Limp after hip replacement
Posted , 23 users are following.
I had a hip replacement 3 weeks ago. My legs are the same length but due to pelvic tilt, my non surgery leg is now 1.3 inches shorter than my new hip leg. I am having excruciating pain in my back and both legs now, plus a big limp. Has anyone ever recovered from the limp and how long did it take? Did anyone have surgery on the non surgery leg to make it technically longer to stop the limp? Does the pain go away? I am going to physical therapy twice a week.
0 likes, 24 replies
gill51701 kathlyn72890
Posted
I had mine replaced end September, same problem I think, the pelvis needed to adjust. I had a significant limp at first, which has improved but I still have a limp. I know it's still early days and that I need to be patient, the messages below are reassuring that I'll get there!
Was just wondering if you had seen improvement?
sknapper33 kathlyn72890
Posted
my surgeon called it pelvic obliquity, which i think is a pelvic tilt. my pt and chiropractor don't think my pelvis is tilted, but it is really hard to figure that out. xrays show that if i am standing upright with both legs striaght - there is a serious tilt, but that just seems like my r leg is pushing my r pelvis up so of course it would look tilted. i'm going to get a laying down xray from my knees to my pelvis next week. i think that will be a better measurement then a weigthed full standing xray.
i'm 57 and did this surgery before i became crippled, so was also strong and fit. i read these forums often so i can continue hope for the future. it is good to hear that this does resolve for many people. patience i guess. 1/4".="" i'm="" almost="" at="" 3="" months="" and="" i="" have="" no="" difference="" in="" the="" standing,="" but="" limp="" is="" improving.="" i="" would="" expect="" it="" to="" improve="" -="" i="" imagine="" most="" folks="" have="" some="" sort="" of="" limp="" right="" out="" of="" surgery.="" my="" surgeon="" called="" it="" pelvic="" obliquity,="" which="" i="" think="" is="" a="" pelvic="" tilt.="" my="" pt="" and="" chiropractor="" don't="" think="" my="" pelvis="" is="" tilted,="" but="" it="" is="" really="" hard="" to="" figure="" that="" out.="" xrays="" show="" that="" if="" i="" am="" standing="" upright="" with="" both="" legs="" striaght="" -="" there="" is="" a="" serious="" tilt,="" but="" that="" just="" seems="" like="" my="" r="" leg="" is="" pushing="" my="" r="" pelvis="" up="" so="" of="" course="" it="" would="" look="" tilted.="" i'm="" going="" to="" get="" a="" laying="" down="" xray="" from="" my="" knees="" to="" my="" pelvis="" next="" week.="" i="" think="" that="" will="" be="" a="" better="" measurement="" then="" a="" weigthed="" full="" standing="" xray.="" i'm="" 57="" and="" did="" this="" surgery="" before="" i="" became="" crippled,="" so="" was="" also="" strong="" and="" fit.="" i="" read="" these="" forums="" often="" so="" i="" can="" continue="" hope="" for="" the="" future.="" it="" is="" good="" to="" hear="" that="" this="" does="" resolve="" for="" many="" people.="" patience="" i="">
my surgeon called it pelvic obliquity, which i think is a pelvic tilt. my pt and chiropractor don't think my pelvis is tilted, but it is really hard to figure that out. xrays show that if i am standing upright with both legs striaght - there is a serious tilt, but that just seems like my r leg is pushing my r pelvis up so of course it would look tilted. i'm going to get a laying down xray from my knees to my pelvis next week. i think that will be a better measurement then a weigthed full standing xray.
i'm 57 and did this surgery before i became crippled, so was also strong and fit. i read these forums often so i can continue hope for the future. it is good to hear that this does resolve for many people. patience i guess.>
Anamist20 kathlyn72890
Posted
Hello ,,I would like to share my experience,,,born on the year 1971,,,I'm a female,,,my mum found out I had something wrong on right hip when I was 1 year old,,I underwent more than several operations ,,since this age ,,she was told I had dislocation of the right hip,,,I grew up in hospitals,,missed lots of school,,I remember the thick cast from waist down on my body for months,,,I was a happy girl ,till I reached the tean age years,,,I became very conscious of how I walked as I started to notice people go eww,,when they went past in the beach due to my scars,,or when people looked down on my legs wondering what was wrong with me ,,,I was so embarrassed,,,yes I have been affected by this ,,like forever,,I just hated it and didn't accept what I had ,,,anyway,,,I ended up with low self esteem,,and depression,,I met my husband and got married at age 19..we had 3 children ,,as years went past ,,it became from bad to worse I mean ,,,my hip deteriorated to a point I was house bound,,my husband came at times angry from work cause if someone didn't like him for whatever reason,,would like oh yes your wife is that woman with the limp ,,you know like to make offense in a way ,,,also my kids in school if someone said something like kids fight they would insult them by saying your mum has a limp,,laughing,,that type of thing,,,well to keep it short ,,12 years ago I underwent surgery on my right hip,,I had a hip replacement and reconstruction done,,,I have to say it did help my life quality compared how I was ,,with daily pain on back ,,hip ,,leg,,,,the opp took all my pain away ,,but with a big but the limp didn't go away,,,I have been devasted by the fact,,,due to this limp,,,now after 12 year of cause ,,now I'm having back pain neck pain and knee pain that I have never had,,,so I'm now planning to go see the doctor ,,,again,,,I think it's a hip imbalance,,,I've searched around the web and I seen other patients with 1 leg shorter than the other ,,and it can be corrected,,but we need the right doctor for that,,,his leval of expertise I gather we need to ask before surgery ,,,I. Just gonna carry on searching for help cause after all this time ,,,now I'm diabetic ,,put on weight,,I have to use a walking aid due to knee problems,,and I hate it ,,,,,
Anamist20 kathlyn72890
Posted
