limp after replacement
Posted , 10 users are following.
15 weeks post replacement and i am back at work. People are noticing that i am often still limping. i have no pain at all in my new hip and have no awareness that i am liimping. Could this be due to the muscle being weak still? or perhaps ive had a bad limp and waddle for so long before my surgery that i dont know how to walk properly? i dont want to end up with a permanent limp. At the moment i am relying on my colleagues to tell me if i am limping so then i try and correct the limp - even tho i have no awareness of this
Has anyone else had this prob
hope everyone else ok
Gilly xx
0 likes, 8 replies
SJCabes gillyb74
Posted
Hi
I was exactly the same when I went back to work and felt really self conscious when people noticed my limp.
I am now 10 months post op and it has settled down and I now walk without a limp unless I am really tired.
I'm sure in time as your muscles strengthen you will walk 'normally.'
All the best
Sarah x
marionaa gillyb74
Posted
Good luck!
Marion
wlee gillyb74
Posted
ruth28205 gillyb74
Posted
Chloeparrot gillyb74
Posted
My physio said this is very common as most people develop a method of getting about with a damaged hip. It usually means a limp or lurching walk and your body becomes used to it, so after the op your muscle memory tells you to walk in the same way even though there is no longer any need to. Therefore you have got to retrain your muscles so that you no longer limp or lurch.
She suggested the following:
1. Every time you get up clench your buttocks really tightly (imagine you have a £50 note lodged between your cheeks and someone is trying to pull it out)
2. Before you take a step also suck in your tummy (this is as well as clenching your bum).
3. Aim to walk smoothly- this will, at first, mean slowly, but will fairly quickly you will speed up.
She added this is not a quick fix,it takes patience and perseverance but is worth it.
dave63380 gillyb74
Posted
Hey Gilly, you've gotten some good response from all of our friends here already, your body has muscle memory of how you walked before surgery, you just need to practice your new walk. I am 18 day post op RTHR, but I had both knees replaced about 2 years ago. By the time I had surgery my knees didn't really bend anymore and I would swing legs outward rather than forward, kinda like a duck. Still walked like that after surgeries. Physical therapist had me on treadmill for about 10 minutes each session, 3 times a week, with a video camera in front and tv screen to watch
myself walk. Took some practice but it worked. Good luck with your recovery. Dave
dave63380 gillyb74
Posted
Hey Gilly, you've gotten some good response from all of our friends here already, your body has muscle memory of how you walked before surgery, you just need to practice your new walk. I am 18 day post op RTHR, but I had both knees replaced about 2 years ago. By the time I had surgery my knees didn't really bend anymore and I would swing legs outward rather than forward, kinda like a duck. Still walked like that after surgeries. Physical therapist had me on treadmill for about 10 minutes each session, 3 times a week, with a video camera in front and tv screen to watch
myself walk. Took some practice but it worked. Good luck with your recovery. Dave
YoMike gillyb74
Posted
I've got a leg length discrepancy since my THR. I would guess that it's about .5 inches, maybe longer. That is causing me to limp, I'm getting lifts this week, but it's hard to walk without a limp when my legs are different lengths, is that the case with you?