Almost 6 months post op THR
Posted , 9 users are following.
Its almost six months since my left THR. Although I had a few niggles to begin with, I thought I was doing really well. At six weeks I was riding my bicycle and walking without crutches or sticks. Then about three weeks ago I realized I was having to lift my operated leg in and out of the car, and the bed. Even getting dressed and undressed was becoming very painful. I decided perhaps I should start re-doing the exercises we do after the op, so I layed on the bed and discovered I couldn't even lift my operated leg up....it's as though it's paralyzed! The pain is excruciating, if I trip or try to sit up in bed the pain shoots down my thigh and groin area. I immediately went to the doctor who referred me to my consultant. On examination and an X-ray the consultant is confident my hip replacement has healed well and it's more likely to be a trapped nerve in my spinal chord. I even suggested could it be 'Illiopsoas Impingement', (I'm sure people like me must be their worse nightmare, diagnosing ourselves)! Well he poo-pooed that suggestion and has arranged a MRI scan, which is next Monday. In the meantime I'm still unable to lift my leg and I'm in a lot of pain when walking. The cycling has had to stop too!
Has anyone else had this problem or is the trapped nerve....if it is a trapped nerve, just a coincidence?
any feedback would be appreciated, thanks.
Linda
5 likes, 27 replies
linda68082
Posted
Linda
Jodi-France linda68082
Posted
I wasn't out biclycing for example. I just did nromal everyday things.
Only after a year did I start to do more intense activities.
edarlingb linda68082
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Then I started on more, different exercises from physiotherapist. I didn't make the link at the time, but several weeks after that I began to develop groin pain which became increasingly severe: to the point where I couldn't bear weight on it.
Someone suggested psoas muscle damage (on here), so we are probably talking similar.
I couldn't see surgeon as he's away for weeks and GP suggested I ask for an urgent physiotherapy appointment. They saw me immediately.
Different Physio - whole hour, one on one. After examining me he said it was a muscle problem, not nerve. He worked on points on my back; some were really painful, but he was very gentle. Twenty minutes later he asked me to stand and walk and I was stunned to realise the pain was completely gone.
Next half hour he spent more time on my back, or bum, on the gluteus maximus. Quite a few sore spots, then found what I felt and knew immediately to be the focal point of pain. Weird sensation.
I was told to stop all previous exercises and do only one - a bum clench, but in a particular standing pose. 100 x 4 per day.
Heartbroken to find, on leaving, that the pain seemed to have transferred to this newly found 'focal point'.
Have stuck with exercise for over a week now and pain is almost gone. Muscles are weird and magical things: this one of mine, poor thing, mustn't know what the hell has happened to it, as I haven't walked straight for 10 years: probably thought it was in retirement.
Hope you might glean something from this. I do know groin pain is common and it seems there are several causes. Do get it checked out and let us know how you do.
Elaine
Jodi-France edarlingb
Posted
I HOPE to Hell Elaine never gets that groin pain back again, I am watching her posts and her comments that she is so generously sharing. I am very surprised that her physical therapist diagnosed bad glutes rather than tendonitis of the Illiopsoas tendon, but that is what is so great about this forum, we all give different experiences. Read everything and seek professional help because ultimately we all see everything through our own lense of experience. Elaine is contributing to our knowledge base, and in the end, people on the internet can only guess, it is really the pros on the ground looking at your body who can give you the BEST Help.
edarlingb Jodi-France
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Healing hopes for everyone.
Elaine
renee01952 linda68082
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So sorry to read that you are in so much pain - bummer, is an understatement -
and at 6 months post up -- I would be upset and worried too ... at least the x-ray shows that the implants are in place, right? did you mention the clicking and grinding sound or is this new?
do you still have pain medication?
I don't know what more to say ... take it easy ... don't force anything and be gentle with your self ...
sending healing rays and angel blessings
renee
Jodi-France linda68082
Posted
Tendonities is little ripps/tears in your tendon so basicallly don't do anything that aggravates that INCLUDING exercises that cause you pain in that area. Exercizes only makes the rips deeper and adds more tears in the tendon.
Let.It,Heal.
Think of it this way, say you banged your hed on a low hanging entry way, and you got a big bump on your head. The next morning would you say, "Oh I should press his bump on my head with my hand, maybe even push it against the wall, that will help with the healing and it will go down if I bang it against the wall?"
No you wouldn't do that if you had a big bump on your head, you would baby it and make sure not to bang it again while it heals up and goes down. You should do the same exact think with you Illiopsoas tendon. Don't stretch it and hurt it more. let it heal up by babying it and not further injuting it.
The good news is, it will heal in about 3 1/2 to 4 weeks. All on it's own, you don't have to do anything other than avoid anything wich gives you pain in that area.
sugarplum48 Jodi-France
Posted
Sorry for being ignorant but what is llliopias tendinitis? I only ask as I'm a bit concerned it could be what I'm suffering from, my symptoms sound very similar to yours and I also get a almost unaudiable click in my hip? Is that also a symptom of it?
Thanks
Ella
Ps I'm sending you all healing thoughts!
linda68082
Posted
Jodi-France....thanks for your advise, this happened four weeks ago and I've stopped all exercises, ie., cycling, swimming and long walks, but there is no improvement. As my husband keeps reminding me, it's a process of ilimination. I will have to be patient and have the MRI scan on my spine, even though I firmly believe it's this Iliopsoas impingement!
Why don't our doctors recognize it?
I know I have to be patient but it's soooo frustrating not being able to do normal things and having to cope with this constant pain......we go on holiday in three weeks, I don't want to be a burden! (That's right, I should be 'put out of my misery')! lol
Jodi-France linda68082
Posted
Did it take you a while to stop? A lot of people get that pain and then think, "Oh this muscle is tight I'll exercize it more." You say it has been four weeks? IF you stopped everything that hurts it, if you stopped that right away I think in four weeks you should be better by now if it was going to heal up on it's own. However if you jsut stopped doing anything that aggravates it, if you just stopped that last week, then no a week isn't long enough for the healing.
Do you get pain after standing up from sitting? Doesn't matter what type of chair, just after you have been sitting for a while do you get the groin pain for a little while upon standing?
Worst case scenerio if it is your illiopsoas tendon and it does not heal up and return to normal, your surgeon can do a small surgery to repair it.
linda68082 Jodi-France
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Thanks for your suggestions and help.
Linda
Jodi-France linda68082
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I send you much support and am very interested in how you progress. Please do continue to update this thread, again thank you so much.
linda68082
Posted
linda68082
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any thoughts Jodi?
thanks, Linda
Jodi-France linda68082
Posted
linda68082 Jodi-France
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since my last update I was advised to see a physiotherapist as they deal more with tendons and muscles as apposed to a chiropractor who deals with bones. So yesterday, (Monday 14th Sept), I had a 45 minute consultation with a private physiotherapist. She also said/confirmed it is Iliopsoas impingement and has given me a whole load of excercises for me to do to help stretch my tendons, they are very tight across my thigh and groin area. I'm going back this coming Friday and hopefully they may do a bit of 'hands on' and acupuncture......not Aqua puncture like in my last report! lol
we go on holiday on Saturday, I'm hoping they can relieve me of some of the pain.......I'm not expecting miricals although it would be nice!
I'll keep you posted.