Unexpected, persistent pain at 9 months

[Miguelito]

Hello,
I'm at nine months and suddenly I'm having a very sore achy pain in what I think is the hip joint (the side back of the glutes and maybe running down the bone towards the knee a little) on my operated side. It is not from increased activity. Possibly the opposite I guess. It's a little throbby and just feels like something is rotten and weak. Not incredibly painful. Kind of feels like it did pre-surgery when I thought I had sciatica.

Things were going great, constantly improving, until maybe six weeks ago. I had a cold/sinus infection that kept me from the gym (where I had been slowly ramping things up) for three weeks, then my upper and lower back started acting up (the upper back I think muscular, the lower just kind of frozen up). Then about ten days/two weeks ago my operated hip started hurting for the first time since early recovery. It's been getting progressively worse. I haven't called my surgeon but will email him tomorrow.

Anyone have any thoughts about what this could be? It's been very cold the last week (here in Boston), which is when this really started hurting worse, and as I said I have done very little physically for six weeks. I'll be honest in that my big fear is infection, but that's just a wild, hopefully very incorrect guess. It is almost certainly my imagination but I thought a small part of the incision looked redder than I remembered and it felt a little sore.

I've had small aches and pains (minor in the groin, some sharp pain when the hip went beyond its limitations, etc.) but nothing that concerned me until now. This is starting to negatively affect my walking and the pain has been steadily worsening. I did not expect this and looking for some advice (maybe some reassurance).

Thank you,

Mike

[John C]

It sounds as though you have already considered it, but your description of "the side back of the glutes" does sound more like sciatica than standard hip pain. Twenty-five years ago, I had a number of people, from docs to PTs, diagnose the pain that I had in that area as a hip issue; but it turned out to be sciatica which was solved through back surgery (L5-S1 discectomy). It might be worth taking the time to definitively rule that out.

[Ross]

Was it a hernia tigon or disc bulge when you had the partial discectomy and how was that recovery.  Cold weather always makes me feel terrible.  It was so bad hat my doctor told me to move.  Facet arthrosis can be very painful if a nerve is trapped.

[Dan L]

Miguelito;

Not sure what that may be, but I know of 2 things that seem to cause me more pain and stiffness which might be part of your considerations:

1) cold-- the past week here in NE Ohio has been very cold, coldest since I had both BHR's and my pain has been much higher than it has for many months, with/without increased activity level

2) inactivity-- when I walk alot and ride the exercise bike, I feel much, much better.  If I'm more inactive for a couple/few days I get more stiff and have more pain overall

If you even suspect an infection, I would call the Doc and rule that out, if for nothing else than to set your mind at ease.

Best regards,

Dan

[John C]

Ross,
Mine was a herniated disc, that was extruding against the nerve. The surgeon went in and removed the extruded disc material, and then went into the disc space to scrape out whatever disc material he could to avoid any further extrusions. I woke up after surgery with no nerve pain for the first time in 9 months, and it continues to be good 25 years later.
Recovery was slightly easier than after a resurfacing, and I felt pretty good after about a month. My surgeon had another surgeon perform the same surgery on him a few years before, and he had waited over a year to go skiing. I tried to ski at a little over a month after the surgery, and that was a disaster, with much pain during and after. I went back to rehab, and then tried skiing again at a little over two months, and was okay. By three months, I was feeling pretty good.

[curtieman1]

Miguelito,
     It has only been six months since I had my left hip resurfaced so I'm still new at this too, but after Jan 1st I caught pneumonia. I either rode exercise bike or walked on treadmill for a half an hour a day. I stopped doing that for a couple of weeks to save my energy, I noticed that my leg was feeling sore even more so then the soreness in the quad that I still have. I started back up with exercise about 10 days ago & the leg started feeling better. Had my 6 month checkup last week talked with Dr about it he said the muscle were probably tightening up just have to stretch them out them again.