Lycra’s Hip Resurfacing with Mr. Treacy 2012
Lycra’s Hip Resurfacing with Mr. Treacy 2012
September 13, 2012
Just had my second day of physio after resurfacing in Birmingham with Mr Treacy 48 hours ago. I discussed swelling with physio and she echoed the comment from above that it can come and go and is usually an indication from the body that you’ve pushed things on a bit. I’d take it easy for a couple of days and put the clubs away for a while (I’ve locked my bike up to avoid the temptation when I get home!)
September 25, 2012
I’m now 2 weeks post op (Ronan Treacy, Birmingham) and I’ve been going through exactly the same problems as you with excruciating knee and lower thigh pain each time I get up from rest, especially during the night. I’m walking well (v.slow couple of miles) with the use of crutches ‘just in case’ as this eases all the pain and gets me out of the house! It’s just the ‘getting up from rest/bed’ problems that have getting me down. Reading the discussion here has given me a positive lift as I can see I’m not alone and need to push on with all the physio, trying to get my glutes working correctly and gently stretching all the other muscles into their new positions.
September 28, 2012
I’ve had a real roller coaster over the last three weeks. First week at home (6 days post op) I was walking well with the crutches and found a slow couple of miles to the cafe and back no problem. Strangely, by the beginning of this week (13 days post op) I was struggling to walk further than the shop, which is 1/4 mile, if that, and the nights have been difficult with horrible pain trying to move the knee after resting. I’ve concentrated on the physio exercise bending the knee and finally managed to get on my static bike and did a number of short 10 minute sessions with no resistance. Each time it has got easier and enabled me to start walking again. The last two days I’ve been back doing my 1 mile walk to the cafe and 1 mile back journey and feeling much better. Today I even did it with just one crutch and stopped off at the pub on the way back! I’m walking round at home with no crutches without a problem. I feel like I’ve really turned a corner but it is so up and down and the exercises are crucial. My inner thigh muscles and i t band are still incredibly painful after resting but it seems to be getting easier. I’m now 18 days post op and it is amazing how much muscle wastage I have so its hardly surprising that the muscles aren’t working properly and need lots of encouragement to fire in the right order. Its a long process and hard work is the only way forward.
October 15, 2012
I’m 5 weeks post op now and getting on the static bike at the beginning of my third week is the best thing I have done. It really eased my tight inner thigh and when I got off the bike (no resistance and increasing time from 5 to 25 mins) my hip felt so stable and ‘compact’ and encouraged me to go out and do long walks. However, I found that walking with 1 crutch gave me back ache as I was leaning over. It was only when I got the stage when I didn’t really need a crutch to walk that I moved to just one crutch which I used as an insurance against a stumble.
I quickly stopped the paracetomol (Tylenol or acetominophen type analgesiac in the USA) but I take the non-steroidal anti inflammatory occasionally even now (5 weeks post op).
With regards to the PT. I would follow the advice from Dr de Smet. I am under Mr Treacy in Birmingham and he said specifically NOT to take advice from a local PT for the first six weeks and just follow the simple PT advice given in the hospital (video on the McMinn Centre web site) backed up with lots of walking. His rule is absolutely no pushing the 90 degree rule for the first six weeks. It is just not worth it. You want the new hip to be solid for the next 20 years so why push it now to get it working a week or two early and risk screwing it up completely. Getting the surrounding muscles and tendons working correctly and tightening up the hip flexors first is more important that pushing range of movement. Once your muscles are tight and the hip is secure then address range of movement but don’t risk dislocation as that is total disaster. Mr Treacy pointed that out to me in graphic detail!
October 20, 2012
I’m nearly 6 weeks post op now and can walk for miles and miles, without any stick now. I get little pain apart from when I make certain movements, however I still can’t fasten the laces on my operated leg’s shoes and I have only just managed to get socks on, and that is with difficulty. I live on my own, most of the time, so have devised strategies to cope such as the most appropriate foot wear etc.
December 21, 2012
I’m nearly 4 months post op now and recovery has been good but the last week or so I’ve had a sore lower back, mainly over the right sacro illiac joint, which is unusual for me because if I ever get a sore back it is almost always over my left sacro illiac joint. Fortunately I bumped into my physio on Wednesday and she managed to fit me in for a quick sess (I haven’t been to see her since the op – Mr Treacy’s orders!)
My lovely physio did a 60 second assessment of my gait and mobility and said that my problem was simply caused by tissue adhesions under the scar on my left hip, which was pulling my left hip back and tilting the pelvis. After 15 minutes of manipulating the scar tissue and underlying fascia and some work on the hip flexors i felt like a new man.
June 14, 2013
I’m 9 months post op and I’d endorse everything that has been said about the body having to readapt to a correct (new) posture after years of muscles and joints trying to compensate for hip pain. I took it easy post op for 3 to 4 months and just concentrated on walking (several slow miles a day within 2 weeks). I first got on a bike at 4 months but didn’t get into gym until 5 months. Since then I’ve been working hard but sensibly and have had bouts of back pain and shoulder pain. Back was caused by the fact that I was still squatting with a twist of the hips. I’m now suffering shoulder problems! The motto is that it just takes time to get your body back into the right shape and planes of movement. The help and advice of a good physio and a sensitive/sensible personal trainer is invaluable.
At 9 months post op, when I am fitter in many ways than I have ever been, I still find that lifting my operated leg to fasten shoe laces is weaker than I ever expected. Straight leg raises, as you describe are now ok but it took quite a few months to be able to do that. Take it slow and gentle but you’ll get there.
November 25, 2014
I took up Vinyassa and Ashtanga yoga 18 months after my resurfacing to help with range of movement and I’ve never had a problem. As always, listen to your body, be sensible and make progress slowly and with each out breath you relax more and gradually increase your range by fractions. By biggest limiting factor is my wrecked knee (old football injury), not my resurfaced hip!