1. Community
  2. Operations and surgical procedures
  3. Hip Replacement

Limping after 6 Months

Posted , 2 users are following.

Hip2020
Hip2020

Hi All

im still limping after 6 months THR will this get better? i'm in my late 30's and really worried. im exercising as advised by physio. my hip is painful when ive walked extra but otherwise not always. still feels stiff at times.

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • barbara66703
    barbara66703 Hip2020

    Edited

    hi, hip2020,

    in my experience after three hip surgeries just waiting for the healing period to be over is challenging. healing is difficult especially as time moves foreword your hip will continue to heal . short term healing 4-6 months and long term healing 12-14. by summer you'll be walking with a good gate. keep practicing heel to toe gate stand up straight , wear new shoes with good arch support. the old shoes have the old gate with injured hip, toss those. don't over do. it takes patience and eating a well balanced diet, along with vitamins needed to support healing. it takes 2400 good caloried a day to help the body heal. just walking daily is all your hip needs. and a favorite chocolate bar always fixes everything.

    • Hip2020
      Hip2020 barbara66703

      Posted

      Thanks Barbara. it's also starting to feel a little tender these past few weeks. is this normal too?

    • barbara66703
      barbara66703 Hip2020

      Edited

      your only 6 months after surgery, your early in the healing process and building strength in your hip is now important and all this causes tenderness . healing is different for everyone. some days overdoing may cause you to feel sore and tender. To be honest so are both of my hips , even after 4 years on one hip and 24 years on the other. tenderness seems to be my biggest issue and nodes in my muscles in the femur area. it always feels nice to treat with heat or a nice soak in a hot tub. I guess finding what works for you is the key to feeling comfortable .

    • Hip2020
      Hip2020 barbara66703

      Posted

      thanks Barbara. the hip also feels like its swollen. is this normal too as it now an artificial joint so where could the swelling be?

    • barbara66703
      barbara66703 Hip2020

      Edited

      Hello hip2020

      It's normal to have swelling continue icing anti inflammatories and rest.

      The one thing that's common is little understanding of the recovery timeline of a THR. Go back to read the guidelines and exercise book and use a lot of patience.

      There is short term healing 4-6 months and long term healing 8-16 months. There are a lot of factors that go into rates of healing. For instance , previous damage to the joint from osteoarthritis, muscle/ligament damage, age, previous conditioning and other health issues just to name a few.

      The first few months seem long . The hard part is the time between when you feel like the recovery has stalled and you want a normal gait. Best to keep walking heel to toe gait, in new shoes with good arches. This is important to train the hip to walk with a good gate. The body and brain need time to adjust to sending signals to the new components surrounded with tissue , bone all adjusting at the same time. It will get better. You have had major surgery soft tissue and bone both seem to take their time healing with the new changes to the hip area has effects on the whole body.

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.