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swelling & weak muscles

Posted , 6 users are following.

eric1003
eric1003

6 days out od bhr(resurfacing) my leg is swollen to just below the knee. Atrophy has rendered my thigh muscles almost uesless. I am ok walking on krutches but in bed I cant lift my leg up. I feels like it weighs 1000 pounds. I use various lifting techniques & now therapy is only way to strenghten it. How long will this swelling lasr & has anyone felt this way?

2 likes, 10 replies

10 Replies

  • annie.conway
    annie.conway eric1003

    Posted

    Ice is your friend, my friend
    • eric1003
      eric1003 annie.conway

      Posted

      Thanks great response. I have icing 4x a day since operation 6 days ago & have ice on it know. Earlier today I finally noticed swelling has gone down . I dont like not being able to lift my leg when lying down.. It makes getting comfortable in bed dificult. & hard to get out of bed.
  • khippie
    khippie eric1003

    Posted

    I had lthr 4 weeks today and still cannit lift my leg :-( graham said its known as heavy leg - I think !!! Apparently it will return - I just give mine a hand at mo - into bed etc whilst its being lazy !!

    X

    • annie.conway
      annie.conway khippie

      Posted

      What's frustrating is that my right leg was lifting beautifully for the first 2 weeks. Can't imagine what could have gone wrong ....
    • eric1003
      eric1003 annie.conway

      Posted

      Wow that must be frustrating. You must have been in good shape before your thr. I wish I had strengthend my leg before surgery but I was in too much pain.The only reason you could have lost that strength is that you arent moving & using the muscle enough. My therapist has me doing exercises 2x a day. She said walk short distance every 1 1/2 hours. Then sit for a 1/2 hr & then lay down & elevate my leg for 1 hr. Ice 4x daily. Goodluck
  • annie.conway
    annie.conway eric1003

    Posted

    I feel as if something is 'hooking' in my right groin, travelling back into the lower buttock. As to straight leg lifts, which, according to the literature I should be doing, it just feels as if the tendon in my groin has been slit so that there is no way I can form the crook in my groin needed to lift the leg. Last week I could still do the right leg, this week nada. That's deterioration in my book. If it wasn't for the right leg, I think I could have walked short distances without a crutch.
  • renee01952
    renee01952 eric1003

    Posted

    Hi Eric, 

    Swollen leg is pretty normal after THR and can last for a couple of weeks (doesn;t have to) Mine started from top of thigh, going down, down to ankle were it stayed for 2 more weeks - weird ... 

    ABout lifting your leg - is that a straight leg lift you are talking about? 

    According to my therapist that is a no-no ... Muscles and tendons etc are cut and healing , it is very fragile - of course you cannot lift it - 

    the bed exercises given to me were foot rotation, ankle pump, sliding leg (knee up) to buttocks and back, sliding sideways - no lifting while laying down -

    even now, many moons post op, I still find it painful to do straight leg lifts when laying down ...

    be gentle with Eric and given him some TLC okay?

    big warm hug

    renee

    • annie.conway
      annie.conway renee01952

      Posted

      My swelling also only lasted for about 2 weeks. Lots of self-massage and leg movement helps, but the best of them all are cold compresses.
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