Bilateral hip 11 months post op - pain in leg/hip/back -Please help

[Cliffrocky86]

Hello fellow surfacehippys,
My name is Clifford Blaney, a 30 year old civil engineer from Australia, I have had bi-lateral hip resurfacings done on the same day on the 17^th of August 2016. So I’m getting close to about 11 months post op, Dr Patrick Weinbrauch of the Brisbane hip clinic did them.
I have posted previously on here at 5 months post op when I was having some groin pain on my right hand side, which I had injections of cortisone for and the pain has subsided to a dull bearable ache, which I am grateful for. So thumbs up for that side guys.
However, with the right side settled now here is where my problems are currently. The left hand side from the start was the better side with just some pain when lifting my leg in out of car, overall it was bearable and just a jolt feeling down the inside of my thigh. But after starting to get a bit more active over the last few months and having an unlucky fall back onto my buttock and elbow at about 8 months it has started to really feel like there is something wrong. I’ll go in depth of what triggers my pain and how it feels, I would really appreciate anyone’s thoughts/similar experiences as it’s really got me worried.
Now I will try my best to explain this pain. The activities that seem to trigger the pain substantially are when I lift my knee up and then move the knee into my chest (across my body) with my foot/heel moving outwards away from my body. This movement causes a distinct symptom of a straight line of pain from my knee up the inside of my thigh to the hip and through to my lower back. This gives a pain that is very sore (almost like gritting your teeth for pain), it feels almost like something is impinging when that movement occurs. It only seems to get the real sore pinching feeling when I move it like that, then for most of the day my hip is generally sore and the front inside of my thigh aches ( I can even fell pain down my leg when I cough or sneeze). On the other hand when I move my knee up and out from my body there is no pain whatsoever, except from some general clicking/popping (Maybe due to tendons rubbing against front of hip).
I’ll also explain a bit about my physiotherapy. When I had the surgery I was religious when doing my exercises early on, but I did slacken off from the 4 – 10 month mark which I thought couldn’t be too bad but I still did do stretching and some walking.  I have started to go to the pool just last week, doing exercises my physio has gave me, in addition I am riding my bike more and am trying to help this issue, I had a few hits of golf for the first time yesterday which made me sore today.  My physiotherapist seems to think that the hip is strong and that it could be a nerve issue as the problem in the left hip triggers bad every time I move it up and in.
I have attached my progressive xrays taken at 1 day post op, 6 months and at 9 months, I know we aren’t professionals but I can’t see any difference in appearance (hence why I think the fall I had at 8 months didn’t do any damage). My surgeon could not see any difference at 6 months xrays or the radiologist at the 9 months xrays either. I am going back to see my surgeon at 13 months which is why I’m really trying to give this physio programme in the pool a good go before I go back, then if it doesn’t resolve I will know if there is something bad happening.
Sorry about the long post but I would be grateful if someone out there could shine some light onto my situation.
Thanks everyone. Cliffy
 
 
 

[chuckm]

Cliffy, have no worries. It's a soft tissue thing. I wouldn't be surprised if you have the same issue on the other hip too but just haven't really noticed.


What you have is a lack of internal hip rotation. This is common with hip resurfacing because the hip capsule gets sutured back together and it can heal very tight.


Go on YouTube and search internal rotation of the hip and you will find lots of exercises and stretches to help regain that motion.


But...be patient, it is slow going and it is very uncomfortable when you stretch those tissues.
I've been working on it for a couple of years now (yes years) and I have made great improvements although it's still not like my native hip.


Chuckm

[Cliffrocky86]

Thanks for the time to reply chuckm, really appreciate it.


Well it's really only on the left side, the right side has no problems with internal rotation.


I have taken to exercises and physio to correct the problem but it doesn't seem to be progressing, i know as you said it will take time.


The xrays look ok right?


So in your non-medical opinion this seems like it will go away over time? Even though my thigh hurts like a pulled muscle and hip has pinpoint pain all the time, it hurts when i sneeze or cough and it hurts the thigh/hip to even lift my foot up to put on my sock. I hope to highest degree that these would disappear.


In anyone's opinion is it bad to be playing golf at the 11 month mark. I have been thinking of doing it a bit to loosen up the muscles.



Thanks to anyone who reads and gives me feedback. This site is a great resource.


Cheers, Cliffy

[chuckm]

Cliffy, your x-rays look perfect. Some people are lucky and much of their range of motion returns on its own. I am not one of them. Internal rotation and full hip extension (where the leg extends back when you walk) did not want to come back for me. I had to work consistently to regain the motion. It was not a comfortable process at all. And I still have work to do in those areas.

At 11 months you should be doing whatever you want - golf or whatever.

Chuckm

[Horse rider]

I am scheduled for bilateral s surgery and am a horseback rider . I am nervous after reading this post . Maybe I should just live the pain I have for longer ? Are you glad you did the surgery or not ?  Thanks for any thoughts .

[ErikG]

Horse rider- don't put it off. It's not going to get better. I had both hips done three months apart and while recovery has been a bit slow With some challenges along the way I'm now 1 year four months post-op and am playing some light basketball, surfing, swimming, bike riding, etc. My biggest problems were regaining range of motion and being patient with the slow progress in particular by not pushing the stretching beyond what was comfortable.