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Mobility issues seven months after THR

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ianfreeman
ianfreeman

I had a THR in June 2021 - my second - and I'm still unable to lift my leg up high enough to cross it with the other leg in order to, for example, put on a sock or tie a shoelace. I don't have any pain or any issues with walking.

I realise that (a) in common with most of us, I've not been very active for the whole time since the surgery; and (b) I'm quite a bit overweight, which I'm working on. Nevertheless, I feel I should be able to do more than I am now. I spoke to my surgeon who recommended some 'mild physiotherapy' but I hate physio and am wondering if anyone has had similar issues and if their condition has improved. My other THR was in 2015 and the leg moves perfectly. Many thanks in advance.

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • barbara66703
    barbara66703 ianfreeman

    Edited

    treatment for lifting your op leg should include nerve damage testing. its been only a year and a half. some take 2 years to heal. do you have any pain or just the weakness to lift the op leg.

    i have had 3 hip joint surgeries and weakness can be as simple and strengthening the muscles in the leg.

    i am not a doctor it seems that there should be some testing that could help for this ask your doctor.

    periformis syndrome is a weakness and one of the most logical weakness after surgery as well as nerve damage caused by swelling and surgery itself... which in most case will heal with therapy.

    some patients may stop doing their exercises after surgery which may limit their recovery , causing weakness and place them at risk for falls.

    after hip surgery most patients will experience weakness in legs after surgery and recovery can just be walking daily to improve muscle weakness.

    if you hate therapy there are some therapies online youtube for hip patients.

    good luck. just walk walk walk it will get better...

    • ianfreeman
      ianfreeman barbara66703

      Posted

      Thanks for responding, Barbara. It's actually only been seven months (I had the THR in June 2021) so I suppose I shouldn't over-expect. I don't have any pain in the op leg, just the inability to lift it up far enough to put on a sock. I was very bad at doing my exercises after the surgery so that probably hasn't helped. I'll check with my doctor, do plenty of walking and check out the online exercises.

  • vanna
    vanna ianfreeman

    Edited

    Hi JAN

    From my experience THR recovery is like Russian roulette!

    Ihad my first hip done two years ago and it took most of the two years to get my mobility back without suffering much pain.

    I had posterior aproach and suffered a large painful lump over the trochanther bone near the incision , and much pain down the IT band , consequently i ended up having a cortisone injection in Si JOINT and did help with pain as got more mobile. Lifting my leg can still be difficult with dressing and moving my leg laterally does cause some pain , i think some thing is catching on a tendon near the groin . HOWEVER my second hip surgery is now causing awful problems so 1st one is on back boiler for now, HA!

    I am now 5 months post THR having had minimal,y invasive anterior hybrid surgery for 2nd replacement. Brilliant initially , no general anaesthetic , no sedation , home following day and walking unaided after 3 weeks with no pain . However at 5 weeks NHS physio had me exercising with resistance bands around ankle, this proved way too much for me and by the time i arrived home i could hardly weight bare for pain! I then had to take to my bed much of the time for two weeks until the pain subsided. Since then i have been locked into a cycle of pain and recuperation , and no end in sight to the chronic pain im now suffering from my back ,hip, knee and even ankle , all courtesy of the physio therapist . I also have deep seated scar tissue now under the incision ,and painful swelling around the top of leg which prevents me sitting comfortably . The strange thing is i am able to move my leg laterally and can do leg raises in supine position , but have some difficulty putting trousers on when bending forward.

    Iam currently seeking an MRI to see if there is something the x-ray and ultrasound missed, and hoping i can get a cortisone injection for some pain relief .

    If any one has suffered similar problems i would love to hear from you

    Love and best wishes to all fellow sufferers

    Vanna

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