Severe Nerve Pain after Hip Replacement Surgery

t-bird · Newbie Joined: 18 Jan 2007 Posts: 1

My grandfather had hip surgery over a year ago. After the surgery, he started feeling sharp pain in his right hip directly underneath his watch pocket on his jeans. The pain has gotten worse and worse, and in the past few days it has been amost completely debilitating, to the point where he has a hard time moving around his tiny apartment at all. Has anyone else experienced anything like this and know what may be causing it? or know of any doctors who can help? He has been to see quite a few doctors, and none can diagnose it or offer any releif. I would really appreciate hearing from anyone!!

Tanya Davidson · Newbie Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 4

Hi ,

I just read your note and i was wondering how your father is doing. I have been having complications with my surgery as well and am looking for answers.

I will give you a not so brief background......

I had a total hip replacement a year and a half ago. Initially I was doing quite
well into my recovery....hoping to get back to an active lifestyle. About
3 months into my recovery something horrible happened and I have been
quite disabled and in pain ever since.

I am 44 years old and had hip displasia as an infant. The left hip did not form
correctly and as a result I my left leg was 3/4 inch shorter and I had very
limited external hip rotation.

My surgeon lengthened my leg, so that now my legs are the same length and i also now have normal external hip rotation.

I was beginning to train quite heavily 3 months into my recovery, hoping to
get back to some competitive cycling. During this time i noticed some pain in
the area of my ischial tuberosity as well as some numbness in my heal
and outer toes.

I went back to teaching full time at the 3 month mark and began to
experience increasingly severe pain mostly in the left buttock. It was, and still is a burning,
numbing, aching pain that gets progressively worse with standing, walking or any other pysical activity.

Since then, I have only been able to work part time, and sometimes the pain
gets so severe I have to take time off.

The doctors here are stumped. X-rays are text book perfect. I have had
nerve conduction studies, tried active release therapy, acupuncture, physiotherapy, a Botox injection into the piriformis muscle,
and a cortisone injection into the ischial tuberosity area where the pain seems
to radiate from, MRI and ultra sound imaging show no notable abnormalities.

The pain seems to radiate from the area of the ischial tuberosity. There is
actually a palpable mobile mass in the area. When I sit on a hard surface it
moves and is quite uncomfortable. The pain can radiate there and/or move to
other areas around my left buttock and to the outside of my leg where the incision is.

The chronic pain is driving me crazy. At the moment, I have had another flair
up. It is painful to stand, walk and sit. Any physical
activity seems to worsen the symptoms. Heat and rest are the only treatment
options that seem to give me some relief, and healing. However it takes so
very long.

If you have any insight, please let me know. I am at the end of my rope.

Thanks so much,
Tanya

DianeOhio · Newbie Joined: 18 Jan 2008 Posts: 1

I also am suffering from chronic hip pain after replacement. The Dr. that did my replacement seems to think I'm crazy. I'm not sleeping at night due to the pain & then can barely function throughout the day. My Dr. is sending me for epideral shots, claiming that it is not hip related, but degenerated discs in my back. I know my body & this is NOT my back. I'm glad to find other people on the web that have the same condition as myself, letting me know that I'm not crazy. I'm going to go ahead and have the injections because right now, anything is worth a shot. It will be 2 years this coming March (2008) since I had my replacement. Has anyone else out there had injections and did it help? I'm at the end of my rope here. I'm only 42 years old and am not ready to just stop my life due to my pain level.

Renee.Blaylock · Newbie Joined: 23 Mar 2008 Posts: 1

After reading all of your stories i realize that i am not crazy. I too was born with what is called Legg-Calve perthes a type of hip dysplacia and deformity. I am now 24 and it will be one year since my replacement in may and i am having horrible pain... my Dr. too thinks I am crazy and just addicted to pain meds... I have had cortizone shots in my back and yes they too sad my xrays look textbook and blamed it on my disks... however it is clear that my dr. lengthened my leg to try and even them but now my leg is 1/2 inch longer than the other. Have any of you found relief??? Its been really hard on me emotionally as well.. i just want to go back to being a normal 24 year old. If you know of any others with advise let me know... my e-mail is : renee.blaylock@yahoo.com
thanks
Renee

Guest · Guest

about 5% have muscle impingement in the illiopsoas over the cup. I am going in to have mine cut or lengthened.Z7

mrsgdm · Newbie Joined: 24 Apr 2008 Posts: 1

MNLady · Newbie Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 2

Have you tried Prolotherapy? http://www.prolonews.com/ischial_tuberosity_pain.htm
http://www.caringmedical.com/conditions/Ischial_Tuberosity_Pain.htm

I have read quite a bit on it and wonder if that would not be something to look into in a situation like this.

Severe Nerve Pain after Hip Replacement Surgery

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