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Thigh pain after hip replacement

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Soxy
Soxy

I'm wanting some feedback on high thigh pain after a hip replacement.  I am 68 years old (female) and am 10 weeks post op cement hip replacement due to severe arthritis.  I have been going on very well and thought all my troubles were over, but have now developed pain which seems to be centred just underneath the buttock and goes down the leg slightly.  I have been doing the exercises that are given to you and the pain started when I had done a batch of them.  Speaking to the physio she indicated I may have strained my hamstring.  Am due to see her in ten days time, but I have read that this type of pain is not uncommon.  Has anybody else experienced this?  Am on painkillers again and very disappointed with this set back.  Am I expecting too much too soon? Hope to get your feedback.

21 likes, 418 replies

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  • kerry37877
    kerry37877 Soxy

    Posted

    I hope you have had a better outcome, I am 53 years old and nearly 5 yrs ago I had my right hip replaced, 6 weeks later I had the left one done. My left leg is great, my right one isn't. It lacks strength, I have pins and needles and numbness, I describe the rest of the thigh like having a tooth ache. Sometimes it jus aches but at others its like somone s given you a Chinese burn(squeezing and twisting your skin) I have been to another specialist and been told that there are 2 tears in the muscle but he can, t do anything to fix it unless it tears right through. I have had  many bone scans ect as well as a test for infection. It has definitely had an effect on my life, I can,t work out what makes it worse. I have an outdoor Jacuzzi, and an electric bike which I love, try and have regular massages. I have to think about  or where I am going, can only walk for 20mins. I find shopping the worst ,(saved money there), gardening is limited. Sorry about being negative but because I have had both legs done I know what it feels like to get a good one.  My sister who is 55 has to have her hips done as well and because of my troubles is very worried, its not the amazing fix that we were expecting.

    • karen26273
      karen26273 kerry37877

      Posted

      hi kerry,

      i had my hip on may 31 of this year , i am doing therapy and im still in  a lot of pain . i can't sleep or when i get out of a chair i can not put any pressur on it. i was walking without a cane or any other device but now i am back with a cane . the doctor wanted me to do blood work because there might be an infection in my bones. for some reason i was doing better when i was in rehab.it is my right hip that i had done..i hope you are doing better. i thought it will be better than this. please keep me posted and i will do the same .

                                                      take care!!!!

                                                       karen

                   

    • Wraakian
      Wraakian karen26273

      Posted

      Hi Karen, I'm 7 months post op and my hip is still very painful especially if I do not use my walking stick. I have not had a 6 months post op referral as yet so think they might have lost me in the system. Hope you get the pain sorted.

  • joe1951
    joe1951 Soxy

    Posted

    Hi Soxy

    I had my hip replaced 3 month ago and I have the same pain you have,

    The doctor told me it might take 12 months to heal and continue with the physio 

    I had a second opinion and suggested to stop the  exercise and just do walking please tell us how are you going now I hope you are feeling better

    • Wraakian
      Wraakian joe1951

      Posted

      Hi Joe, yep, I did many months of physio in my gym before I gave up due to the same pains Sony had. I am just walking now for exercise but have to use a walking stick as the pain stops me from going more than a few yards without it. Hope your pain goes away soon.
  • frank01490
    frank01490 Soxy

    Posted

    These posts are reassuring in that it appears that thigh pain is not necessarily an indication of an aberrational result of my anterior hip replacement. I am a 64 year old man five months out of surgery with a Zimmer Bioment non-cemented anterior surgery with Mako robot.  As with other posts, mine seems to be precipitated by over-use (bicycling about 40 miles) swimming, or waking. Ibuprofen reduces the pain, but it requires 1000 mgs at bedtime in order to sleep.  Even with the ibuprofen the pain requires constant shifting from side to side at nighttime which affects my sleep. The pain feels like an electric bolt or a hot needle into my thigh.  
  • charmyn31857
    charmyn31857 Soxy

    Posted

    My pain is a little different. I am 4 months out and everything was going great - almost as if I never had the THR. Then this weekend the pain in my thigh began. Frustrated - not sure what caused it. 
  • Wraakian
    Wraakian Soxy

    Posted

    Hi Sony, came to this website as I searched for hip still painful after 7 months post op. I am 70 years old and have the same top of hip buttock pain as well as pain down the stem of the joint again all at the back. I have to use a walking stick otherwise the pain gets pretty bad quickly as I walk. I was told to use the weights at my gym and to increase them as high as possible by my physio which I did 3 x per week as suggested but started getting more pain. I stopped going to the gym several weeks ago as I felt I needed to rest my leg instead of punishing it. I am in less pain when I do rest up but it still comes back rapidly when I walk. Are you now okay as I have been told the pain could take up to a full year to go?
    • rose30499
      rose30499 Wraakian

      Posted

      Hi wraakian, my husband had also a Hip replacement 3 weeks ago he is 70 and he is walking without using the walker or anything,no bruises , but he still have a numbness close to his incision, and a little pain on his groin , every now and then he take pain medicine, he walk fine and drive the car sometimes, he always resting his leg if the pain come back, he will have his second surgery on his left hip first week of december.
  • linda18111
    linda18111 Soxy

    Posted

    Hello fellow hippsters!  I am 49 and celebrating 1 year w my THR.  My groin pain that I had is completely gone but still have pain on my incision site and do have thigh pain.  I am very active. Go to the gym 5 days per week but have had to modify my workouts. No jumping just elliptical, biking and lighter weight training.  I think my continued pain is due to other issues going on with me.  My doctor has told me I will need bilateral kneee replacement at some point.  I am waiting as long as I can to do this.  My pain is managed by moist heat first thing in the morning (heating pad) on knees,hip along w biofreeze and Motrin 2x daily.   I think the best advice I can give is keep moving your joints and lots of stretching.  Listen to your body when your tired rest but don’t give in to the pain. 
  • debra77863
    debra77863 Soxy

    Posted

    Hello all. I found this site while looking for exercises I could go to alleviate the pain in my thigh. I had a total hip replacement 3 years ago on my right hip and I’m still in pain in the mid thigh area. I can’t step up using my right leg, nor carry any thing heavy as it puts pressure on my right leg and is excruciating. I went to my surgeon several times to no avail. Recently I consulted with another orthopedic surgeon who ordered blood work and a CT scan as well as reviewed a previous nuclear x-ray.  All tests showed no issues.  His recommendation was to exercise and keep active but I find that difficult to do when I’m in pain. I’m very disappointed in the outcome of this surgery and will think twice before I have the left one done. 
    • joe1951
      joe1951 debra77863

      Posted

      I have the sam problem and go the same answer from the surgeon, they don’t tell any of that before the operation
    • joe1951
      joe1951 debra77863

      Posted

      My GP doctor suggested to see a pain management doctor or neurologist it could be a nerve problem

    • debra77863
      debra77863 joe1951

      Posted

      Thank you!   I will consult with both types of physicians. 
  • carolyn97213
    carolyn97213 Soxy

    Posted

    This is almost identical as to what I am going through only I had a loud pop and terrible pain and could not use my leg. If I wasn’t in the kitchen by the table  I would of fallen. Well of course we ran to ER thinking I had dislocated my new hip joint which X-rays and CT Scan showed everything ok there. Turns out I m pretty sure I pulled a hamstring. 😥 I did not need this setback. I also had been released from PT and doing great now I can’t move without a walker. 

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