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?

prolonews.com/ischial_tuberosity_pain.htm
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.

sam spade · Newbie Joined: 30 Jul 2008 Posts: 1

I am coming up on 3 months after my hp surgery (it was done May 2008). I had a total hip replacement. I had terrible pain for a month after the operation and got little relief from my doctor - I just learned to live with it. Don't get me wrong, he did, and is supplying pain medicine, just not enough and not at a high enough dose. The silly thing about this, is that I was up front with him before the surgery, and told him I was a wimp when it comes to pain, and he assured me that I would be treated well. I just called for a refill of darvocet (he had me on percocet, then hydrocodone), and he left a message that I need to find a pain management clinic - he can not keep supplying me pain medication. I AM STILL IN PAIN!!! I don't want to go through the zoo of doctors I have read about other people in this thread are having to do - but it looks like I might. I tell you what though, as well as visiting new doctors, I am visiting a few lawyers as well!!!!.

jzkennels · Newbie Joined: 03 Aug 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Louisiana

I had my hip done in Dec,07, and about 2 months after surgery I started having severe pain above my knee. Xrays look great, also was told my back is the issue. Had the radiofrequency legioning, and it did not help. Actually, now I have pain on the surface instead of just inside now. My hip at the moment almost feels like it did b4 the surgery. Where I live, they do not like to prescribe pain meds, So I suffer, and wont be able to deal with this much longer. Something has to give. I am seeing another "spinal" specialist this week, but simply cannot afford another proceedure. I have had 3 in the past 6 months. I am not able to work, which has put a load on my wife, and have two little girls whom I am not able to do things with them, and they need their daddy!! They could prescribe meds that wont get rid of the pain, but make my life have better quality, but they wont. I feel like punching the doc in the face every 5 min. and tell him "your not hurting".
Like you, it is comforting that I am not the only one, although I dont wish this on any of you!! Just dont know what to do.

jzkennels · Newbie Joined: 03 Aug 2008 Posts: 2 Location: Louisiana

I forgot to add. The only thing that "helps" me is using a "Alpha-stim 100". I just got it this week, and supposedly it's effects are residual and cumlative. Basically, the ear clips send an electrocurrent through the brain releasing alpha waves, which reduces stress and anxiety. I am experiencing slight pain relief with it. I believe it scrambles the signals to my brain telling me that I am in pain, kinda like meds do, but when I start moving again, the signals are sent again, and pain is back. Supposedly the longer I use it, the more it will work. We'll see. Also it has these probes which send the current through the area where pain is, and it helps. You should do a search on the net and see what you find. If it works, it'll be the best thing since cough syrup!!

Severe Nerve Pain after Hip Replacement Surgery

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