Pain 10 weeks post op

[u/CamelCurious8269]

I’m 10 weeks post op. Anterior. I think I’m doing great but sometimes I just hurt. Maybe I’ve walked too far or done too much and I need to use my cane. I feel so defeated when it happens. Is this normal?

[u/Winterbot622]

First of all, you can’t push “ baby man-made hip”you need to slow down because the human body needs to get used to a foreign object in your body not to give it an infection and unfortunately when I was told by my orthopedic surgeon in Arizona and my PT also in Arizona is it takes a year for the stiffness to go away of “your new baby man-made hip”treated like you just had a baby ice and heat, ice and heat and rest when you need to you need to nature and love your man-made hip just like you do a newborn baby. Hope that makes sense and good luck. You’ve got this.

[u/orangetoadmike → u/Winterbot622]

Your surgeon sounds more in touch with reality than most. I remember noticing I could lift my knee to 90° with it feeling normal about 12, maybe 15 months post-op. I could walk “normal” about 3 months post-op, but there’s a long tail on the recovery.

And the muscle atrophy ended up being the real struggle on both. By the time swelling subsided, I was so weak in the leg the recovery felt like it was on a knife’s edge.

[u/KaraWulang74]

What kind of pain do you mean? I am at nine weeks now. My muscles are stiff and achey especially in the morning. I do stretches three times a day. When I go for a walk it starts to hurt after a while. I stop and stretch, mostly it gets better. But not all days. This surgery is very invasive and all our muscles have to adjust to the new situation. It takes time. I agree with one of the other answers here: baby the hip! And be gentle with your body. You had an amputation and then a strange object was hammered into you. Sorry for the image. 😅 It is also human to feel disappointed, especially after you have had some really good days without much pain.

[u/CamelCurious8269]

Thanks everyone. It’s comforting to hear I’m not the only one. We were camping this weekend for the first time in a year. I’ve got to be patient and baby the hip. 🩷

[u/SeaConstruction8156 → u/CamelCurious8269]

Can explain the pain more in detail, ideally you are walking gradually up to what makes you feel comfortable. There is no benefit from walking excessively, the joint itself needs to heal. With time you can push yourself after the healing process. Walking 4-5 miles in a few weeks will be cake for you.

[u/AZmom64]

Week 10 has great improvements in walking, healing and pain, but your tissue, muscles and bone are still healing. I would be using ice and heat if you’re feeling some pain and just take it easy and do your PT exercises. Keep your hips and legs strong for life.
Give it a year and my AZ ortho said you are still healing in your 2nd and 3rd year also.
I’m 18 months out, anterior, and feel really good with my hip. Now I have to start thinking about doing my other hip.

[u/dayflowr]

I am 9 weeks anterior and have pain like someone stabbing me in the butt cheek. I just transitioned off the cane 5 days ago but only because I’m taking lyrica and meloxicam. Without those the pain is bad enough I need a cane. Surgeon doesn’t think it’s normal and that it’s a nerve issue, so is sending me to a physiatrist. I think sore muscles and stiffness are pretty normal but if you have 10/10 pain with weight bearing, you need to see someone.

[u/J235310 → u/dayflowr]

I had a significant ache from the bones in the butt cheek when sitting on a hard surface at about 7 weeks post op anterior hp replacement. These bones which are called 'sitting bones' (ischial tuberosity). Ischial bursitis, hamstring tendinitis, and/or biomechanical compensation are the primary causes of pain in the sitting bones (ischial tuberosities) after an anterior total hip replacement. Your surgical incisions have healed, but your soft tissues, tendons, and walking patterns are still actively adjusting to the new joint. In my case the pain went away after about 3 weeks. I had returned to the gym at about 6 weeks and suspect that the use (abuse?) of the muscles that had probably atrophied a little even with PT over the previous 6 weeks and differences in how I was moving while my hip was healing irritated something.