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Solution to thigh pain---hopefully

Posted , 7 users are following.

colinTN17
colinTN17

I posted on here a while ago that after 12 weeks and recovering well that I started having nasty outer thigh pain in my op leg. I had gradually increased my exercising to doing an hours power walking, 40lengths swimming and 14 km on the static bike. I was  concerned that it was the prosthetic stem tip loosening because I had pushed the exercise too far or that I had an infection somewhere in there. 

Well I had an x-Ray and there was no problem with the stem. I've had the CPR,FBC & ESR tests and there is no infection and no bursitis. YIPPEE!

But why do I still have the pain?

It turns out that the problem is that while I've been exercising my inner thigh muscles are not strong enough and it means that the outer thigh is not strong enough for the work I was doing-------search me I don't get it either. My physio has given me some other exercises to do which hurt but he tells me it will get easier. One of the exercises is the standard one of lifting the op leg out sideways except with weights on my ankle.

I'm off to Jamaica in a couple of weeks and just hope it works cos I don't fancy jigging to Bob Marley with this pain.

 

4 likes, 20 replies

20 Replies

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  • chris71595
    chris71595 colinTN17

    Posted

    Hi, I have had a similar problem, even though my recovery is so recent. My PT suggested backing off the ones that hurt & trying others to increase muscle strength. It seems that the hip pain has left muscles weak. one day at a time my friend.

     

    • colinTN17
      colinTN17 chris71595

      Posted

      Thanks Chris 

      thats exactly what mine has advised as well. He has suggested I get some ankle weights from Tesco online and start with low weight and gradually increase the weight as strength improves.

  • AnnieK
    AnnieK colinTN17

    Posted

    There is an excellent article right here on Patient called "Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome". Just put that into the "Search Patient" box above and you will find it. It used to be called Trochanteric Bursitis, but it was discovered from research that most of that pain on the outside of upper thighs is caused by minor tears/damage to muscles/tendons, not inflammation of the bursa. I have read hundreds of articles about GTPS in my search to find an answer to my problem. Google it, you'll find lots of info about it. You can also check into various sites that talk about how the hip/thigh is constructed, which muscles/tendons go where, and try to identify what exactly is hurting. I've done that, too.
    • colinTN17
      colinTN17 AnnieK

      Posted

      Aha that's what my GP thinks it could be. He printed out a fact sheet for me and it looks likely to be the problem.

      Thanks Annie 

    • AnnieK
      AnnieK colinTN17

      Posted

      If you don't have a limp, then it's possible that whatever is causing the pain will resolve on its own, provided you rest enough. When, like in my case, you have a limp, and you can't balance on the surgical leg without your hip dropping, and it just never gets better, then you have to try to figure out exactly what the problem is, which muscles/tendons are damaged and how badly they are damaged. Can't wait to see my new orthopedist today to maybe get some answers.
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