Some people bring out the positive out of the negative,,like been in world athletics for example maybe on wheel chair,,just an example ,,I respect these people are able to do this ,,but no ,,people that is not me ,,for me having a limp all my life has meant rather than,,wanting to hide from the world...yes it's true I tried to fit in always in school ,,like always done my sports,,p.e. Whatever,,even if I was laughed at,,when I was a teenager,,I started to feel different cause society made me feel different ,,cause the way people looked at me for this way of walking ,,they stared,,or made comments reference,my walking,,mg,,,although I have to say I also had the little group of friends that also knew me for who I was and not what I had,,
Anamist20
Posted
I'm sorry I think I'm not doing this right ,,,anyway ,,,the pain goes away the physical pain,,but what about the emotional pain ,,,for me to deal with this has been more of a fact that it has affected every step of the way,,in a negative way in Many aspects,,I need to try find the surgeon that can correct my limp ,,,at age 44,,after so many operations and experiences,,yes of pain due to surgerys,,recovery,,the pain before surgery,,and the emotional pain,,affecting,not only myself but also from friends to family members,,,after waiting for a long ten years for my fight hip to deteriorate in order to be sent fro a replacement,,was house bound,,after surgery,,,no pain,,good thing ,,but the silly limp is still there,,,I'm still devastated,,and this was 12 years ago ,,,had hip reconstruction and replacement done,,,still with the silly limp,,I'm sorry but I hate it ,,and now affecting my knee neck shoulder and back,,,I don't know if a hip replacement on the good hip could leval my limp,,or maybe it's a hip inbalance,,,the truth is ill see what can be done to be corrected before I get older ,,I need to loose weight and excessive,,I want to feel normal by walking normal,,if my legs were normal in length,,,I know it would be such a difference in my personality ,,this has managed to shut me down as a person,,very low self esteem ...I found myself when I walk around if maybe I see a shower of me walking or a mirror or glass,,I could see my self it ,,was like don't look again ,,cause I'm even gonna turn around and leave I hated myself,,yes this is true,,,or maybe walked li,e three times a longer way to get somewhere just to avoid from having to walk in front of a group of guys ,,that I knew were going to lol at me and wonder what I had ,,or maybe laughed at me ,,or even called me names,,,yes so bad ,,,remember I was born on the year 71,,,back then people were much narrow minded at everything really ,,science was not as much as now of advanced,,,people were not that much educated ,,,basically I feel I was much like an alien to many around me ,,lol,,,honestly ,,,,and at the end of the day ,,,my brother has had fights due to people insulting me ,,,my husband at work was told things reference my walking as well,,,and in a way u conciously he did blame it on me ,,,cause I think he hated loving someone that had this ,,that to us all was perfect but only this thing was always in the way ,,in everything,,even now,,,I think about it and it's true ,,I say this cause I k ow he passed away 12 years ago ,,,it affected our love life it affected our social life ,,it affected the kids in school ,,,I have never been able to be the person I really wanted this has kept me back from learning and striving towards my goals,,,I ended up being an unsociable person,,,was like 8 years not wanting to go to the beach my parents took the kids for me ,,,my depression,,due to all this ,,why I don't know,,I know that what I have now is better than before but still,,,I know this limp can be corrected ,,but of cause,,,when you are young life evolves around you ,,but at my age it evolves around my children,,they come first,,I want to work but feeling normal by walking normal to me it is torcher,,,to be stared at to be asked ,,to be uncomfterble,,to have pain,,to overcome all ,,,yes I seen a authopedic professor in Chicago that corrected a limp before and after surgery,,,another robot mechanical thing also in holland ,,that with these operations they operate to the millimeter,,,this I believe was not done to me ,,,I want this limp to go away ,,I'm going to try and get as much info as I can before I go and speak to the surgeon himself ,,also there's the financial aspect about it ,,,please do not take my writing in a negative way as I know that it could sound like it ,,,I'm not a negative person ,,I have overcome many hurdles in life this is only 1 chapter of it ,,,,this is not who I am this is speaking my mind out ,,which I never do ....I hope all of you who read this have better experiences that I had and still have,,,
daniela_56156 Anamist20
Posted
I'm so sorry to hear this! I have the exact problem and now that I'm in high school I feel so stressed and have low self steem. Everyone stares and talks about me even when im right there. I hate it
jamie0456 kathlyn72890
Posted
What helped me the most was pillatees. I worked with a woman who customized it for people with injuries. She basically taught me to understand how muscles are designed to work so I could understand and work on my muscles as I went along.
The second most helpful thing was sports massage therapy. He manually moved the muscles (quite painful at first) to give me more movement. Then when I would walk I was able to keep this added flexibilty.
The final piece (perhaps the most painful) was to get out and walk every day as much as your body is comfortable with. I found that having a rehab walking course that included uphill and downhill climbs was very important. In my case it was easier on the elevation parts than the flat walking!
Good luck in your recovery!
shirley92551 kathlyn72890
Posted
barbara920 kathlyn72890
Posted
I too have went through having a limp after TRHR. I am currently 3 1/2 months post op. It was driving me crazy . My surge on told me that I need more PT. When I went for the PT the therapist gave me some kind of treatment with elecros. Best thing in the world. After just one treatment plus some exercise I am walking 50% better then before. He is going to continue this treatment for the next sessions that I see him. Hopefully by then the limp will be hone.wishing you the sasame luck.
Barbara