Pins and needles in hands after hip and knee surgery,

Hi there Ann I'm just 7 weeks post op tlhr getting there slowly but getting there .

I've had numb finger tips on both hands and I

put it down to using my crutches that's when I

first noticed it hope its going to disappear as I'm not usinng crutches so much now . hugs from

Staffordshire xxxx

Hi Ann:

I am 14 days post op from second hip replacement. I don't have the pins and needles in the hands but that is exactly what it feels like that I have been getting on the top of my feet. I didn't have a general this time (did the first time). Hope you feel better soon. Hugs...Barb

Hi Ann, not to worry you, I also had pins and needles that was much worse at night.  I thought it was due to the use of my walker, since I didn't have this before surgery.  Things did not improve and got much worse...hands falling asleep and then they started to burn and kept me up at night.  My GP sent me to have an EMG to test for carpal tunnel syndrome. Both hands showed moderate damage, so I had surgery on the right hand last month.  And now waiting to have the left one done as soon as the right one is strong enough.  Sorry not sure if a failed epidural would cause your symptoms since you did not receive any drugs this way.  I know sometimes it just goes away and no treatment is necessary therefore they don't do surgery unless you have had symptoms for at least 6 months.  Hope you are lucky and it just goes away.

thanks,

Leah

Wow

I too had few attempts with spinal block and they could not complete as i have a curve in spine

On day 2 after surgery i thought my foot was asleep as i sat in chair medicated on oxy

But no

Its nerve stuff after surgery

I am one month post op

I have nerve stuff on rt foot top and left foot bottom and yes had my pinkie have that neuralgia now better

I am waiting it out before seeing a neuro and mri

Keep working muscles at physical therapy

Few things i have done there seem to be helping

I feel a change

Keep me posted

I do enjoy walking the two miles around the lake

But yes watch the nerves hope they regenerate for u

Jozie

hi ann, 

see ... not to put others off but that is why I go for GA ... 

I don't know what to tell you about the pins and needles - are you clenching your hands tightly ? I know I do - maybe it helps when you consciously relax your body when you think of it - you know, start with top of your head, face, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, back, pelvic, hips, down to your knees, ankles and feet - doesnt' need to take long - 

let us know how you are getting on okay

big warm hug

renee

Hi Ann

ive experienced pins and needles in both feet and hands.  I have OA throughout my body and have had my carpal tunnels operated on about 20 years ago.

Im waiting for a nerve conduction test because my foot is painful and tingling and stiff all the time.

i have been offered a complete new wrist but don't know whether to go for it. It's painful and prevents me doing a lot of things.

Brenda C

You know what they say, better to be safe than sorry.  I am quite disgusted at two things associated with THRs:  they have small print in complications ‘possibility of nerve damage’ and yet you try and google’ nerve damage as a result of THR,’ all the sites refer to it, but when it comes to anything said about what it entails, it is as if it does not exist……………  The other thing is there seems to be – is it unique to UK Surgeons a flat out refusal to even acknowledge such a complication and that is when the patient is post op laying in bed and wondering why they feel weird in some parts of the leg.

Really gets my goat this one, they have the cojones to cut your leg damn near in half, slam a hammer down on your femur usually quite a few times but when there are early signs they have damaged your nerves, no cojones then!!!  Poor old GPs take up the slack and you get varying diagnoses from planta fascia to carpel tunnel syndrome.  What is this conspiracy that goes on to not really inform patients the horrors that await them if they are 2% of the complications.  Do not forget they do roughly 70,000 THRs a year so on law of averages: 1400 of those patients will be damaged……

Any form of pins and needles, numbness, odd electrical zap or even downright pain on the injured side is more likely to be a nerve damaged than any diagnosis a GP gives, and there are only two routes in the early days to diagnose this if your Surgeon has wimped out.

Cheapest and quickest, visit your local Physio ensuring he understands drop foot and nerve damage, then see him and ask him for exercises and his opinion as to what is causing any of the above.  A good physio knows more about nerves, muscles, etc than your local GP and can get you started on the right road re exercise and also who to call on next.

The longest, but free on NHS, is to see a Neurologist – may have to go via surgeon – but insist and see what Neurologist says.  The best test is an EGM.  You might get that done quicker than an MRI and this should pinpoint the nerve affected, why it is affected (sometime s it is a mechanical reason, eg swab left in or some such, very rare) and prognosis on how far affected and if done after six weeks possible future prognosis on whether it will work given time).

The main thing is do not let it ride because from day one of leaving hospital post op, every day you leave it unexercised, so the muscles and tendons can start to stiffen up and make exercise  later a whole lot worse.  For example:  paralysis of popliteal nerves immediately gives you foot drop, you immediately must wear a brace, this holds the foot in the right position, so that the ankle does not flex permanently  the wrong way, it also protects the ankle, because the muscles soon disappear in your ankle and then  = hello = to sprains, peroneal tendonitis and so on.  Its not all bad eight weeks later I am still here lusting over my physio Herman, and dreaming of possibly dancing next Xmas – well 2017 that is…………

Regards dot