Groin pain PT ideas.

[Mikek]

Hi, hippies.  I'm 7.5 weeks into RBHR recovery, 9 years after getting my left done.  Generally, recovery is going quite well, but currently groin pain (likely psoas irritation/tendonitis) is my limiting factor, and I'm looking for PT tips.  I did something which made it more irritable recently, I think either light deadlifts (which I've been doing for ROM for a few weeks, but did increase weight a bit) or indoor climbing.  No sudden twinges during these activities, but it's certainly nagging me more today than it has previously.  I  want to be pushing strengthening and ROM, but obviously need to change tactics for now.  So, people who were in a hurry to recover, what helped you through groin pain?

[jimbone]

My experience with both the resurfacings I had done was that if it hurt bad enough to prevent me from doing something or especially if I had to back off from something I had been able to get back to after surgery- then I had pushed it to hard, encountered a setback and needed to back off to let things heal up before trying again.  My recovery process is to push myself gently and consistently within my body's ability not determined by any pre-considered schedule I'd like to impose on myself.  It often requires more patience and frustration than I'd prefer but it also prevents me from injury or serious setbacks due to overuse.  The second hip presented me with what the PT thought was a illiumpsoaz problem- I was unable to do straight leg lifts from a prone position well into the 4-5th week.  Just left it alone for a week and then started doing marching bridges.  Within a week of those and not straining/damaging the psoaz by pushing it beyond its ability, the leg lifts came back and by the following week doing 20-30 was perfectly normal.   Exercise and stretching are only one part of recovery.  Rest and recuperation are also needed to allow the body to heal.  Best wishes.

[Mikek]

Thanks for the reply, Jim.  I've been trying to follow what sounds like your approach somewhat - no prescribed time for recovery, I try to push myself into a slight bit of soreness but no actual pain, and every few days do nothing but light stretching and  shorter walks.  Which has worked until the irritated psoas. Think it was in the weight room.  I climbed (cautiously)again today, and it relieved the pain somewhat.  How long ago were your surgeries?  Isn't it great having this device as an option?

[jimbone]

Mike the surgeries were in July and Sept. this year and were the only alternative to a life quality reduced to less than worth living.  My appreciation of this new lease on living continues to inform most all of my daily activities.  You are wise to be regulating your recovery to within your current restrictions with the understanding you will expand and outgrow them with time- or so I'm told. I share the frustration of many who struggle to understand how something as simple as tying our shoes should have suddenly become beyond our abilities- however I am still early enough in recuperating to remember my pre surgical condition which basically allowed me to sit in a chair all day or suffer pain trying to walk, work, function or just about any other damn thing I'd wish to be able to do.  The kind of cool thing for me is that just about everything has been or continues to be a challenge and I am getting the chance to learn how to do all this simple day to day stuff all over again or in a new way as well as finding daily new limits to challenge and exceed.  I may be just simple minded but the sense of "newness" to so many mundane activities is actually enjoyable and exciting.  At basically 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 months on the new hips I had a good walk and an even better workout this afternoon and looking forward to more of the same tomorrow.  It wasn't my psoas as much as my rectus femoris- very near to the psoas region that gave me a lot of grief.  I found massaging it with a cross fiber stroke-like playing a stringed instrument- eventually helped it relax. There is also a massage tool that looks like a curved stemmed something you can find online that can be used to get into the psoas for some deep pressure and release.  The Relax the Back store carries them.  I still have a long way to go retrieving my ROM as well as strength- pre surgical restrictions and degeneration are going to take some time to recover.  Remember- 7 1/2 weeks is real early, from the sound of it you are younger, doing well  and well conditioned- you'll get there but it will take some time.  You have an advantage of presurgical well being.