swollen feet/toe post hip replacement

@lotsofpain I am sorry to hear of your swollen feet post-surgery. You will notice I did edit the title of your post and moved it into the Joint Replacement Group so that others with hip replacement experience can join the conversation.

I did notice you were also able to connect with @contentandwell and @peggyp in the Hip Replacement discussion where they shared some helpful information on taping and compression stockings. Have you tried either of those suggestions?

@lotsofpain, I think it's normal to have swelling in the legs and feet for at least 4 to 6 weeks after a hip or knee replacement. I had a knee replacement in 2019 and was not icing and elevating my leg enough when I was at home recovering. @sueinmn may also be able to share some suggestions along with her experience. Here are some questions and answers on hip and knee replacements you might find helpful.

Hip Replacement Recovery: Q&A with a Hip and Knee Specialist: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/hip-replacement-recovery-qa

Are you doing any icing and elevating of the legs during the day?

cant seem to find those now please advise but its both feet so may be unrelated to hip replacement

Sorry to hear you are having these issues. I looked at some earlier posts and it seems to have been going on for some time. Bilateral swelling to the point where skin is shiny indicates that it is probably not the hip surgery causing your issues - now it is time to see your primary physician.

I understand how pain keeps us immobile, but frequent exercise for the sake of healing, and for moving fluid it is important. Can you get up and walk a few minutes at least every hour? Even at a slow pace it will help. Also, if you do not move that new hip, it will never get good mobility.

Two more things that can help when seated are elevating legs above the heart and doing "ankle pumps" almost continuously (in addition to walking.)

Are you monitoring your blood pressure? I am concerned about the amount of fluid you seem to retaining having a negative effect.

Let us know what you learn when you see the doc.
Sue

@lotsofpain I agree with @sueinmn it is probably not the surgery, but it could be the lack of mobility. I know it's tough, but you do need to try to get up and move around every hour for at least 5 minutes. Sue's other suggestions are good too I think. Plus, use some compression stockings, even mild compression can help.

The only time I had so much swelling in my feet and ankles it was from an entirely different cause so you do need to try to distinguish what it's from. Hopefully your PCP can help with that. I had this last year and mine sent me for a couple of ultrasounds which ended up not showing anything so it was thought I had Chronic Venous insufficiency but I'm not sure that was accurate either because they seem to be fine now.
JK

Medication = diuretics not doing a lot to reduce swelling nor is exercise I am wondering about kinesio taping is there any evodemce it could help

Have you talked to your docs about the swelling? If it is persisting, I would be concerned by fluid load on heart and circulatory system. Do compression stockings help? Have you tried elevation above heart level and ankle/foot pumps?
Yes, Kinesio taping can help lymphedema, but precise placement and tension need to be figured out by a trained therapist based on your specific situation. It is usually an adjunct treatment, used with other PT, exercise, massage, and possibly meds to moblize the fluid.
Let us know how you progress.
Sue

I am taking diuretics but had to reduce them as they appeared to be lovering my blood pressure too much and i was dizzy though i am on antibiotics for a sinus / gum infection so thar won't have helped and when I complete the course we make this the water tablets again but not seem to be having any effect on the swelling. It's hard to get to see a GP in person at the moment due to covid-19 that I am seeing an osteopath next week about my bent over posture and my feet so I will discuss stockings and taping with her but yes i am elevating my feet

Thanks

After my hip replacement my foot swelled up but that went with some diuretics now it is a bit more swollen and the top of foot is achey. In the picture you can see the joint where big toe meets foot is a bit dicoloured bruised ev en but i do not recall injuring it.my gp says its nothing to worry about. any ideas or what it might be and relievin pain

@lotsofpain Congratulations on your new hip! I hope it was successful and brought you new freedom with mobility! I have 3 friends who all had hip surgeries in the past year and wow, it has changed their lives! Like kids again…ok, like Old kids… but it gave them a new lease on life. Are you able to get around easier now with walking?

How long ago was your surgery? Are you keeping the foot/leg elevated several times a day? That goes a long way in reducing the continued swelling in the feet and toes. When there is accumulated fluid (edema) the swelling can cause irritation to underlying blood vessels causing tiny amounts of blood to leak in the tissue. Same way a bruise is created. The bending of your toe, if there’s swelling around it, might be enough to cause those little capillaries to leak, causing the bruising.

If your doctor isn’t concerned and you’re managing the swelling then it is fine to just keep an eye on it. Edema can also cause the area to ache from the tissues being stretched. Have you tried icing the area? Can you take over the counter pain relief such as Tylenol? Ask your doctor if it’s ok to do so, That might be enough to take away the aches.

Are you able to get in several sessions of walking daily? It’s good to try and walk around 250 steps per hour to keep good circulation in your extremities and to keep the muscles and tendons around that new hip moving freely!