Anyone have numbness/hip pain after surgery?

[organicnancy]

I'm 2 1/2 weeks out of surgery and am feeling worse now then soon after I got home. I've developed really bad sciatica, hip pain in my right hip and had woken from surgery with lots of numb spots that are now starting to tingle and burn. I know that part is a good thing as they waken back up but boy is it painful. Has anyone else had these problems? The doctor says it's all normal and I will experience alot of changes in the next few weeks. I was walking better a week ago then now. Now it's like all I can do is shuffle because my hip hurts so much. And I feel wobbly on my legs because each step hurts so much. My legs are stronger in general so I can feel that getting better. Nights are really hard too to sleep, there's no comfortable position. Ugh, sorry to complain, but this is so much tougher then I was led to believe it would be. Thanks,
Nancy

[LindaRacine]

Hi Nancy....

Everything does sound pretty normal. The leg pain might be caused by too much sitting, so if you feel that might be the case, you could pull back on it. I started having leg pain sometime in the first month or so postop, and remember really freaking out about it. I was really afraid that the surgery was actually going to make it worse. But, my surgeon told me to cut back on the amount of time I was sitting (which was relatively little), and sure enough, it went away.

If you still have the hip pain the next time you see one of your doctors or a physical therapist, ask them to evaluate you for trochanteric bursitis. It is also very common, and a steroid injection can make a world of difference.

Hang in there. It will get better.

Regards,
Linda

[titaniumed]

Nancy

“No comfortable position” is probably the #1 complaint....

Hot water does offer some relief. I took 5 baths per day at 107 degrees, for 3 months. I have one of those deep wide tubs, so it worked well. If you do this, you don’t want to fall, that’s not allowed. Move very slow getting in and out and drink plenty of water as it will need to be replaced from sweating.

A foam topper for the bed is a good idea....

Who did your surgery in 1978? Just wondering as I grew up in Jersey.


Ed

[LindaRacine]

A warning re Ed's post... Our patients fused to the sacrum are told to avoid sit down baths for 6 months post-op.

[loves to skate]

A warning re Ed's post... Our patients fused to the sacrum are told to avoid sit down baths for 6 months post-op.

What is the reason for that Linda? I wasn't able to get in and out of a tub for the first six months anyway.
Sally

[LindaRacine]

What is the reason for that Linda? I wasn't able to get in and out of a tub for the first six months anyway.
Sally

Hi Sally....

I'm guessing it's because it puts a huge amount of stress on the L5-S1 joint. If you think about it, people with long fusions ending at S1 are essentially unable to sit on the floor with their legs in front of them (without back support). If you sit in a tub, you're stretching far more than your body mechanics would allow on their own.

Does that make sense?

--Linda

[Doodles]

That makes total sense. I still haven't sat in a tub. It would be so uncomfortable. I've tried the sitting on the floor with feet in front and it doesn't work! I'm amazed at those who can. I think Ed has a stand up tub! Janet

[titaniumed]

Hi Janet,
A stand up tub, now that’s deep! You have to worry about getting the bends!(decompression sickness) and not scoliosis bends! Eeek.

On this subject, the tub “size” needs to be addressed. I have one of the jacuzzi sized extra wide and extra deep tubs, with the ergonomic back. When the water is deep enough, you float....so what I would do is bend my knees and lay back with my spine in a straight position. There are hardly any forces on the head and rear at all. When I was done with that position, I would then kneel sideways. Sitting would have been impossible for me.

I went to Sue’s up in Oregon in Sept and I asked her about her tub because she is having a hard time....poor thing. Anyway, her tub really isn’t deep enough or wide enough for soaking “without sitting”. She is doing a little better now......Jenee is ready for moon launch, she healed like a teenager.

I also have a 7 foot square hot tub with all the bells and whistles and I did not feel comfortable with negotiating the stairs. A fall would be devastating and I wasn’t going to take that chance. I have an Ozone bulb which kills about 99.3% of the pathogens in the water, but felt safer doing water changes in my bath tub. I would always follow with a shower using antibacterial soap for my incisions.

So, I guess I shouldn’t assume that everyone has one of these tubs. And I have read about surgeons not “clearing” patients for tubs, its just easier to say don’t do it.

Now it would be great to confirm, to see if hot water had an effect on swelling.....that I don’t know. I do know that you don’t want an incisional infection.....you want to keep incisions clean.
Ed

[jrnyc]

Ed, i have never heard of so many different kinds of tubs!
here on the east coast, i have only had a regular old little bath tub, the kind that comes with a shower....

i think people on the west coast are used to fancy tubs, and jacuzzis and stuff....
i know you dont live in CA...but you are close enuf...

jess

[titaniumed]

Jess

I am ergonomically astute. I sit on something crappy, and alarm bells go off....I should be a furniture tester!

If you are a scoli, after years go by, being comfortable is a good thing when we can get it. That’s all we want!

Things like heated seats in cars, quality furniture, quality bedding, good shoes, and of course, fancy bathtubs and hot tubs are on my priority list. Its genetic. lol

Ed

[LindaRacine]

About 5-6 months after my initial surgeries, I was outside cleaning the hot tub, and slipped on the seat, coming down with the edge of the seat in the middle of my back. A little scary for a moment, but none the worse for wear when it was done.

[loves to skate]

Hi Sally....

I'm guessing it's because it puts a huge amount of stress on the L5-S1 joint. If you think about it, people with long fusions ending at S1 are essentially unable to sit on the floor with their legs in front of them (without back support). If you sit in a tub, you're stretching far more than your body mechanics would allow on their own.

Does that make sense?

--Linda

Hi Linda,
It makes total sense. Until I gained some of my flexability back, I wasn't able to sit in the tub. I guess my fusion isn't considered long except in the sense that it was a long surgery (13 hours)

[organicnancy]

Thanks everyone. I went for my first follow up appt yesterday and he said everything is normal. The sciatica should go away with hamstring stretching which are really tight. The hip pain should resolve on it’s own. It’s hard to trust in all that though when I’m in so much pain and I don’t see any relief other than taking pain meds which I really want to stop taking because of the stomach problems associated with those. I am cutting back so maybe my hip hurts more because I’m just on less meds.
I did get the foam topper, that definitely helps in bed, still very uncomfortable but better.
Ed – had my original surgery in ’78 by Dr Keim. He seemed to have done most of them back then.
The bath sounds lovely but my doctor did also say no baths for a few months. Just the warm shower which I finally took was nice. Nice to feel water trickle down my back.
It is funny (and expensive!) about the amount of things I bought for all this….new slip on shoes, bed topper, all the medical devices. Didn’t think I would need a small loan before I even started paying medical bills!

[docuk22]

I am day 10 out from some laminectomies and fusion to l5. I have pretty bad pain in my right buttock and tight which I had before. I was just told its to be expected because the nerves are still irritated and it should go away. Lets hope!

[fierceliketiger]

Just to chime in here: I was told not to sit in the tub for 6 months for the first two fusion attempts. But my hot tub was cleared 6 weeks post op this time. It helped a LOT. Honestly the jets were way too much for me so I just floated in the middle most of the time. I also have a large bathtub, super deep, but I never felt comfortable getting into it, its a long, deep step in, even with assistance.