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How much walking is enough or to much.

Posted , 10 users are following.

toto64676
toto64676

HI Hippies

I have been reading your posts on your walking progress and am amazed at how much some of you are able to do.  I am almost 5 weeks post op and walk every day on my crutches, but it is just up and down the road a few times going a bit further every day.  Compared to some of you I don't think I am nearly doing enough walking, my fitness level was bad before the operation due to not being able to weight bear and walk so that may be why my progess seems slower.  

I was given the phyio exercises, which I do every day, but was given no indication of how far I should be walking or if I should go on when I get pain.  Just wondered what your thoughts are on this.

1 like, 17 replies

17 Replies

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  • Loral
    Loral toto64676

    Posted

    Just walk, no certain amount...They just don't want us sitting or laying. As you feel better make your main exercise walking, even on a treadmill....
  • rose0000
    rose0000 toto64676

    Posted

    Toto you are doing fantastically for 5 weeks just walk a little more each day if you can. The weather isn't really good for walking sadly in the bleak mid winter, but keep doing what you are doing. When you have your check up you can then include cycling and swimming and then can relax a little about restrictions. I was so tired at 5 weeks, and feel much better at 8 weeks. Take your time and go easy. You are doing so well. It is easy to worry and compare, but we are all different, some people taking lots of pain relief, others nothing at all, some of us were bone on bone before the op and completely unable to walk, others would have been doing sports to the last minute. All these matter when recovering, but I would say definitely keep up what you are doing now and rest a lot too, which is just as important. 
  • colinTN17
    colinTN17 toto64676

    Posted

    This is a bone of contention for me also. Most of us are not given enough post op info on how much is too much and how much is not enough. I started walking out like you after 4 weeks with 1crutch until I was power walking for about an hour. I was swimming and got up to 40 lengths and static biking for twenty minutes a day. This was usually in the same day and was 12 wpo

    Trouble is somewhere along the line I've done myself a damage and have developed pain in my thigh 2/3 rds down. This could be a tendon or muscle tear to it could be loosening of the prosthetic at the stem tip I'll find out on Friday when I see my surgeon. 

    I was told to exercise as much as I felt able which I thought I was doing but there was no monitoring by anyone except me and by the time I felt there was a problem it was too late the damage was done.

    I know what the answer should be ie weekly monitoring by a physio problem is my GP says it all boils down to money at the end of the day. But if I have to have a revision then monitoring would have been the most cost effective solution. 

    That's it I'm just getting off my high horse!!wink

    • AnnieK
      AnnieK colinTN17

      Posted

      Colin, rant away! You may discover that your exercise did not cause the problem at all. Or maybe it WAS too much for your recovering replacement. I do think the surgeons should give us limits on how much and how soon to do serious exercise. That might have saved you from your predicament, who knows.

      I was released from all restrictions at 6 weeks. I did 22 weeks PT, just gentle exercises, and I only walked around the house and out shopping. Now, at 7 months, I still can't walk without pain/limp, and it is definitely NOT from overdoing things.

       

    • colinTN17
      colinTN17 AnnieK

      Posted

      All will be revealed on Friday Annie-------hopefully
    • rose0000
      rose0000 AnnieK

      Posted

      Annie -so sorry to hear you are in

      pain still, why are you still in pain what did your consultant say? 22 PT sessions is an enormous amount...

    • AnnieK
      AnnieK rose0000

      Posted

      Thanks for your concern rose! My health insurance is very generous with PT - 30 sessions a year, no questions asked. Can get more if you need them. So, since I didn't ever regain the ability to walk without a severe limp and pain, I just kept going. 

      My issue isn't just pain in the thigh, but is more the inability to balance on my surgical leg for more than 1 second, and that is with hip drop, flailing, and then leg gives way. I went to a different surgeon's practice today, and am having a new specialized hip MRI (my third MRI in a month), a bone scan (to see if there is infection and/or prostheses loosening) and some blood work (to look for signs of infection).  Will then go back, see the new doctor and see what he says. I had deduced from my research that it is most likely a gluteal tendon tear that may need surgery. And the nurse practitioner agreed that is a strong possibility! I'll know more in a few weeks when these new tests are completed and I see the new doctor. I am so excited that this new practice takes seriously my inability to hold my weight on the leg.

      My old doc, who did my THR ,says to take steroids and get PT, no need for more scans, couldn't possibly need surgery, can "strengthen" and get better. So far it hasn't gotten better on its own over 7 months, only worse. I have hope now, with the new doc!

    • rose0000
      rose0000 AnnieK

      Posted

      I am very pleased you have a new doctor and are getting some proper tests done now, and are more to the point being taken seriously. Seven months on and you would expect to be taken seriously way before then.

      A tendon tear sounds likeky doesn't it, do you think that happened in surgery or afterwards? It must be painful no? Although we all have a brand new pain threshold after this operation so perhaps you are dealing with it much better than most. Hopefully the new practice can quickly idenitfy what is happening  and can take swift action to remedy the problem. 

      I really hope your new tests go well, and it is something small that can be easily fixed. Keep us posted and look after yourself x

    • AnnieK
      AnnieK rose0000

      Posted

      Thanks, Rose! I am guessing it happened during surgery, since I definitely did NOT have a tear before surgery, and I didn't do anything after surgery that could cause such an injury. My PT was very gentle, I never fell down, never felt any sudden extra pain, never lost any progress in ambulation that I had made. That muscle/tendon is very near where my incision was made. I doubt I'll ever know for sure how it got torn.

      I've been battling a horrible cold for over a week now, and it's turned into bronchitis and I am having to use an inhaler. So I must wait for the MRI and bone scan until I can lie still without moving/having a coughing attack. It's always something, isn't it?

       

  • Rocketman_SG6UK
    Rocketman_SG6UK toto64676

    Posted

    #1 : Remember, this is not a race, you have already won, you are now pain free.

     How much is too much - when you are whacked out, that is too much.  

    If it hurts, stop.

    How much should you be doing -- that depends... on many things, including how fit you were before the operation, your attitude, your diet, encouragement from those around you, being able to perceive an improvement.

    As far as extremes go, you will get some patients that return to running a marathon, or return to skiing, while others will return to full out surfing.

    The majority of patients will just take their time and slowly return to normal day-to-day activities and lose their crutches in a month or two months or some even three months.

    Remember, the super star recoveries are just a few out of the thousands of stories and patients that have posted on hippy support groups. The average and normal are what we tend to consider “slow”, when in reality they are not slow, they are more the average.

    Graham

  • renee01952
    renee01952 toto64676

    Posted

    hi toto, 

    There is no gain in having pain after THR  is my motto .... 

    no set distance or time, no comparing with others and that is what we all do ...

    it is better, i was told, to walk less but more often -

    for instance:instead of 30 minutes, 15 minutes twice, or even 10 minutes three times ... this is in the beginning - I don't think walking until it hurts is good -

    I was in terrible shape before my 1st THR surgery, even worse before 2nd one -

    I am soooooooo behind , or that is how I feel - But as soon as I crank it up, I pay for it with sore, tight muscles and  discomfort -

    I have rented a stationary bike and am up to 3 times 10-15 minutes - Weather has been terrible here too and except for going to get to my car and some shopping, there is no walk walk at the moment -

    Just ease in to it - challenge yourself comfortably in increments - 

    You are doing really great Toto, 

    warm hug

    renee

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