Pain a year after hip replacement surgery

I had a hip replacement done in Thailand when I was 45. It could have been done earlier but I delayed it as long as possible. Not always the wisest choice in hindsight. Anyway about a year and a bit a ago after a trip to Europe every thing started to go wrong. Chronic pain in my hip joint. A heavy doze of pain killers ensued and a trip to the Thai medical system. What a fiasco. Within 10 minutes the lead surgeon at a well known Thai hospital was talking about revision surgery as one of the possible solutions. The conversation was going backwards. I therefore embarked on a blitz of all non invasion therapies including acupuncture, massage. physio, chiropracter and my usual exercise routine of swimming and the cross trainer. It took about 6 weeks to see an improvement and a shedding of those horrible painkillers. This year I have returned to yoga and a big improvement has occurred. Bottom line sometimes it is good to stay away from the Doctors and self medicate, using a wide range of alternative therapies and see what works for you.

 

The pain and numbness you describe are indicative of nerve involvement of some sort - most commonly, but not always - the sciatic nerve. It could also actually be related to disc herniation in your lower back, where the herniation is compressing the nerve root located there; many times this can manifest itself as leg pain with little or no actual back pain noted. You mention that you've had a bone scan and xrays, but no MRI? An MRI would indicate a disc problem; or nerve conduction studies could be useful, as well. Hope this helps you find the help you need - REALLY surprised your doctor didn't explore this!

do you know if it was metal on metal or Ceramic

I had both hips replaced in 1997. I have been complaining about having the same type pain I had before the replacements. I have been to 8 different doctors trying to find out what was causing the pain. I still haven't found a doctor who could find anything wrong with the way the hips were replaced. They all say everything looks normal. Both my hips are titanium and I have had them for 17 years come June. My pain is sometimes more than I can take and my social life is gone. I have a hard time walking with or without a walker and I have had a pain pump inserted in my stomach wall to help with relieving some of the pain. I am still looking for help but I don't have much hope left after all these years. I pray you will be able to find the help you need.

Me. I'm in so much pain. I had right hip surgery and I'm always in the hospital because it swells and I'm in pain. I have traveled everywhere and one doctor at the number one hospital in the Nation is Hospital for special surgery. They told me that the angle is off, I've lost height on one side. My spine and now painful because of that. Not to mention my legs and feet. I can't do this. Every Doctor keeps saying other than that, that its well seated. That one doctor said the problem and didn't want to do it because he thinks it would put him in the middle of a lost suit. I have to keep looking.

I had total right hip replacement 10 years ago, total right knee replacement 3 years ago and total right shoulder replacement 3 months after the knee. Now have lower back and hip pain going down right leg to my knee. Not going back to doctors, no more surgery for me. Going to try exercise, yoga and whatever I can do on my own.

This is your back....the L2-5 stenosis or bulging discs can mimic the hip. I bet it is your lower back. Do some PT for you back and see if that will not help. If the pain radiates below your knee my experience has been it is my back. I got my hip replaced and it is much better but my lower back and sciatic has now taken over. So we are working on that....sorry you have pain return so frustrating that kind of pain. I suffered for a year till they figured out it was my hip more than my back and that once the hip is better I may still need to deal with my back.

I do not know when this was submitted but I have the exact same problem. I was OK 6 mos after hip surgery and then the pain in the groin and leg started.The pain in the leg is crippling and I need a cane to walk. I had the same diagnostics and everything in the hip and leg is good. No reason for the pain. I guess it is just old age. Charles Juedemann, Union, MO

I had titanium on plastic right hip June 2019, and no pain whatsoever.
I had titanium on aluminium alloy left hip Nov 2020.
All was well up to just after 6 weeks apart from a 'twanging' whenever I moved my left leg like a tendon was catching something. I have mentioned this to a range of medical staff, and they have took no notice whatsoever.
Just after the 6 week marker it started to hurt.
Now whenever I spend any time sat down, and then stand up; I am in absolute agony for the first couple of minutes with no chance of standing unaided. The pain then eases to a bearable level after a few steps, and I'm able to walk unaided just about.
Then I sit down, and the circle starts all over again.
Also when I lay in bed on the left, which is the side of the problem; I am pain free, but turning over is agony, and laying on the right side creates a pain around the hip joint on the left.

if after hip replacement i ve had both doe last onne 3 weeks ago,before that lametomy on back 63old male,that back treatment i had to do because when pain goes down the legs its coming from back ,they did 5 mri before operating as i had3 slidded disc 1 real bad ino main nerve so they removed a big piiece of bone frol y spine sp the nerve was so pinched ,get mri of back and go from there ,go luck jimmie world travelor

I had a back laminectomy and infusion, so why do I have pain in both hips? Had total hip replacements 2 years ago.

I have the exact same symptoms and experience. I had my right hip replaced last year not due to bone issue but because I had torn the labrum ligament in 3 places and my hip felt like it was "popping" out all the time and was painful and sore, I saw a very reputable orthopedist and was told the easiest and fastest way to manage it would be to just replace the hip and I would not need those ligaments to support it. and if I had the ligaments repaired I would be on no weight bearing for at least 3 months then months of rehab and I could not take off work that long. He said I would be up walking the same day and at 8 weeks would feel great and at 12 weeks would be back in full swing, I watch multiple videos of actual patients he had done surgery on and decided to do the hip replacement. I have had terrible pain ever since. My entire hip hurts, it aches, it burns, It feels like my femur hurts, I have deep glut pain when I sit or lay on it, it's hard to drive or sit in on a firm surface, I have intense groin pain - sometimes just unbearable. I also had a failed back surgery before my hip surgery so I still have sciatic but this is different. I know what the sciatic fells like I've had it so long but this intense groin pain going all the way down the inside of my thigh to my knee is knew- it developed after the hip surgery. I have had a bone scan and x-rays and, doctor says the placement looks good they don't see a problem. I was referred to a pain doctor for a nerve block which was a disaster - I couldn't stand on it for 12 hours - lost use of my right leg for a entire day was referred to another pain doctor and she thinks it is my SI joint that maybe my leg was a tiny bit shorter now and it had thrown off my gait affecting my previous back surgery and Harrington rod but no one can give me an answer and I feel like a can being kicked down the road. It hurts to walk, it hurts anytime I increase weight bearing like carrying something heavy - even groceries, I have deep aching glut pain all the time much exacerbated when I sit on it, the groin and thigh pain is a real burning pain. Would love to know what you find out.

You described what I have been experiencing over the last year. After hip replacement (2016) everything was great-no pain at all. Now, (2022) I've developed a burning ache that's deep inside the glute where the replacement joint is located. It doesn't matter if I'm sitting, standing or in bed, there's a constant pain. I don't want to go through a battery of tests to hear my doctor say, "Everything looks okay". I'll just suffer.

This describes my situation well. It started at about 3 months post-op (I am now 6 post-op) and seems only to get worse. The surgeon says everything is perfect! The pain started as a slight twang, now like the shattering of rotted wood at the middle to top of my thigh, only when I walk (not stand, sit, or lie down), with increasing numbness and sensitivity to touch on my outer and front thigh, some days more than others. Xrays and MRI show nothing significant. A short course of prednisone helped alot for two weeks. My PT recommended a physiatrist, who tried a shot in the bursa - it helped for a few days. He recommended gabapentin, but I am afraid of the side effects and how hard it seems to be to get off if. Now we are trying low dose naltrexone, but 9 days in and I see no improvement. Tylenol, and Celebrex 100mg twice a day don’t seem to even touch this. I am open to any suggestions….