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Suggestions on getting the leg moving in the morning

Posted , 9 users are following.

jamie0456
jamie0456

Looking for suggestions.  On first waking up in the morning it takes an hour to slowly coax my hip & leg into motion.  It seems so stiff from not moving much while sleeping.  Any ideas that you folks use to get your hip & leg moving upon awakening? I am 4 weeks post op and after the pure and utter chaos and agony of the first two weeks I can see some real light, no matter how faint, at the end of the tunnel !!!

1 like, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • lors23
    lors23 jamie0456

    Posted

    Hey Jamie

    I am almost 4 weeks post op and l don't have this issue l am a bit stiff for the 1st hour until l have srarted moving about in both legs as they have both had thr's done in past 3 months. Are you still sleeping on your back? I can sleep on both sides with a pillow in between my legs but can onky do it for a short time. I still have trouble sleeping and sleeping in my bed makes me really sore so l start the night in bed but by 2am l have moved to the couch its got a much harder surface and can support my back if l lie on my sides. This has been going on since nobember and l mever get a full nights sleep so l tend to nap a lot during the day. As for the stiffness l tend to get up straight away take pain meds and move about as much as possible until they are ok.

    The only thing l can think for you is that you sleep in the exact same position all night and not moving causing you to stiffen up. Where as l am moving anout all night l am up maybe 2 to 3 times change positions every half hour. Downside being that l nap loads during the day.

  • susan47173
    susan47173 jamie0456

    Posted

    Hi, do u do any exercise before getting out of bed ? The foot paddling, pressing back of knee down into bed and bum clenches do help to wake things up, if u wake during the night do them it helps you regain some flexibility. It's still early days for u and u are over the worse onwards and upwards 😊

  • Kate53CornUK
    Kate53CornUK jamie0456

    Posted

    Hi Jamie, I am 4 weeks today and 8 months on from number one hip. I learnt quite a lot the first time and for the first 6 weeks I had trouble 'starting up'.

    We have been discussing this in the last few days and my solution has been dubbed The Thumper Technique.

    When I have been sitting/sleeping for a while I tap my good leg on the floor a few times before moving. It seems to connect all the right bits and I can stand up fairly easily. 

    The first few steps are still a bit 'drunk' but a lot of people have found it works.

    Rocketman has added this tip to his comprehensive laymans advice for hip replacement patients. It can be found in the 'pinned' advice at the head of the forum discussions and it is an invaluable resource.

    The first two weeks are chaos, aren't they, but I can assure you that it all gets better, just slow.

  • renee01952
    renee01952 jamie0456

    Posted

    Hi Jamie, 

    Erm .... not sure what to tell you ... Can you get out of bed at all or does that take an hour? Some stiffness is to be expected though .. and heaviness for sure -

    are you in pain ?  

    let us know how you have been otherwise these last 4 weeks ...

    big warm  hug

    renee

  • maggie93798
    maggie93798 jamie0456

    Posted

    Used to happen to me. I found that stretching and doing some ankle circling and other small lying done exercises helped before attempting to move properly. However if the need to go to the loo was urgent I just hobbled fast
  • Meg1216
    Meg1216 jamie0456

    Posted

    It takes an hour? how do you get up and get to the toilet then? I drink lots of water and have to get up 2-3 times...my word if it takes an hour -is this for everyone?
    • jamie0456
      jamie0456 Meg1216

      Posted

      If I have to get up (ie: to go to the bathroom) I can, I am just very stiff and achy.  Once up and moving about it slowly gets better.  Using some of the forum suggestions I have seen major improvement by stretching in bed before getting out.  Also, started using a small camping pillow instead of the larger type I had been using.
    • Meg1216
      Meg1216 jamie0456

      Posted

      Ohhh good! Continued success for you! Thanks,I thought geez an hour to get of bed? No one said I needed "Depends" 
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