Severe back pain

Ouch, Kim, how painful that sounds! I would check immediately with your surgeon. It sounds like you need attention asap.

I am nearly 5 weeks post op and all the time I feel as if it's one step forward and two steps back. After two weeks I went out twice in one day and I suffered all night. I then start taking it easy for a while but when I go out I feel better but seem to have a bad night. I suffer with curvature of the spine and it seems as if walking puts pressure on it. Because my foot is swollen with shooting pains, it feels numb and as if I am dragging it when I walk. I feel this sensation is to do with damaged nerves but I can't get my doctor to send me for a nerve conduction test. I am going to the doctors for the third time on Monday and I hope it may be third time lucky

Hi Kim. Your not alone.I have nerve compression in my back which gives me constant pain in my lower back right leg and numb skin on my leg and my hands n arms often go numb to.I am waiting for my op and my surgeon has told me I will still have this pain after as it's nothing to do with my hip.I'm gonna make sure I get this sorted asap after my op and you make sure you do the same.apparently it's a pretty easy op so worth having.I'd be very interested to find out how you get on. cos when you get that done as well you will be pain free!!😊😊good luck with everything.xx

Kim - Having a similar problem, back pain after THR, maybe I can help.

From my experience - mine is a mix of about three different issues all adding up to make my life very uncomfortable, but I am getting there, very slowly, and I have had terrible bouts of depression and anxiety.

This forum has been a huge help as Dr's haven't listened, and or completely ignored my voicing of issue, but this forum has been a life saver for me, and finding others like annieK who has a similar problem.

I have been given extra leg length during my surgery, but I already had a long leg on that same side so adding to it has become a disaster area for me, so my left leg is now 3/4 inch longer than my right leg, you compensate naturally for that extra length, but it puts immense stress on your spine. I have ruptured disc, a bulging disc, and also to add to my woes I also have a verterbrae in my spine that has been attacked by my arthritis, arthritis that also brought about the hip replacements, so I shouldn't be surprised, all of this has caused disabiling sciatica, wouldn't wish that sort of pain on my worst enemy. I have finally found a lift for my opposite foot that give me some relief, thank goodness.

Do you also have a leg length discrepancy post surgery?

Surgeon has suggested I could have a spinal fusion, but also told me to put it off for as long as I can stand the pain, and keep going even with very strong painkillers, apparently spinal fusion has a high failure rate.

I also can't stand on left leg, cannot find my point of balance, didn;t have the same problem with my right THR, so part of the reason I am following Annie so closely, and trying with physio to strengthen up my muscles in my buttocks, physio has taught me how to feel the various muscles twitching, and I can feel them doing that.

She has also taught me how to do strengthening exercises for my lower spine and back and those exercises have seemed to also help with that sciatica.

One of the biggest self helps I have found is getting is the heated pool, tucking a noodle or water log under my arms, and gently doing my post THR exercises, or stretches, and then in deep end of pool treading water, Physio has confirmed that all this swimming?? 3 times a week has done me alot of good, and said she is going to reccommend my regiem to other THR patients, she was amazed just how strong and flexible I was in some muscles, but had real issues with other muscles (see above)

I know this is a bit of a ramble, but if I can help fire away with questions.

Dear Kim, 

I am sorry to hear this - One explanation is that around week 6 p.o, we do a lot more - have you had your follow up appointment yet?    

Our body has gone through major surgery and we are being instructed to do our exercises, take walks etc - while our body is recovering from the trauma - 

I remember this back pain post-op 1st THR and the frustration that nobody listened to me -Finally my PT agreed to massage the area and told me that I was too rigid - still so unbalalanced when walking didn't help - 

If you can, do some gentle stretch for your back exercsises - erect your posture , relax your shoulders - do some butt clenches - 

Maybe your GP can prescribe a muscle relaxant t - (mine did not )

tak care sweetheart 

big warm hug

renee