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Cannot lift my leg after hip replacement
I had a hip replacement in September and I still cannot lift my leg if I try it’s painful. I can go upstairs but when seated or lying down I cannot lift it. It’s so heavy, like there is no muscle. And it causes bad pain if I try to raise it. Next month will be a year.
Has anyone else had this problem?
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I have a friend who ended up with an amputation after a second failed knee replacement with infection. They don't even tell us that could happen.
My R hip was 8/1/23. For about the first 7 weeks it seemed wonderful, minimal pain and then just gradually got worse. PT did deep tissue massage and trigger point to, I think it was ileopsoas muscle and worked on the pirifirmis with different stretches. That allowed me to be able to do some high knee type marches but my R leg would come in and PT worked with me to do the high knee lift and keeping the femur perpendicular to hip and eventually, I could stop it from rotating. Now, i can walk better but if I want to try and ride a bike, i have to practically lay bike down to get leg over…which is how it was prior to having hip replaced. I know for me it was almost 2 yrs exactly for pain to be gone on my L hip which was replaced 8/7/21, and I can still do some things that make it hurt….like gardening and digging a hole with a shovel, pushing/pulling an object. Guess, the expectation for the pain to be gone is a poor expectation?? Or maybe being a farm lady is too much to continue after a hip, but keeping my mobility is why I wanted a hip—never an easy decision and never a guarantee. Hope you can regain/improve your mobility maybe with PT.
Best of luck to you-keep us posted
Oh my, this is exactly a description of my experience - after my second round of hip replacements 12 years ago " I know for me it was almost 2 yrs exactly for pain to be gone on my L hip which was replaced 8/7/21, and I can still do some things that make it hurt….like gardening and digging a hole with a shovel, pushing/pulling an object."
All of a sudden, one day almost 4 years later, it occurred to me that I was able to dig - maybe not post holes, but definitely removing large plants and even some shrubs, without thinking about it. And I could pull the big hauling wagon across uneven surfaces...
Now I am a decade older, my arthritis is worse almost everywhere, I can't lift hay bales or 50 pound sacks of salt anymore, but my hips are good as new - some days the only body parts that don't hurt.
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5 ReactionsOh gosh, thank you! This gives me hope. You’ve had both hips replaced? Next month will be a year and I’ll need to do my left hip soon. I’m hoping to go to NY for my 65th in November and the do my left hip maybe in February. I want my right one to be as strong as possible first though. I’m so happy to hear you’re doing so good now.
Oh, thank you for sharing!! That gives me hope! I will try to be patient with myself
Hi @kdbee, I am only just seeing your post. I am over 2 years post op anterior approach and I have the same issues as you. I have to lift my left to get in the car or out of bed. I had it done when I was 59 and expected so much more. I’m fit used to play golf, yoga, snow and water ski and now not doing any of this. I would be really interested in what are are doing about yours. I am getting a second opinion because my surgeon has sort of brushed his hands of it, keeps telling me to get cortisone injections.
If you have any updates I would love to know about them.
Physical therapy can work with you to rebuild your strength. It’s hard work but it pays off. Find a GOOD physical therapist!
You were very smart to give your hip replacement time to heal. Even after the incision has all but disappeared, there is a lot going on underneath. Even a relatively "easy" joint replacement like hips still require time, 6 months to a year, to heal properly.
I am now approaching 4 yrs on L and 2 yrs on the R. I thought I was being smart digging a small hole for a small tree and using L leg to push shovel in the ground. It was fine the day of digging but now 2 days later and its difficult to walk with most of the pain where prosthesis would go into femur. Here’s to hoping 4 yrs is the magical time of no more hip pain with my normal farm activities! I can now cross my ankles which happened after 2 yrs. Still limited abduction getting on/off bike and groin hurts the next few days. If I ever am in the position where I have a recommendation for redo hips, my question will be, “Will I live long enough to get to the healed/no pain stage?”
I had R hip replacement seven years ago and while the pain is gone and easy recovery I still can't lift my leg as high as my left one. It doesn't hurt but it feels so heavy like there is a weight on it.