Muscle stiffness not getting any better

Continue with therapy, do your exercises at home and make sure to increase how far you walk daily and often. YesYOU CAN DO IT

The same - you can do it. I was lucky that I was already there with strong muscles and had a physio to help prepare, so it hasn't been as hard for me, but muscles are meant to be trained, as you know. Like you I was in very bad pain before the op, and it's so tempting to not use the hip. But what is done is done now.

Could you ask your doctor about whether a muscle relaxant would help with the pain and tightness? At the right dose it should stop the pain from the under used muscles but not stop you exercising them. The other possibility would be to use a heating  blanket that can be left on when you are in bed. The warmth will help to keep your muscles more relaxed, so you may not experience the same pain when trying to get moving in the morning.

Because you mobility was limited before surgery, it is harder now. I would ask the physio to do some hands on work on the tight muscles. I saw my osteopath and she did gentle stretching which helped my tight muscles. Also at the gym I found this machine that had a footplate you put your foot on it, held onto handlebars and slid leg back. Was brilliant really helped the stretching too. Don't get dispondent. Little bits at a time make a great outcome in the end x

You are only 7 1/2 weeks away from a major, brutal surgery. Some recoveries take longer, but not too many people are anywhere near back to normal at 8 weeks. Some people still need pain medications for quite some time after surgery, longer than 8 weeks, for sure, so you may be undermedicated. In order to be able to get around as needed (not for exercise yet), you may need more pain meds for now.

Pre-surgery you had severe pain in your hip joint, which must be gone now, with soft tissue pain that you have now resulting from the surgery. If your muscles are much more painful and stiff than they were before the THR, then it is probably because they are still healing. I'd recommend rest, icing and elevation whenever possible for awhile, to see if they get better. It takes a long time to properly heal from a total hip replacement!

I was limping and in pain, and using walking aids, for a year and a half after my THR, due to torn gluteal tendons. I had surgery to repair those eleven weeks ago, and I am still limping with pain upon standing. I just started PT to help gain strength in my long-unused muscles in my surgical leg, and to get better flexibility, so that I can walk unaided again. With any luck, this is not your problem, but you will be feeling much better in a month or two. All the best to you, pshaw!

Yes you can do it. April is far enough away for there to be a great improvement, especially if you work at the exercises. I went back to work after 12 weeks, am in the same line of work. A biomedical scientist in microbiology

I had THR 7 months ago and still get stiffness and soreness. I've been having physio, ice, injections and massage and it's still the same unfortunately

Hello pshaw!! I understand what you're going through I'm going through that myself right now. I've been short on this one like for many years and this hip didn't move very well if it really moved at all. so all the muscles around it we're weak before surgery. my first surgery after three weeks I discovered that it was dislocated I had to have a total hip revision. Had to be six weeks nonweightbearing which put me back a lot!! Was a very frustrating and discouraging time. when I finally got to weight bear again I was diagnosed with tendinitis, bursitis all due to non weight bearing plus no hip flexion past 80 degrees and no type of exercises except foot pumps. Now the dr got me almost my full length back so pulling of muscles, tendons, nerves reconnecting, tissue repairing. It's not a great feeling!! 😞🙁😣😖😫😩😭 It's been 5 months now....I am getting better but every morning i wake up hoping today I'll finally feel better!! It's hard that's no lie. I still cry.......BUT, there has been improvements!! I'm getting there!! Yes it's at a snails pace, at least to me, but it's improving!! So I guess what I'm saying is you need to hang in there!! keep up with the exercise. this surgery was a major invasive surgery!! for me having to do it twice within three weeks, not good! 😥 but we got to hang in there! I know it's hard. I mean I still feel like I'm not getting better but I am and you will too!! It's important to get that joint moving and those hip muscles stronger!! You'll get there!! Have faith! I know I about lost mine, was and sometimes still do, want to give up!! But we can't!! That's what this forum about! Lifting you up when your down and encourages you!! So hang in there!! We can do it!! We WILL get better!! Hugs 🤗LD

I am the same as you. I waited 12 years for my operation so I really couldn't be much exsercise at all. I am now 3 months post left THR and my left thigh muscles are so weak. I walk with a limp still and find it really difficult to walk very far at all.

So I feel your pain.

Can you get t o a swimmng pool at a quiet time and do non weight bearing exercises so the muscles are moved.You can walk right up to the steps with your crutches- explain to the lifeguard what you are doing. In particular borrow or buy a woggle (noodle) , make it into a U shape, sit astride and cycle (knee below hip of course) and do scissor action open and shut, to sides or to and fro. Walking in waist deep water is great with all sorts of variations, walk, stride, backwards, sideways.  if there is a handrail hook you toes under it while floating on your back and pull yousrself in and out by bending the knees (within limits). In shallower water hold the side of pool,stand on the U shaped woggle with one foot and let the foot come straight up and down (watch right angle of hip). Then add the second foot standing on the woggle and remove the first foot to exercise the other leg.Ask the physio. for ideas

Hello pshaw,

I had both my hips replaced on November 15, just a week before you.  My biggest complaint is the stiffness too.  It's really bad after sitting for any length of time or after I go for my daily walks.  However, I'm seeing improvement measured weekly (instead of daily just a month ago).  I attribute it to walking and stretching the best I'm able.  I'm walking 1.5 miles in the morning and doing my stretches/strengthening exercises in the evening. I'm very consistent with this and really think it helps. I waited for almost 5 years before the surgery, so my muscles have shortened up and  I figure I have months, or maybe even a year to get back to something close to normal.  I had a few weeks of in home physical therapy, but they were not really consistent about showing up.  I wasn't offered any out patient therapy, so I have to do this on my own. Even though everyone's recovery is different,  I really think if you do your walks and stretch the best you can, it will eventually get better.

Best of Luck!

hi pshaw, 

warm welcome to this hippies forum where we share our personal experiences and stories ...

you already received great responses and I have really nothing to add to them..

it is a slow process for some of us and a lot of patience is required .. our expectations were different as we heard those stories about people who knew people who were up and about 10-14 days after their surgery --- there are

The muscles on the top of my thigh are still tight after hip surgery. The best exercise i found was to place a chair back in front of me and a chair seat about 20 inches behind me. Bend your leg behind you at a 90 degree angle with your toes on the chair seat in back of you. Then holding onto the chair back in front of you, straighten up and bend back. It really stretches it out. if you put a heating pad on your thigh for ten minutes before you stretch, it works even better.