very depressed

Posted , 14 users are following.

hi-i had my rthr at the end of january,up till 3 or 4 weeks ago i thought i was coming on fairly well,starting to walk outside without crutches,feeling positive after a "one step forwards,two back two back"recovery.admittedly im just back from a weeks holiday,where i did a fair amount of walking,not wanting to spoil it for my friend,was in a lot of pain while there,now home,im just back from an hours walk with my dogs where every step hurt,and tired me so much i fell asleep!(when i got back!)

i get a dull hip pain when ive walked a long way-i expect that-but not the pain in the right side of my backside-which also hurts when im sitting on anything hard,and im wondering if this could be a tear in the glute,anyone had one of these?what happens,time to heal or another op?

also my right knee is agony,i cant get comfy at night,theres pains shooting up and down from the knee,and its quite sharp when i walk,too-i have arthritis in my knees but its never been this bad.

i hardly dare mention my back,now!but thats painful,lower back,right side,in a nasty little knot of pain after ive been walking a while,so you can see why im depressed,ive had pain for so long now,i cant see it ever going,giving up isnt an option,not when ive 3 collies wanting regular walks(im not complaining,my dogs are a reason to get up in the morning,i love them).but till this last year ive always been very fit,and im not coping at all well.do i just shoulder on or ask for help? thanks x

1 like, 26 replies

26 Replies

Next
  • Posted

    Hi Pam,

    It really sounds like you have over done the walking, as you were in pain I am surprised you continued to walk, normally pain says stop. I have a dog but I will not risk taking her out until I know I can walk her safely.

    I was walking and progressing great until last week (week 8) when complications set in unfortunately, my dog will have to wait a few more days before it is walked again. Take it easy, rest the hip.

    • Posted

      yes i suppose pain would say stop,usually!i soldiered on in the months before my op-only determination made me keep going-the knee pain-its bad but im sure other people push on,i think im that used to something hurting i just keep going-im never really painfree,i have to keep going.ive been walking the dogs since about week 6,i felt safe enough,had my daughter with me till i got my confidence.i just felt i had no choice-and i was told to walk-so i did!its just all got me down a bit,lately.i hope you feel better soon,you sound a bit like me,one step forward ,two back.id been silly enough to believe id be back to normal at 12 weeks like i was told-you live and learn!xx
  • Posted

    It takes a long time to recover from hip surgery. Almost 2 years. Don't rush it.

    Maybe slow and give time to heal.

    This may be frustrating, but the body will do what the body will do.

    • Posted

      Dear Pat

      I have to disagree with you. Everyone is different and so outcomes are very different.

      With my original hip replacement in 1997 I made a very fast recovery at 55 yrs old and had forgotten I had had it within a couple of months and the revision of it last year was rapid as well at 76 yrs old.

      Cheers Richard

    • Posted

      I can honestly say that it took me almost 3 years before I could say I don't even know I have a hip replacement.

      I still have to walk up and down one step at a time.

      And I still can't sit down, put my right ankle on my left knee to put socks on or to clip my toenails.

      My knee OA HAS gotten worse since the THR as well as my lower back pain.

      Other than that, I'm still happy I had it done and am planning on having the left one done next year!

      Yes, everybody is different.

      My cousin just had her RTHR and is on week 3 and she feels spectacular!

      Never had a walker, cane or PT either!

       

  • Posted

    Pam,

    So sorry you’re experiencing this. I understand how you’re feeling! My lthr was end of February, and I usually use trekking poles when I go for a long walk. I still feel much better with that bit of support. That being said, it sounds as if you may have some sort of issue with one or more of your tendons- perhaps an inflammation. If you can get to a physical therapist, he/she might be able to advise and give you helpful stretches or exercises. I’m not a medical professional, but I hear a lot about iliopsoas problems that travel from the back, butt and down the leg. If I were in your situation, I’d definitely seek a consult. Good luck!

