Pain in thigh 5 months after THR

Posted by linnie1948 @linnie1948, Jun 4, 2023

Hello everyone,
I have been experiencing pain in my thigh for the past three days. I had a complex THR at the end of January. I thought by now the thigh pain would be long gone. Does the pain come and go for awhile. It has been raining here for several days now and I was wondering if that was a factor as in the past I have had pain when it rained. Can arthritis still be present in the thigh after a THR? Was also wondering if I should cut back on walking on the treadmill although I am not going very fast or for long periods of time.

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My pain episodes are less 10 months out from surgery but still occur. I have some PT exercises that are specific to the pain. They help. For me it's been a slow process of recovery taking much longer than expected but things are improving. Sometimes I need to rest and exercise less than I want.
I hope you are able to find some helpful answers and ease.

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@loll

My pain episodes are less 10 months out from surgery but still occur. I have some PT exercises that are specific to the pain. They help. For me it's been a slow process of recovery taking much longer than expected but things are improving. Sometimes I need to rest and exercise less than I want.
I hope you are able to find some helpful answers and ease.

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Thank you! I have read that for some people the pain never really goes away altogether. I consider my surgery to be a success because I can manage the pain whereas before surgery I was obsessed with pain.

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I am almost 5 months THR and I still get bouts of pain in my thigh. I have PT exercises that I do. I find it seems to flare when I walk 4 miles 3 days in a row. The pain is manageable, but it is disappointing to me since before surgery the surgeon’s assistant told me I should be “back to normal” in 6 weeks. My surgeon told me at my last visit that the numbness and pain in the thigh can last a year. I was somewhat back to normal at 3 months when my insurance limit on PT was met. My movement was back to normal, but my strength is not. It is much better than before surgery so that is progress. Good luck .

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@walk4life

I am almost 5 months THR and I still get bouts of pain in my thigh. I have PT exercises that I do. I find it seems to flare when I walk 4 miles 3 days in a row. The pain is manageable, but it is disappointing to me since before surgery the surgeon’s assistant told me I should be “back to normal” in 6 weeks. My surgeon told me at my last visit that the numbness and pain in the thigh can last a year. I was somewhat back to normal at 3 months when my insurance limit on PT was met. My movement was back to normal, but my strength is not. It is much better than before surgery so that is progress. Good luck .

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I expect that back to normal might be different for each person. My back to normal would be if I could walk without the constant fear of falling over and breaking a bone. I’ve broken my wrist in 4 places and did a number on my humerus a few years ago. My doctor asked me if I was aware that I was shorter on the left side of my body. I told him that my pants were visibly shorter on one leg but thought it had to do with possible long term swelling from the blood clots. Wow. That answered the question of being out of balance for many years. I actually do feel more balanced now which is a big plus but I might never get over the fear of falling.

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Your comments reassure me. I, too, have thigh pain in the repaired hip, a year after surgery. I suspect it is muscular. My foot also swells from time to time. I had pulmonary emboli and am on anti-coagulants now for the rest of my life. Its a journey, right folks!

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I had a TKR 5 years ago and I complained of my thigh hurting. I kept telling the surgeon but he ignored it because as long as the original pain in my groin was gone he was satisfied. Then two years ago changed doctors and I found out I have bursitis in the hip that was replaced. Evidently it happens to about 30% of people that have THR.

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@gussie

I had a TKR 5 years ago and I complained of my thigh hurting. I kept telling the surgeon but he ignored it because as long as the original pain in my groin was gone he was satisfied. Then two years ago changed doctors and I found out I have bursitis in the hip that was replaced. Evidently it happens to about 30% of people that have THR.

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That makes sense. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis when I was about 50. That was 24 years ago. I took Bisphosphonates off and on for years but I didn’t like the negative things that I was reading about the side effects. Brittle bones? Why would I take a drug to strengthen my bones if a side effect was brittle bones. Anyway most likely I have arthritis in a few places now. I saw my after surgery x-rays and was shocked to see a screw and a cable in my hip replacement thingy.

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I was also diagnosed with osteoporosis in my early fifties. I am 81 now. I used to walk at least 2 miles a day and more on the weekend. Now I have trouble getting out of a chair. Although I can still walk a mile once I get going. Both my daughters in their fifties have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. One much worse than the other. She is on a brand new product where she gives herself sub-q injections every day for two years then stops. My endo wouldn't put me on any long term product as I am immuno compromised and didn't know how that would react in my body long term. I did have a neighbor that took Fosamax and she lost part of her jaw. I now also have radiculopathy. Which is a cervical compression that affects my neck. It started last month. A disc is pressing on a nerve. I have never had pain like that. Also caused by arthritis.

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@gussie

I was also diagnosed with osteoporosis in my early fifties. I am 81 now. I used to walk at least 2 miles a day and more on the weekend. Now I have trouble getting out of a chair. Although I can still walk a mile once I get going. Both my daughters in their fifties have been diagnosed with osteoporosis. One much worse than the other. She is on a brand new product where she gives herself sub-q injections every day for two years then stops. My endo wouldn't put me on any long term product as I am immuno compromised and didn't know how that would react in my body long term. I did have a neighbor that took Fosamax and she lost part of her jaw. I now also have radiculopathy. Which is a cervical compression that affects my neck. It started last month. A disc is pressing on a nerve. I have never had pain like that. Also caused by arthritis.

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Is your daughter taking Forteo? I injected myself for two years with Forteo after having attended a demonstration at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. It was supposed to target the hip and spine area but it only worked on one and not much on the other. When I was told that I had to go back on Bisphosphonates I decided to stop all drugs as I was starting to feel like a guinea pig. I think that I would it was inevitable that I would have to go for a total hip replacement. I cannot imagine being on those drugs for the rest of my life. I have had three DVT's over the past 22 years and I am on a blood thinner for life. Also taking drugs for high blood pressure. I hope you are able to get help for your cervical compression. I live in an association with 17 other houses and most of my neighbors are in their mid to late 80's and they run circles around me. I am 74. One neighbor is 92 and she had a THR at the age of 87. She swims every single day at the Y and she still drives and she has ALL her marbles. So, hang in there.

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she is on something called Tymlos. It's supposed to be for people with extreme osteoporosis.

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