Has anyone had sharp thigh pain after hip replacement

Posted by Cjropes @Cjropes, Dec 30, 2015

Has anyone had sharp thigh pain after hip replacement

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@linnie1948

5 months post op and I still have thigh pain off and on. Still able to use treadmill doing 15 minutes at a time no more than 2 mph. I take acetaminophen and use a salonpas lidocaine large patch when it is particularly troublesome. Most days I can get away with just the acetaminophen. I am 75 years old.

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Yes
Give it time but keep exercising
Vitamin D

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@linnie1948

I had my last visit to the surgeon in mid May. He said that full recovery would take 18-24 months and that I was doing better than expected. I am walking almost completely normally now and I can manage the type of pain I am experiencing in my thigh. If it takes nearly two years for everything to settle down then I will just wait to see what happens. I have a follow-up a year from now and if it still bothers me I will most certainly bring it up. Thanks for the info.

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GOOD, I am glad the doctor is pleased with your progress. Yes it was about 2 years after surgery that my friend could not get rid of that hip pain so that was when they found the impingement from the new hip mechanism rubbing against the tendon or ligament in the area of the pain. I sure hope this is not the case for you and that your recovery is smooth. My brother Mike just had hip replacement and a week after he was playing pool and taking orders for new home repair jobs, which is his retirement hobby. I worry that he is overdoing it but I guess his only symptom is getting tired more easily. I hope your recovery is as fast at Mike's.

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Well, the x-rays taken in mid March and mid May looked very good to my surgeon who told me I had done better than expected. I had soft bones and therefore he said my surgery was a bit more complicated. I have a cable and a screw showing up on my x-rays which was a surprise to me. At the moment my thigh is hurting. Hopefully that will go away in time. The funny thing is that my thigh does not bother me when I am on the treadmill. Go figure.

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Yes, I have. Had total hip replacement in left hip in March 2023. I still have a lot of pain. The sharp pain is like being zapped with a taser. I have a lot of leg pain in both legs. Surgeon says nothing is wrong with them. The pain wakes me up at night. My surgeon wants me to see a back surgeon in his office. My back does not bother me at all. My hip and thigh hurt bad. I am thinking of seeing a different ortho dr. for a second opinion. But is this normal to still be in unbearable pain after 5 months? I went to pt for 13 sessions. I felt a lot of pain doing pt. I'm just getting frustrated. I live alone, have pets and a lot to take care of. I want my life and energy back. Maybe being 68 has something to do with healing. Thanks to anyone who is listening.

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@faykatsfour

Yes, I have. Had total hip replacement in left hip in March 2023. I still have a lot of pain. The sharp pain is like being zapped with a taser. I have a lot of leg pain in both legs. Surgeon says nothing is wrong with them. The pain wakes me up at night. My surgeon wants me to see a back surgeon in his office. My back does not bother me at all. My hip and thigh hurt bad. I am thinking of seeing a different ortho dr. for a second opinion. But is this normal to still be in unbearable pain after 5 months? I went to pt for 13 sessions. I felt a lot of pain doing pt. I'm just getting frustrated. I live alone, have pets and a lot to take care of. I want my life and energy back. Maybe being 68 has something to do with healing. Thanks to anyone who is listening.

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I had both hips replaced, one on December 2nd 2020 and the other December 28th, 2020. I had those sharp pains and thigh pain until about 18 months post op. My doctor put me gabapentin and it helped me a lot. It's all your nerves that are still healing. By 18 to 24 months you shouldn't feel any thigh pain..
I hope this helps.

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@faykatsfour

Yes, I have. Had total hip replacement in left hip in March 2023. I still have a lot of pain. The sharp pain is like being zapped with a taser. I have a lot of leg pain in both legs. Surgeon says nothing is wrong with them. The pain wakes me up at night. My surgeon wants me to see a back surgeon in his office. My back does not bother me at all. My hip and thigh hurt bad. I am thinking of seeing a different ortho dr. for a second opinion. But is this normal to still be in unbearable pain after 5 months? I went to pt for 13 sessions. I felt a lot of pain doing pt. I'm just getting frustrated. I live alone, have pets and a lot to take care of. I want my life and energy back. Maybe being 68 has something to do with healing. Thanks to anyone who is listening.

