running after hip replacement contd 3

[Mustbe]

I restarted running at week 4 in November 2022, 10 months after my hip replacement. I went slowly and it went well. I had two periods when I stopped because of getting a cold and one because of holiday. From even before my operation my thigh muscles on the bad leg had a tendency to spasm from time to time - very painful - and running seemed not to help this - make it worse in fact. To be on the safe side I stopped running until my one year review scheduled for February 2023. So a couple of weeks ago I saw my surgeon. Last year he had been ambivalent about running after the op but stopped shot of an outright “no”. Therefore, to my surprise, when I told him I had restarted he said “That’s good”. Apparently the spasms are because I am now demanding more of my enfeebled muscles and they are objecting. The physio has given me some strenghthening excercises for quads and glutes plus stretching for the illiotibial band. This on top of my usual stretches, and I am doing them assiduously and have started running again.

After repeating week four for many weeks I have moved up to run two of week five and will be repeating this for some time. The physio advised to not move on until the strenghthening had started to take effect. So far, 😊

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Very well done...listening to the experts is paramount, and you are doing that... slow and steady as you go x

[Bruch1 Graduate]

Congratulations to you for getting into running and so quickly after your hip replacement. Over the years I've had 3 hip replacements (long story, hip dysplasia as a baby). Most recent was nearly 9 years ago (the other one is now 29 years old!). I had never contemplated running until first lockdown and never thought I'd do it. I too get some iliotibial band and piriformis pain but the more I run the better it gets. If you think about how these big muscles are pulled around during the op it's no wonder they complain afterwards ! I find massaging my thighs and lower back helps too and I do my back and hip exercises religiously every morning and night. If it helps download a diagram of the muscles in the body which gives you an idea of how they all work together. Good core strength is good too. Hope this helps and that you go from strength to strength. Having a new hip is like having a new life!

[Mustbe Graduate in reply to Bruch1]

delighted to hear that you can run after repeated ops! I too find massaging the thigh muscles helps. I use a small roller sometimes and a hot pack at others. Sometimes if they give a a warning twinge I find giving them a severe talking to helps as well😀 Thanks for replying and good luck in your running.

[Bruch1 Graduate]

Haha! Severe talking to - I do that too! Yes, I've got a small yoga ball that I use to roll the muscles and I've also got a large physio roller which I use from time to time but find very painful - eye watering so 😯. Keep running ...