Lack of mobility.

[leuwunn]

Hi,
    hoping for some answers,reassurance! Had my right hip re surfaced february 2018,after maybe 20 years of issues.It started when i  was coaching football and i twisted and bent down doing a drill,felt something pop,but carried on without to much pain,but the next day i could barely lift my leg or walk.Went to the doctors and was diagnosed with torn ligaments,and over the course of a year it slowly got better.Also x rays showed no arthritis.
                                                                      Was pain free free for a couple of years,able to run and weight train with no problems,but then had exactly the same thing happen ie sharp pain then months of constant pain on the outside of my hip,which slowly got better and then was back to normal! Kept going back to doctors,physios,but nobody could give me an answer.I had more x rays done,(lots!) and had two doctors in the same room looking at the same x ray,with one telling me he could see no signs of arthritis,and the other saying it was so bad  needed a hip replacement!Needless to say i was confused!
                    Since i could manage the pain,and no one could come to a consensus on what was wrong,i just carried on,trying to be careful how i moved etc.But in 2012,my hip locked up.It was very weird;i had been playing flag football,and that night went to the gym and did some leg exercises on the leg press.The next day i thought my back was sore,but not really painful,but realised i couldn't extend my leg back,and when i went to the gym a few days later,i couldn't get in the leg press machine as my leg would not bend back far enough,but again,no real pain.

                              Off to doctors,physios and surgeons again for the next few months,this time all saying i need a hip re placement,as it was the arthritis stopping my leg moving.I did try to explain that the lack of movement had happened pretty much overnight,but they said i must be mistaken! Also tried to tell them that i never had any of the classic signs of hip oa,ie groin pain etc,and could still jog on it and lift weights,though in the range of motion my hip would allow.

So on to february 2012,because it wasn't getting better,and by now my lack of range of motion was giving me back spasms,i had the op.Re surfaced hip,job done,or so i thought.10 months out,i now have less range of motion,and same pain on outside of hip,can't bend down to put on shoes/socks,can't drive,not able to walk more than a few hundred yards before my back gives out because i'm leaning forward,and a surgeon who has said,variously,don't worry,it's just the surgery,and now says,well it was stiff before,i told you it could be stiff after!

                                  Sorry this has been so long,i just wanted to give some of the facts.I'm pretty despondent right now,and not sure were to go next.Was hoping someone on here might have had similar symptoms/results and could point the way.Thanks for reading,any help,advice would be appreciated.

[Saddlepal3]

Leuwunn,
So sorry you are having these problems! Have you ever had your back evaluated for possible problems? Sometimes back issues have referred pain in the hip and leg area. A good PT may be able to assess this.

[Pat Walter]

I am sorry you are having a slow and problematic recovery.  I am not a doctor or medically trained so I can't give you medical advice.  I do know, after reading personal stories since 2005, that the longer you had problems before surgery, the longer your recovery.  If you had problems for 20 years, that means your muscles and ligaments were not working properly.  Also your good hip was making up for the bad hip.  So your whole body was unbalanced and not working properly.  So even though you got your hip resurfaced 10 months ago, it will take the rest of your body a long time to try to recover and adjust to the new hip.


Some people have taken several years to get back to being somewhat normal.  20 years of problems is a very long time.  I would make sure you keep in touch with your surgeon and continue to ask questions about your recovery.  Ask for suggestions and maybe light PT.  Your surgeon is the key to getting more support. There have been members here that had very long recoveries.  I am hoping they will reply to your post.


Meanwhile, take it easy and try not to worry so much.  You need to give your body much time to heal and get back to normal.  I wish I could tell you more, but I can't.