Sudden pain 8 weeks after hip replacement

hi jennifer.. thr recovery is a roller coaster ride , lots of bad days before they all become good. At 8 weeks the bone is still growing to secure the new implants. its always something as tissue and muscles as well as ligaments have been abused from surgery. its a lot to heal and you have been very brave to commit to this surgery . just walking is all you need to heal and in 8 more weeks you will feel much better.

in my experience after 3 thr surgeries each one was different . its always a bit more than we expected after surgery no-one really explains all the pluses and minuses after surgery just that it will help give us a better quality of life after healing and recovery which is the hardest part to get through. sending lots of good healing vibes your way.

Thanks for your encouraging response, Barbara. You are certainly very brave to have had THREE hip replacements! I had TKR 8 years ago and that was a long recovery road. i think I was hoping that the hip would be easier and, in some ways, it has been. i just get frustrated when I seem to be improving then get something like this groin pain. it has been more noticeable overnight as I get in and out of bed. I assume it's, as you say, the muscles or ligaments re-aligning. i go for more physio next week so hope she'll advise me what to do. it's trying to work out if anything I've done has caused it that gets to me. I've been walking daily and doing the exercises given to me. I'll try icing it a bit to see if that helps. it's a sharp pain when I move it and nothing much when I'm still so hoping it's nothing serious.

it's good to hear you say I will get better. I'm assuming from that that you have made a good recovery. I hope so. You deserve to after enduring 3 operations! Thank you for your good wishes. X

could you be over doing exercises ? icing is always a good idea. usually for groin pain at night try laying on your back & keep your op leg on a pillow and position a pillow between your legs to prevent the op leg from rolling inward at night when we sleep. the weight of the leg alone can be to much after surgery. and always be sure to support the ankle. keeping the leg at a higher level will help release the tight pull on the area surrounding the new joint.

sometimes the bed is to low and or chairs. this can cause irritation from getting up and down if to low, or bending foreword,to much while getting up. Try to sit in a straight back chair (avoid low sofas, beds, recliners, or zero-gravity chairs) for the first few weeks.

healing can never be rushed no matter how much we try. take a day or two to just rest . try to just walk with a slow deliberate gate heel to toe, and no exercises for a few days. healing takes its own sweet time and walking and squeezing your bottom is all hips need to get thru recovery. as anxious as we all get sometimes its better to take a day or two and just rest. surgery is so exhausting on its own.

never assume anything when it come to this type of surgery. i hope it is nothing serious . never let your pt instructor push you to do anything if it hurts. don't put to much trust into them. remember it's your hip your feeling and coping with they have no idea what we have been through. if anything anytime hurts stop don't do it.

you will be in a better place before you know it. soon you will be dancing with glee and happy to have your mobility back and no more pain. Good Luck.

Thanks, Barbara. I don't do any really strenuous exercises but will cut back a bit. I've been doing some balancing exercises, standing on one leg so I don't know if that could have put a strain on my groin/thigh. I was so pleased that pains I was getting in my knee were getting less as well as less back pain and weakness in my legs that I thought these exercises were increasing the strength in my leg muscles. It seems that as one thing improves another gets worse!

I use pillows between my legs at night. I slept on my back for 6 weeks but have been turning on to my side (still with pillow between legs) since my surgeon told me I could do so as long as it wasn't uncomfortable. I don't get the pain in my groin just lying in bed, on back or side, it's just when I move my leg to the side e.g. to get out of bed. I've just been for a 10 minute walk and it was a bit uncomfortable. I'm resting now and icing. I'll take your advice and take it easy for a few days. (Not that I've done very much apart from daily walks!)

Hopefully it'll ease soon.