Four months out and now having pain!

Posted , 4 users are following.

I had THR surgery in August on my left hip. I had a pretty easy recovery and last month I had a hip injection in my right hip to keep me going for a few months. I am planning for the right hip replacement in March. So at the three month stage, after the hip injection, I was thrilled to be pretty much pain free. Walking the dogs became a pleasure again instead of a chore. Now at four months, my left thigh muscles are causing pain and stiffness. Could this be caused by possible leg length discrepancy? Would that condition normally take this long to cause pain? To add to my discomfort, I have had to stop all pain medication because I'm having eye surgery tomorrow. I can't wait to get back on my Aleve!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what could be causing this new pain and what I can do to reduce it? Heat, ice, more exercise, less exercise, massage?

0 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi Anne. When do you feel the pain? After sitting? 

    I too started with pain in my thigh after my first THR a year ago. Mostly startup pain when getting up. But I think some of it had to do with relying on that leg to ease the pain on the opposite which also needed a THR. 

    After a few months I finally got a massage of my leg and there were knots in my thigh. It felt a lot better but couldn’t continue much longer because it was time for my second THR, just 5 weeks ago. Now dealing with problems on my left. 

    If you believe it’s the muscles stretch them continuously but mostly walk walk walk if you can. 

    Wishing you a complete speedy recovery and best of luck on the next one. 

    • Posted

      I feel the pain when I get out of bed, when I have been sitting, and when I walk. It's as if I have gone back in time to when I first had my hip replacement. I am so disappointed that the improvements have not continued.

    • Posted

      Annie could be startup pain. Especially if it feels better after you start walking. A couple of months after my first THR I started with that. I told doc about it and he really didn’t say anything. Just to walk walk walk. A year after was still dealing with it and now 5 wks post op on my second. A lot of people complain of startup pain. I wish it would go away and really know why it continues. 
    • Posted

      I certainly don't like the idea that this might be long term! I see the doctor next month and if it is still bothering me I'll see if I can get to the bottom of it.

  • Posted

    Anne, have you been doing your regular exercises?  I too have a longer leg due to RTHR six weeks out to the day and my PT gave me a heel lifter to compensate just last week.  I'm not sure about yours since you have much longer time since surgery and will get your leg situation fixed upon the next surgery, good luck!

    • Posted

      I have to admit that I have not continued to do the exercises, but I do walk every day. And it is up and down hill.
  • Posted

    Dear Anne

    It is very unlikely to be any difference in your leg length after all this time. Perhaps something you have done muscle wise.A bit of rest, hot baths to relax the muscles and or massage.

    Cheers Richard

    • Posted

      Thanks, Richard. I don't think I'll be able to walk for a couple of days following eye surgery, so I'll see if resting helps at all.

  • Posted

    Anne, I'm not even sure how long we are supposed to keep doing them but if you think it might help to reinstate the easy ones first and progress just to see if it helps. I'm glad to be off pain meds completely, sleeping all night on both sides and concentrating on feeling back to normal.....whatever that is.

    • Posted

      Lucky you! I thought I was well on the road to recovery until this setback.

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