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Tense Muscles

Posted , 6 users are following.

Dsilk05
Dsilk05

Hi all, any of you feel your hip, buttocks and thigh muscles tense up?

I’m a very tense person but I can tell my muscles would tense up prior to surgery in a way to protect myself from falling or to get around walking with the joint pain. 

Now I feel my muscles tense up after my THR I think to protect my leg from further hurt or injury. Plus to hold myself better while walking. 

I think that why my right hip (which I had THR a yr ago on) has gotten a bit painful. I’m sure I’m using the right leg to compensate for my recent THR on my left. 

I finally took a pain pill yesterday to walk more comfortably and I noticed how relaxed those muscles were. 

How Can I relax those muscles without meds? 

It’s been too long walking around tensed up like that and my body I’m sure is used to it. I think I would feel less uncomfortable with this current THR if it weren’t for that. 

0 likes, 22 replies

22 Replies

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  • RichardKen
    RichardKen Dsilk05

    Posted

    Dear Dsilk

    We'll that is progress. Perhaps if you repeat this fora week or two your body will sort to think that being relaxed is the new norm.

    Spending time with your feet up is I find a good way of relaxing my muscles. Oh yes and a long hot shower or a good long hot soak in a deep bath. There is a cost attached now for me because I have to pay for every gallon of water whereas before the water came from a spring for free

    All the best, Richard

  • lyn1951
    lyn1951 Dsilk05

    Posted

    You told us what worked, go with the pain pill, and yes you are right, you have been favouring your left leg, and carrying all your weight on your right, which is still healing up from THR a year previous.

    ?I didn't believe my Dr when he told me 12 months to heal up and even then more like two years to heal up completely, experience with double hip has taught me he so right, and he didn't only mean the surgery, and although he didn't explain it very well, afterall his expertise is not in dealing with people, its in doing the surgery.

  • auntiebeanie
    auntiebeanie Dsilk05

    Posted

    Muscles take up to two years to heal and mine occasionally get tight now and I'm just over two year RTHR. massage will help and also ice, even though in this cold weather you may not want to. Try going tot a pool and just walking up and down and doing your exercises. I had to have foot surgery on the other side and it upset my gait and hip was painful. I had to remember to walk upright and use heel/toe movement. I also have a very good osteopath who stretches me out, to me its a cost worth paying. Good luck.

    • sarah22500
      sarah22500 auntiebeanie

      Posted

      Hi Auntie yes it’s important to keep saying heel toe, I haven’t walked properly for over 18 months at least. I think I will find a good osteopath too once I’m over the worst of all this nightmare. Would you say an osteopath is more appropriate to hippies than a physiotherapist?
    • RichardKen
      RichardKen sarah22500

      Posted

      Dear Sarah

      Have you not considered a good chiropractor?

      Cheers Richard

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen sarah22500

      Posted

      Dear Sarah

      There is a big difference though they both deal with basically the correctness of your skeletal frame

      My understanding having had experience of both is that the osteopath is the most basic form of manipulation and a step on from what a physio does whereas chiropractors have a far wider and significant range of techniques at their disposal.

      Within the Chiropractic profession are the traditional chiropractors and the so called McTimoney ones. The McTimoney ones have a more limited approach and IMO would not be my first choice because if I would want someone who is not limited in their approach.

      It is interesting that the annual cost of insurance for the traditional chiropractor is many times (three times I understand) to that of a McTimoney trained one.

      Anyroad up all chiropractors should be able to see and feel where you have a frame problem and with gentle sharp pressure sometimes put you right or start the process in a way that pills simply cannot do...or surgery.

      As I have said on many threads here since I joined, many pains and discomfort can be traced directly back to ones back and frame. It is very much tied up with pressure points that I started a thread about yesterday.

      I hope this helps.

