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Has anyone had sharp thigh pain after hip replacement
Joint Replacements | Last Active: Jul 11 4:26pm | Replies (547)Comment receiving replies
I am so glad I found this discussion. I am 9 months post op and I still have horrible pain in my thigh. It is very random. Sometimes it will hurt for a week to 10 days and sometimes it will act up for a few days. It isn't every step I take it isn't necessarily when I move my leg a certain way or anything it just does it randomly and it is SHARP and hard. If I don't happen to have my cane when it does it I almost fall down. I finally got in to the ortho when it was actually doing it and making me limp hard and he still has no idea. He's going to do blood work and talked about a bone scan after i reach my year mark because apparently until then it can still show up positive for certain things that may not be there at a year. I am so frustrated! I can also swear it feels a little swollen or like there's a small (like 2 or 3" across but raised maybe a half an inch or so" inside there. My husband says "yeah it feels a little swollen". I never did mention that to the doc. The x rays look good they say. Mri wont really tell me much. What would I be looking for? Too early to do a bone scan. So I'm like well great, 60 bucks to come in here and you tell me nothing. Thanks doc. "I'm sorry", he says. We will watch it. I will talk to a colleague of mine and see if he can think of anything I'm not thinking of. So here I am... trying to get on disability for this and neuropathy and fibro mialgia how ever u spell it... Been denied once, now under reconsideration. Can't freaking get around! Not even getting my chores done around the house. Getting a job and keeping it is pretty much out of the question considering I never know what is going to hurt when I wake up...anyway...getting off topic. Yes I do have horrible thigh pain. I'm glad the AVN is gone and that pain isn't there but the thigh thing is really wearing me out! Sometimes it goes to my knee. Once in a while it even goes half way down my calf.
Replies to "I am so glad I found this discussion. I am 9 months post op and I..."
I know how you must feel tross68 ! My thigh pain goes down to the knee too. This is my second post about this horrible thigh pain. To recap, I will be 2 years post surgery this coming August 2019 and have not had one single day without thigh pain, or one day without some hip pain and stiffness . I have walked most days or at the very least every other day since my surgery, because it's worse when I don't walk. I consulted both my original surgeon and a second orthopedic doctor 1 year post-op since I still had pain and disability. It's so hard to describe to people who've never had anything like it and both surgeons suggested a bursitis injection, but this was no bursitis pain and the injection did not help at all, not surprising to me. This is what's known as END-OF-STEM pain and it's torture when it's bad. Why isn't more known about this, after all, hip replacements are not exactly new. Now my original surgeon wants further tests for infection, but given that I have no sign of any infection in my blood work, and given a second doctor has said it is therefore unlikely to be infection, I can't imagine that a fancy "triple phase bone scan" test would be positive for infection. The second doctor said I wouldn't just have the pain on weight bearing if it were infected. Both said that on the x-rays and MRI, there is no sign of loosening, which can cause pain. So that's at least one good thing. The implant seems to be well placed. It's been a nightmare this past year and a half, I've been at my wits' end. The first year, the pain was SO sharp, like a dagger, I could barely walk for 15 minutes without feeling so bad. Sometimes, it would ease up slightly after the first 10 minutes, and I'd get in another 10 minutes without the sharp pain. I would be gritting my teeth the whole time, but I was determined to press on. Summer of 2018, I determinedly went on my annual month long trip to Europe and it was difficult to get around, although I did my best to do limited walking. I needed hydrocodone, the lowest dose is all the doctor gave me, to get some rest and relief at night and on the plane. I can no longer lie on the operated side as it's too painful. I can't do my housework on my own anymore and I could do it all even before my surgery !! I'm due to see the second surgeon mid March, and the original surgeon at some point later. I am in no mood for a revision surgery at this point. Nothing helps except walking, and then, only as tolerated ! When I walk uphill, the thigh pain is so much worse. I took another overseas trip this past November, hoping for the best. When I returned, I had so much to do for Thanksgiving and I overdid everything the day I returned. I didn't rest after the long journey, big mistake. For about 5 days, I could barely walk or put weight on my operated leg. I hobbled about with a cane and lay on my couch for days, and this was more than one year after surgery ! I was sure I had done something terrible to myself but after 5 days, I was back to my "normal". I have felt pretty despondent and have felt like this has ruined my life rather than helped it. It's always sore to some extent, I try to ignore it but I'm always aware that things are not normal . Walking never really feels normal or comfortable. I keep on walking daily, my maximum tolerated is only about 30 minutes, and I just hope one day to feel even halfway normal. I'm sorry to go on so much, but if it helps anyone to know they are not alone in this, it will have been worth it.
Hi @tross68 and @lindyloo8 - Just wanted to welcome you both to Connect! As you can already see its a great bunch of people with lots of good information and experience.
@lindyloo8 - please keep us posted after your appointment Moday.
@tross68 I can definitely hear your frustration with having that kind of pain 9 months out of surgery. Did you do PT - or are you still doing it? I recall someone recommending water therapy and myofascial release. Don't know if you've ever tried either but here are a couple of links that might help:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/scar-tissue-after-knee-replacement/?pg=33#comment-261881
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/after-knee-replacement-surgery/?pg=18#comment-121443
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you are exactly describing the pain i'm experiencing as well. I got a 3rd xray and will see the doc on Monday. try arnica, or dmso or valeran for the pain. they help for a short period of time.