Coming up short post hip replacement

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ET63
ET63 Member Posts: 10
edited 10. Aug 2021, 08:53 in Living with arthritis

Morning lovely people.

I am now 3.5 weeks post op and I have been blessed with a fast recovery. I am walking without any aids and have been pain free for half of that time.

I am very grateful for this but……. there is always a but! I have gained 4cms/1.5” in height and I am looking for advice on what to do for the best for my shorter leg. The physio gave me 2 lots of wedges which I have put in my trainers. And I am waiting to speak to the GP so I can be referred to Orthotics. I am fine indoors but need the extra support when out and about and trying to get some exercise. My right heel is not very secure in my trainers. I have seen lots of wedges that are 1cm .

Any advice gratefully received.

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  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,740
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    Hi @ET63 , it’s good to hear your recovery is going so well, but the leg length issue must be frustrating. I’ve been wearing orthotics for years just to improve posture, but there are some brands of shoes accommodate these better than others, usually those where you can remove the manufacturers insoles. Hotter shoes, or Joseph Seibel and Gabor (if you have more expensive tastes) are good. I think Hush Puppies were too but we can’t get them round here. There’s also quite a big selection of fashion-style walking shoes that can take orthotics, and probably some trainers. Making up 1.5” may be a tougher challenge, but hopefully your next consultant will be able to advise. But thank heaven the days of obligatory high heels is behind us. (A lot of that has to do with more women entering the shoe design business - in the high-heel days of the 1970s and 1980s 90% of shoe designers were men. I always said they should have been made to wear them...!)

  • ET63
    ET63 Member Posts: 10
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    So true about male shoe designers!

    I never wore high heels, I could fall over a matchstick in flats so tended to steer clear!

    I will keep in mind the brands of shoes you mentioned, it’s good to have some clue of best brands. Hopefully I will have a clearer idea of what is needed after my post op visit with the consultant.

    Thank you for your response.

    Best foot forward 😉, as they say! 😂😂

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,417
    edited 10. Aug 2021, 08:50
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    Morning ET63

    My Mum had a significant height difference in her legs due to a severe compound fracture when she was young. She had a cobbler build up the heel on one pair of shoes and it looked fine.

    The other pair she wore regularly had an insole in it.

    I hope you get sorted soon.

    Take care

    Toni xx

  • ET63
    ET63 Member Posts: 10
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    That’s what I need, a cobbler!

    Thanks for that!

  • Lilymary
    Lilymary Member Posts: 1,740
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    @frogmorton , great idea!

  • Mull58
    Mull58 Member Posts: 1
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    I have just had my left hip replaced on February 13th this year and I am currently in my recovery stage 10 weeks in. I am now walking mainly without any aids but do walk with a stick outside just for security. In the past week or two I have been experiencing pain in my right hip/ buttock area. A bit like a sciatica pain whereby if I try and put pressure on my leg it gives me a really bad shooting pain. I mentioned this to my physio at the hospital about 2 weeks ago before being signed off after only my third visit and he said it was common for the other hip to display pain as it is compensating for the operated hip. My question is that I still have this pain but as I had my operation done at a private hospital but via the NHS then I have been told to contact my gp to discuss this further and possibly request further physio input either back at the spire via a further referral from my gp. I have read that difference in leg length can also cause pain in the good hip but my physio never measured my legs so do I go back to my gp to discuss this and if that is the case would the gp be able to advise about raised insoles etc. Sorry for the very long post. I am really getting down about this and would welcome any feedback. Thankyou

  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,628
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    Hi @Mull58 welcome to the online community. .

    It sounds as though the advice you were given definitely indicates that you go back to your GP who will be able to refer you for further physiotherapy. You could ask for leg length to be looked at then or ask your GP to measure it of course. Many of our members have pain in the unoperated leg due to having 'favoured' the healthier leg for some time prior to and post surgery.

    10 weeks is still very early as our regular hippies @Nurina @Janlyn @JPT @alwayssewing (and many more) will vouch for.

    There are quite a few post operative THR threads on here at the moment you might find them really useful.

    My best wishes

    Ellen.

  • frogmorton
    frogmorton Member Posts: 29,417
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    Definitely I'd go back to my GP @Mull58 chances are they'll refer you to NHS physio (better for ongoing treatment anyway) probably cheaper for the NHS.

    Best be assertive though to get a face to face appt. At our Drs they refer you straight to MSK which is the physios here.

    Good luck

    Toni x

  • ItsjustLisa
    ItsjustLisa Member Posts: 21
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    @Ellen I absolutely love you call those lovely ladies "regular hippies" that really made me smile.

    Seriously though they are all so generous to share their experiences with us, warts and all and I absolutely know I wouldn't have gotten back on the list without their truthful accounts and the support here.

  • Nurina
    Nurina Member Posts: 275
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    My legs are the same length after surgery but the non-operated leg feels shorter when I walk. I went today to the osteopath and he said I have my spine misaligned due to bad postures, crutches who knows, but it makes one side of the hip higher than the other. He massaged and cracked my back and my legs are aligned again. I'm going to need several sessions though. He told me doing the bridge is a good exercise to realign pelvis and spine. I'm not saying that spine misalignment is causing your leg discrepancy. I'm just telling what happened to me. Take care

  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,628
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    https://community.versusarthritis.org/discussion/comment/721313#Comment_721313

    @ItsjustLisa they are fabulous aren't they every one of them? It's a privilege to read the threads every time i moderate. It's what this online community is all about real peer support.😊and you'll be doing your bit too soon😊

    Ellen.

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