Hip replacement

@summergirl8 Congratulations on your new hip. Here is the good news - nerve pain is totally normally after invasive surgery. Nerves eventually repair themselves.

The bad news is that this is a very slow process - a few millimeters per day - so it seems to go on and on. And the other bad news is that painkillers don't really help much.

Those that are just slightly disturbed by the shifting during surgery usually heal over 3-6 months. Those that are actually cut or damaged can regenerate themselves, but may take longer. I had one traumatic leg injury where it took 2 years for the nerve to heal completely from knee to ankle. My hips (I had 5 surgeries) were usually completely healed within a year.

The sensations of nerve pain can vary from numbness to tingling to sharp pains - all depending on the stage of healing and how you stress them. Sometimes topical pain relievers, particularly those containing capsaicin or menthol, can interrupt the signals temporarily to help you feel better. I used to find that massaging with ice in a rough washcloth also helped at times - the rough cloth stimulated the nerves and the ice cool the inflammation.

What have you tried to relieve the pain?

I’m 4 months post op for anterior hip replacement. I am still experiencing nerve pain and numbness on the side of my thigh. I am taking gabapentin and hoping that by 12-18 months my nerves will reconnect. I would not be able to tolerate the sharp hot fuse like pain without the gabapentin. I massage the area and use ice and heat for stimulation.

For me it is! 3 years now and no doctor will address the issue or how to fix it. Mayo does have a web site (I don't have that site but did read it) to get an injection right away of cortisone and that seems to help the nerve pain. Good luck.

Thank you for your feedback. I have not taken anything for the pain, I'm massaging the area everyday. I'm so disappointed that this process was never explained to me prior to treatment! I was looking forward to taking walks in the park again. I still can't walk without my walker!

Thank you for your advice, I'm so disturbed my doctor has not attempted anything for this issue.

There is not a lot your orthopedist can do for nerve pain - but has he done a post-op x-ray yet to determine that the hip is properly in place and healing? If not, it is typically scheduled anywhere from 2-6 weeks post-op depending on their protocol.
If everything looks good, you could ask for a prescription for gabapentin, which is sometimes used for nerve pain. My ortho tries to avoid this because there can be unwanted side effects.

Hello, yes the x-rays have been completed and everything looks good. I have been on gabapentin, and it makes me depressed.

Does it hurt to just touch your skin? I'm trying the massaging technic and it's very painful to touch.