Weakness on OA side pre op.

[Jbennett]

Does this even out after the surgery? Never really noticed how much weaker my right side is until recently. I've noticed I've had to put my left leg in my pants pretty quickly if I'm balancing on that right leg. :-) I don't really understand why that happens. I've stayed pretty active. I haven't played much tennis because it hurts afterwards but I do 30 minutes on an elliptical several times a week with a decent resistance plus lift some weights.

[ScubaDuck]

I was weaker as well as poor range of motion on my bad hip side for years.  I definitely noticed it when lifting weights.  And I was very active up until surgery with weights, biking, hiking, swimming, etc.

It seems to be getting much closer now that I have the new hip.  There is still somewhat weaker but I think it will even out now.

Dan

[hernanu]

It does even out, but it takes time. Right now, your muscles are working overtime to avoid the pain that the OA gives you, and your body is working differently than it should. The muscles are tight and getting tighter from the stress.

You are also structurally different in that the cartilage that your body needs to be there is diminished or gone. Mostly though, in my opinion (not a medical person here), the pain itself causes you to compensate and any extra effort (like balancing) is made problematic.

After the surgery, the structural component is restored. Not as well as the original, but close enough that we can work with it. After one year, I can balance on the left hip (my first) well. The right is still a work in progress, but I am looking for specific goals - martial arts kicks and their balance requirements.

There are many exercises that a good PT will give you that will help greatly with this. So yes, in my experience, my balance, strength and overall fitness of the hip is much better and already close to what I had before.

I definitely had the same thing. My muscles were incredibly stiff, my range of motion was horrible. I still kept playing all of my sports as long as I could, but they fell by the wayside one at a time. The last was soccer, but even that I left because of the tightness, lack of balance and pain. I think you'll be fine, but it is a long road and demanding.

After the surgery the results are immediate, though - no OA pain, and every step forward takes you out of the OA hole. A year's time and you'll be so much better, you'll be amazed (in my opinion, based on my experience).

[Jbennett]

That's encouraging. I played tennis the other night for the first time in months. Felt like I had a hot coal implanted in my hip that night. Ugh!! Very ready to do this.

[fixyelo]

Hello

I am new here. Not sure what the protocol is for starting out here, but figure you have to start somehow and this thread caught my attention.
I am still Pre-op and reading many of these threads and other information I can find in the process.
I really appreciate all insight and information shared here. Someday, I will be able to input my own.

While my OA is pretty severe - the typical bone on bone scenario, but I still seem to be doing more activities than most people before their operation.
I have been told I have a fairly high tolerance for pain and discomfort which might be a bad thing in this case.
My wife calls me an 'under-reactor'.
I have been getting yearly X-rays and the latest one in Dec. indicated a fairly large cyst on the femur head. This was discouraging as the surgeon I was speaking with is not convinced that he can do a resurfacing and is leaning towards THR. I am only 42 and very active, so I would prefer resurfacing if possible. I plan to get another opinion and possibly 2 more before I make a decision. Ideally, a surgeon who is very active and surfs or snowboards/skis would be a great match to help understand my mindset. I think I have read that Dr Ball in San Diego and Dr Matta in Santa Monica, but they are not so convenient to my location. I am sure there are others as well.

I am concerned about my muscles pre-op. They have lost some strength and tone already and not in balance with left and right sides. I am also concerned about doing damage to other parts of my body due to the imbalance. My current hip keeps me from doing some heavy cardio/aerobic activities. I can bike fairly comfortably, but not to the level or duration I would like. I walk about 3-4 miles daily, have scaled back on long hikes and snowboarding, but continue to surf for now. Also, I occasionally ice skate to work some different muscles.
I have be doing mostly palliative care for about 3 years, tissue work, acupuncture, chiropractic, prolotherapy, and general exercise. Most of which is out of pocket and can add up quickly as I already pay Blue Cross premiums. I do not like to take pain killers, but when it is bad, I do take Ibuprofen to take the edge off.

I stretch/low impact yoga and do exercises for about 1 1/2 hours daily, but feel as if my hips and muscles continue to get tighter and my flexibility is getting worse. I am for sure in the 'When is the time right?' phase. I feel pretty tight at night and sleeping can sometimes be uncomfortable.
As most of you know, there is a mental toll in this process as well.

Any specific pre surgery exercises that people have found to be good for keep strength in muscles that support the hip?
Oddly, when I swim the kicking motion bothers my hip quite a bit.

Thanks and I will keep reading

j

[curt]

     J, I don't think you need to shop for a surgeon who is sympathetic to sports.  Almost all of the experienced HR surgeons know that their patients are activity junkies...that's the main goal of the procedure.  Also, I think that most are used to dealing with cysts and other femoral abnormalities, but sending them an xray is a free and sure way to know their opinion.
     As for exercises, I can't help much.  I was so limited in my ability to do ANYTHING over the last months that any useful exercises were out of the question (core work only).  The HR surgery allowed me to get back into it without the pain.  Good luck with your search.  Lots of answers here.

Curt

[fixyelo]

Thanks for your response Curt and I will continue to comb through this site and information that is out there.
I hope your hips are continuing to get stronger still

So much insightful input to read

John

[hernanu]

I'll back curt up on this, several folks here had cysts and are successful with their resurfacings. The key is to pick a good, experienced HR doctor who is committed to the procedure. There are many available in this site, a good place to begin is the doctor list that Pat maintains:

http://www.surfacehippy.info/listofdoctors.php

And also look at what their patients say about them. We have a lot of information, but the real wealth here is the personal experience of each individual hippy.

[fixyelo]

Thanks hernanu and Curt for the input.

I am continuing my research process and expect to meet with 2 more surgeons. The surgeon who expressed concern about my cyst being too large is on the list of doctors. Dr Sparling in WA, with a sizable amount of resurfacing. I have also read some good feedback about him. I am also looking at Pritchett in Seattle and Boyd in Salem for confirmation before I do anything. I have read from stories that some surgeons have their comfort level with cysts and it is worth checking with others.

Thanks again for your thoughts

[Neild5]

I had a large cyst on the femur neck just below where the cap ended, the doctor removed the cyst and filled it in.  After the surgery he said it was bigger than it appeared on the x-ray but still able to fix with some bondo.