      Cheers Richard

    • Dsilk05
      Dsilk05 RichardKen

      Posted

      Richard I’ve now been thinking of seeing a chiro. But since I’ve had issues with my hips the last 8 yrs that’s something I didn’t want to do. But now that I’m done with both hips I’m considering. Just need to heal completely right? 
    • RichardKen
      RichardKen Dsilk05

      Posted

      Dear Dsilk

      I've got an appointment to see a McTimoney one on Monday as where I'm now living there are sadly nine of the usual ones. My hip revision is not far behind me but I have no worries .

      I'm sure all will be fine and regardless you will be making sure that everything is as it should be, and if not which is very likely then you've made a start in sorting out the problem or problems.

      All the best, Richard

    • Dsilk05
      Dsilk05 RichardKen

      Posted

      Richard, can’t wait to see one and hope that helps me a lot. With 2 bad hips, or even one, it really throws our body off. 

      I’m going to wait until my second post op appt in 3 weeks and if they don’t do an X-ray of my knee I will ask for it. 

      If this problem is not part of my healing process I can’t stay like this. 

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen Dsilk05

      Posted

      Dear Dsilk

      Explain to your chiropractor that you have had both hips replaced when you make the appointment. There is no reason that I'm aware of why there should be a problem.

      Let me know if you need any addition information or reassurance.

      Cheers Richard

  • stacy17516
    stacy17516 Dsilk05

    Posted

    Dsilk:   I could be wrong, but I would take the pain med until the pain is gone or better.  If you are in pain

    you can't relax and be comfortable.   Sometimes the pain will get worse if you ignore it.  AI am 7 weeks R thr

    and I still take pain meds before I go to pt.  I had to take them longer than usual as I had horrific swelling and

    hurting foot from the surgery.  I started on Oxey codine and now I take a vicadon  1/2 when needed.  To me it isn't worth the pain.  Good Luck  

    • sarah22500
      sarah22500 stacy17516

      Posted

      Yes I’m not bothered about taking pain meds for a long time either. I’m only 2 weeks post op and things haven’t improved much I must say since I came home. I never expected this level of pain at all, nor did I think I would find it hard to sleep even for an hour. So the way I feel at the moment is really depressing for me personally so no way could I even think about cutting down on my co codamols.
    • Pam8128
      Pam8128 sarah22500

      Posted

      I can't sleep for more than an hour at a time either! I don't have much pain at all but am a side sleeper and obviously can't do THAT for 6 week's. I'm 9 days post op and really don't see how I will deal with it...it is depressing. It is 8:45 am and im already bored to tears...

    • sarah22500
      sarah22500 Pam8128

      Posted

      I’m allowed to sleep on my side, posterior approach restrictions have been lifted. But yes it IS so boring sad
    • Dsilk05
      Dsilk05 stacy17516

      Posted

      Hi Stacy, I am going to take my pain medication Norco w/acetaminophen. My main problem is side of thigh and side of knee going down below knee a bit. Feels likes it’s my bone. 

      The Norco is only 10 mgs and taking a whole one makes gives me a fuzzy feeling in the head and I can’t walk too much as I’m afraid to fall. But it did help me loosen up. 

      Going to try half a pill again though at one time I felt no difference in pain with half before. 

      Thank you. 

    • sarah22500
      sarah22500

      Posted

      Ps still can’t sleep on operated side but managed other side not too bad last night. Went half on tummy half on side and managed a bit of a sleep 👍

    • stacy17516
      stacy17516 sarah22500

      Posted

      Hi Dsilk:   Glad you are going to take something for pain.  I do also take 1/2 a Norco still and when I go to PT or out shopping I take a whole.   I am 7 weeks now and I didn't think I would even be driving the car or going shopping so trust me it will get better.  If you can keep some of the pain away you will find that your life will start to get back to normal each day.  A am so far from 100% but soooooo much better each day.  I actually have been taking 3 1/2 pills a day.   I'll ween myself off when the time comes.   I am allergic to aspirin (which wouldn't be strong enough anyhow)  so this works for me.  

      Good luck..

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