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As a fellow petn owner, I sympathize greatly. I also have not gained all the use of the side that was opperated on Aug '22. (I'm 76 if you are wondering.) The sharp pain you are experiencing is likely nerves that have been cut or disturbed in some way. I got a group in the same area and they started acting up at least 6 months after the operation. It comes and goes unrelated to what I am doing. And the area is sensitive to the touch. But I don't think the surgeon did anything "wrong". But getting a 2nd opinion is always a good idea. But if they start talking about another operation to "correct" the first one, it might be time for a third.

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@faykatsfour

Yes, I have. Had total hip replacement in left hip in March 2023. I still have a lot of pain. The sharp pain is like being zapped with a taser. I have a lot of leg pain in both legs. Surgeon says nothing is wrong with them. The pain wakes me up at night. My surgeon wants me to see a back surgeon in his office. My back does not bother me at all. My hip and thigh hurt bad. I am thinking of seeing a different ortho dr. for a second opinion. But is this normal to still be in unbearable pain after 5 months? I went to pt for 13 sessions. I felt a lot of pain doing pt. I'm just getting frustrated. I live alone, have pets and a lot to take care of. I want my life and energy back. Maybe being 68 has something to do with healing. Thanks to anyone who is listening.

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I have had both my hips replaced in 2015. I remember that pain distinctively. I am also a therapist and was the first same day surgery for a total hip replacement my surgeon did. Anyway, nerves take a long time to heal. From the point of disturbance all the way past your hip the rate of regeneration could be as little or smaller than an eighth of an inch a month. Be patient. I thought that pain would never leave but it did.

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@linnie1948

Well, the x-rays taken in mid March and mid May looked very good to my surgeon who told me I had done better than expected. I had soft bones and therefore he said my surgery was a bit more complicated. I have a cable and a screw showing up on my x-rays which was a surprise to me. At the moment my thigh is hurting. Hopefully that will go away in time. The funny thing is that my thigh does not bother me when I am on the treadmill. Go figure.

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Like any part of us, nerves need a good blood supply to work normally. When you are on a treadmill you are increasing the blood flow to the painful area and hence get pain relief. I am a therapist and when we give patients a home program or tell an arthritic in pain to start moving, we not only mean it (we do know it hurts at first but that hurt will stop), but we know it will help. Keep using the treadmill. You are helping your body in more ways than one. Bravo!

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@ninajp

I have had both my hips replaced in 2015. I remember that pain distinctively. I am also a therapist and was the first same day surgery for a total hip replacement my surgeon did. Anyway, nerves take a long time to heal. From the point of disturbance all the way past your hip the rate of regeneration could be as little or smaller than an eighth of an inch a month. Be patient. I thought that pain would never leave but it did.

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Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate it. Some days I can hardly get out of bed. It just hurts so bad. It doesn't make sense to me, though, that during the first month after surgery I felt better than I do now. It just seems to be getting worse. My hip surgeon wants me to see a back surgeon, but honestly my back feels fine and I want it to stay that way.

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@roxxxy2626

Hello,
Your surgeon is right on the mark with that timeline. I was in full recovery from a double hip replacement at about 18 months. I was starting to feel great and then the knees went bad and now I'm recovering from having 2 tkr in 10 weeks. I told my surgeon this better be it for awhile. Lol .. 4 joint replacements in 2 1/2 years is enough for me. I'm 54 years old and I have been dealing with OA for 7 years now. Hopefully after the knees heal I will have my life back.

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Bless your heart! You have really been through it. My prayers go out to you. I'm recooping from total left hip replacement which I had in March 2023. I'm in a lot of pain and think this will never end. My situation is small compared to what you have been through. You give me hope. Thanks for sharing.

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