Y4W9VA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1316450152&sr=8-6

that is very similar to mine.

[John C]

Dr Gross was not that specific about exercises, since he knows that I do quite a bit. His instructions were lots of reps with minimal resistance. For me, that type of exercise works great in a pool, where you can vary the resistance by how fast you move your leg through the water, and it is easy to create movements that focus on just about any area.

[Luann]

Hi 23109VC (is there a nick name we could call you?)
 I distinctly remember the "start-up" pain. For me it was light pain, stiffness, and a slight limp right after getting up from sitting and laying down.
 What I cannot remember, is exactly when it went away. It seemed to slowly disappear (it did take months). Do not worry. As to the pinching, at this point, if your Dr. says nothing is wrong, I wouldn't worry about it either. I am more than a year out, doing great, and still have the occasional pinch, limping step, weakness, light pain/soreness, etc. Many folks here have testified that it can take 2 to 3 years to be almost rid of all that. It is just not the hip that nature gave us. It is still sooo much better than my old, arthitic hip!  Hope this helps to ease your mind.   Lu