    • Posted

      i saw a physio before my op was scheduled-im sure he said i could ring if id any problems-worth a try,anyway!thanks x

       

  • Posted

    Pam

    I had THR Oct 30, 2017 and now, I'm practically pain free.  During the first 6 weeks following my hip replacement, I had lumbar pain, groin pain, limping (especially after sitting ).  Now, I'm fine

    My rehab consisted of :

    1) Walking about 1 mile morning and evening

    2) working on my hip flexor muscles a lot

    3) climbing one flight of stairs at least 5x per day

    4) stretching exercises for my lumbar (I talked to a physical therapist but found the exercises on you tube)

    After a month on this regime, I noticed progress

    good luck

     

    • Posted

      thanks for that!im ok as to walking but still find i cant do stairs equally firmly with both legs-i kind of wobble on the operated side-i think i also need more exercises to strengthen the muscles.its no good me keep whinging about them being boring.thankyou-i will also look for lumbar stretches to do-wish me luck!x
  • Posted

    it is possible that you did too much and didn't get the rest you needed in between. It can take time for the entire healing process including the muscles that we use when walking. I had my surgery at the beginning of January and have some issues if I overdo it. When that happens, I elevate/ice or heat to make it feel better.

    With your concerns, you could contact your doctor and have it checked out. Hopefully it's nothing serious.

    I understand the dog walking situation. They need the walk, but you need to take it easy. Ask someone to take them for the long walks for awhile and let your body readjust. Spend time with them without stressing out your body for now. When I had surgery and couldn't walk my dogs, my husband was on Full time Dog Walk Duty. I missed not doing that, but spent time with them with lots of cuddles, throwing toys, etc.

    Even with a successful hip surgery (great x-rays, all in place, etc), the body still needs to have time to heal. It can take many more months for some people.

    • Posted

      thankyou diannesk,a very thoughtful,helpful reply-i suppose im expecting people to tell me i ll be fine so i dont have to go to the doc,I do so hate going,but i also dont like pain much so i think i will have to pay him a visit!unfortunately i live alone,so dog walking duties are us!i suppose i could shorten the walks for a while-i was so determined to get back to normal asap-im still disgusted how long its taking!never had a lot of patience,to my shame .thanks again x
  • Posted

    I had THR 2 year's ago and still experience pain after lots of different physio/ injections. I find ice helps it

    • Posted

      hi nick-ive never tried ice tho i know a lot swear by it-im a bit of a wuss-nasty cold stuff!maybe i will give it a go-thanks x
  • Posted

    Hi.  I have OA in my right hip at the moment and I suffer the same back pain and buttock pain.  My lumbar pain is on the left side and physio have told me its because I walk lopsided due to right hip having restricted movement... like I over-compensate by swinging my left leg in a bigger stride.  I wonder if that's worth you considering?

    The buttock pain... mine turned out to be something called high hamstring tendinopathy.  It was caused by an old running injury which had caused the very top of my hamstring to have so much scar tissue it was rubbing and causing a bursitis.  I bought a cushion with two holes (one for each bum cheek boney bit to sit in).  This has helped a lot.

    • Posted

      very interesting!i do still limp,in the house,where i dont use my crutch,when i get tired,and the back pain is always after or at the end of ,a walk.,i will have to keep an eye on my stride length-thankyou-it could well be that-love the cushion idea!x
    • Posted

      Dear Pam

      Have you considered the possibility that the alignment of you back may need attention? Walking in an unbalanced way is very often a bye product of a bad hip and recovery process. An unbalanced back is very likely to cause pain or discomfort in various areas of the body and is something that can be sorted out by a good chiropractor. I have experience of this BTW!

      Cheers Richard

    • Posted

      Pam,

      I limp when walking without support in the house, I have to make a conscious effort to walk heel toe and that stops the limping. I really do have to think about it though.

    • Posted

      Same with me about sometimes limping or shuffling instead of walking as I should. I also do my best to focus on the heel to toe and it does make a difference.
    • Posted

      yes,i have thought that-given how much my back clicks and hurts.iwill have to visit someone!thanks richard xx

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.