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Earl, Health, hip, Hip Replacement, Magnetic resonance imaging, pain, Physical therapy, surgery
Hi Earl,
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog. Lots of useful information but I’m sorry you had to endure so much pain to get here.
I have to say I think I may have dodged a bullet when I had my THR last year. My surgeon was at one time considering using a MoM hip replacement because of my age, 40 at the time of surgery, but after I made my concerns known he opted to go with a ceramic head and polyethylene cup.
Surgery was uneventful and recovery for the first few months was as expected and I was able to do physical therapy with some interruptions due to some muscle pain with intense flare ups at times.
About three months ago I started to experience some pain on my right leg that prevented me from bearing weight on it. Knowing that this pain was different from the pain associated with the IT band mostly that I experienced before, I went back to the doctor’s and they decided to take an x-ray to see if anything showed up. the x-ray showed a periosteal reaction around the femoral bone adjacent to the area of the cementless stem.A blood test was ordered and the lab results showed elevated C-reactive protein levels and sed rates. Fearing an infection I went through a number of tests (MRIs, aspirations and biopsies and a white cell scan) to confirm or deny this fear.
This week I finally got the results and it is most likely not an infection that is causing the inflammation and pain but so far we have not found the cause.
The seriousness of an infection to a replaced hip is something that I was not fully aware of at the time of surgery so I’m very relieved tha infection has been ruled out however not knowing what is causing the pain has me very concerned still.I think it’s good to share stories because I find that a lot of questions are not often well answered even if your talking to people in the medical profession. It’s encouraging and comforting to hear that these procedures which can be painful and debilitating have positive results in the end.
I’m glad to hear that your revision surgery went well and I hope you’re enjoying a pain free life.
Thanks for sharing your story.
JC
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I’ve been a family doctor for 29 years who been awakened to the power of myofascial release techniques. Muscle, skeletal and neurovascular conundrums, in the past, I would have referred to a specialist, I NOW treat and “cure” in the office.
The journey started in 1996, when a favorite patient who had Fibromyalgia was getting acupuncture treatments and a result was using less medications and was more active. That amazement prompted me to take a course in acupuncture. The Helm’s course was incredible, fascinating and phenomenal. In addition, I took the pain therapy module which introduced me to Janet G. Travell, MD and C. Chan Gunn, MD.
Between acupuncture, Travell and Gunn, I was able to unlock the power of the universe in the form of natural healing. These techniques and protocols are simple, safe, natural and if started early in a pain syndrome can reverse the pain syndrome. Although they are labor intense and can be painful these huddles are easily overcome.
Vitally important … Travell and Gunn, realized that most pain in the area of a joint does not emanate from the joint proper but from the supporting ligaments, tendons, bursa and muscles. They researched and found that there are few pain fibers in the joint proper but zillions in the supporting structures. Aching and whining types of pain emanates from these tissues. Joints don’t usually whine unless it is the primarily affected or infected structure.
Arthritis, wear and tear of a joint, is a secondary disease (RA exception). Travell and Gunn noted that if a joint is left in this stressed environment it will hasten the arthritic process. Take away this environment and the arthritic process will stops and can reverse. Yes … reverse! Cartilage can restore, bone spurs can become insignificant, limb strength improves and range-of-motion returns.
You are probably thinking … how can muscles, ligaments and tendons cause all this pain and no doctor mentions this fact. Misinformation! A muscle can exert enough force to pull a joint out of alignment and that misalignment eventually cause arthritis, bursitis and tendinitis. The muscle can even pull itself from the bone or break bones outright too. Go on Youtube and google Dennis Rogers and witness the awesome muscular power of the human body. If a muscle goes into spasms, this cause the pain. This muscle will lock down and will not release until it is given the signal to do so. The release signal may not come for hours, days or even years. Yes, years! Some ill and stressed muscle tissues will stay locked-down for a long time.
In my mind, this is why aggressive surgery works. In the false notion of joint replacement or disc repair, the surgeon cuts through the culprit muscle, they unwittingly treat the problem. Their logic tells them that it was the joint/disc replacement surgery that was the culprit.
In the post-op period of joint, disc or nerve decompression surgery, if the results were not optimal, than the problem muscles are still active and need to be treated.
Important (if you don’t mind) for your readers and friends of readers … With my clearer view of joints and the healing power of the human body, I would keep my beat-up, crusty, rusty, noisy natural joint that is alive. I would keep up with myofascial therapy. I would not than put my life in the hands of an artificial hunk of metal.