Pain in glutes, calf and foot

Wobblylegs
Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176
edited 13. May 2025, 21:39 in Living with arthritis

Hi everyone, Just looking to see if anyone else has had this issue. I'm on week 11 since my THR and trying to increase my walking. I've had issues all along with my hip flexors down through the knee into the lower leg. My osteo explained that it was due to stretching pulling and twisting during the operation plus many years of walking with a limp. My surgeon said it was Trendelenburg Gait that was causing it and physio would help. Although we don't see a physio at the hospital. But I've tried this last few days to walk an incline in our street. It's not terribly inclined but enough for me to feel pulling in my glutes and I then find my calf and ankle and along the side of my foot start to object to the point of burning muscles and feel as though I've walked miles! This stops me doing very much unless it's on the flat. Has anyone else had this whilst recovering. Thanks guys

Comments

  • noddingtonpete
    noddingtonpete Moderator Posts: 1,421

    Hello @Wobblylegs so are you seeing a physio at present? If so I would talk to them about this. If not then can you get a referral?

    Need more help? - call our Helpline on0800 5200 520Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm

  • Wobblylegs
    Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176
    edited 3. May 2025, 18:11

    The hospital don't refer you for physio they give you a booklet afterwards. I asked my surgeon at my 6 week check up but he just pointed me to a website with exercises to deal with my gait as he said weak glutes cause the gait. I do see a private osteopath and she's been dealing with tight glute muscles. But this latest in my calf is worrying me. So the answer is no I don't have a physio. I just wondered if anyone has experienced similar.

  • Wobblylegs
    Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176

    Just wondering if any of you experienced 'Hippies' had this?

     @Janlyn @Trish9556 and @Fran54 and @alwayssewing ?

  • Fran54
    Fran54 Member Posts: 307

    @Wobblylegs

    I had persistent pain in both my calves mainly before surgery and put it down to overdoing the exercises. It doesn't seem to affect me now thank goodness as I know it can be quite painful. I had the Trendelenburg gait in my right hip before my surgery but it disappeared after. I was lucky and had quite a few physio sessions at my local hospital which helped a great deal with getting my walking gait back to what I call normal. The only problem I get now is that my left hip needs replacing and I get groin pain all the time, especially when walking downhill more than uphill and I get pain going from my knee up the side of my leg and affects me when I am sitting. I seem to have had different symptoms with each hip! It may all be just a question of time and gradual strengthening of various muscles for you. Hope that it will all resolve itself soon for you. Take care.🙂

  • Wobblylegs
    Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176
    edited 3. May 2025, 19:38

    Thanks @Fran54 for answering, I think you may be right but it's a worry at the time eh? Thankfully it's not there all the time only when I've attempted and incline or to walk more. Sorry your suffering again

  • Janlyn
    Janlyn Member Posts: 651

    Hi @Wobblylegs I had Trendelenburg gait too and I saw a chiropractor who I had been seeing before my surgery. I trusted him and he guided me through exercises and managing the right amount of walking. I was also in danger of walking lopsided when I got tired, so I learned to stop and rest before I started limping. It took time but eventually my persistence paid off. I had pain in my groin but also down my calf.

    I hope it improves for you too as I remember being frightened and not knowing what was helping and what was causing more harm. I wonder if your osteopath can help? Or is it better to see a physiotherapist, either privately or by asking your GP to refer you? I do hope you get it sorted as it does hold your life and recovery back.

  • Wobblylegs
    Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176
    edited 4. May 2025, 06:07

    Thanks @Janlyn especially for your understanding and the advice. It's just nice to know it can be part of healing and maybe fear is making things worse.

    I must admit to being a little frightened as I expected to be further on by now. Can you remember how long it took? I'm seeing my osteopath on Wednesday and I'll ask her. I think she's a little scared of giving me exercises that make other things worse as I have degenerative disc disease and MS too. I'll push her and if I don't get the answer I'm looking for I'll seek a physio. How are your doing now?

  • alwayssewing
    alwayssewing Member Posts: 108

    @Wobblylegs I still get a warning pain in my glutes if I overdo things. I also have knee, calf and foot pain due to arthritis . I don't have any other problems making it worse, unlike you 😕. Others have given you good advice. Don't forget you are still early in your healing journey. Small gentle movements done regularly can make a difference over time. Ask your GP to refer you for physio, the waiting list can be long though.

  • Wobblylegs
    Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176

    Thank you @alwayssewing sound advice, I'm sorry you still have issues too, I'm just so grateful to you guys for your guidance and support. It can feel lonely when you're on this journey but knowing you guys are around is comforting. I think I'm just really impatient and frustrated as I've never been good at taking things slowly and the pains I'm getting were unexpected. I already have a TKR on the same side so I should have realized. Thank you once more to everyone who replied.

  • Janlyn
    Janlyn Member Posts: 651

    @Wobblylegs I understand you getting frustrated and your osteopath being cautious, I think. Fortunately I only had my hip and recovery to worry about, but I found it so easy to overdo the exercise, then I suffered. But if I didn't do too much I got frustrated with myself and really wasn't sure whether I could safely do more. Looking back I do wish I hadn't worried about it as much and felt I wasn't doing well. People kept telling me how quickly they recovered - I wonder if they did or just thought they did?

    I think your plan is a good one and please try not to worry, you really are doing well.

    Regarding my recovery, at three months I was walking to the shops, driving short distances and I actually took myself off on a train trip. I planned the train trip really well and didn't have much walking or luggage, and in all honesty I remember it being a struggle although at the time I was pleased with myself. At five months I seemed to make more progress and could confidently walk to the shops, do my shopping and walk back without even wondering whether I should sit down. My train trips got easier although I still felt I was walking slowly. At seven months I seemed to make better progress and found I was walking further and more confidently and I went away to Greece on holiday with no problems. At nine months I suddenly felt very strong and more confident on my feet and with luggage, shopping. Since then I do think I have gradually gained more strength and flexibility. I was shocked around twelve months when I realised from a photo and my Ring doorbell I was walking and standing with a stoop so I made a determined effort to straighten up. This wasn't as easy as I thought and it took time but now at almost seventeen months I am almost standing straight, my chiropractor says I have made a remarkable recovery, I am walking further without a problem the following day. If I am away from home I often walk 20,000 steps now and at home I'm managing around 11,000-12,000 steps most days.

    Wishing you luck that your osteopath can help or you get a physiotherapist to help you. Take care.

  • Wobblylegs
    Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176
    edited 5. May 2025, 07:16

    Thank you so much @Janlyn for the detailed description of your recovery. It's a huge help seeing how other people have coped. I'm so glad you're now enjoying your life. I'll be 12 weeks out tomorrow but I'm still only walking very short distances and less than 2,000 - 3,000 steps a day and with a walking stick. I just don't admit to myself that I couldn't go shopping etc alone before my op. We don't have shops near enough anyway, the local shop is a mile away and we live on a hill! I have other issues too and it's usually the leg weakness and pain, in both legs, from MS and my spine that slows me down. But I'm so glad you have done so well. I'll keep going and let you guys know how it goes. Maybe it can help others who struggle to see it's not all plain sailing.

  • Janlyn
    Janlyn Member Posts: 651

    @Wobblylegs I really feel for you - your MS and spine issues must make it even more difficult for you to know how much exercise/walking is enough/too little/too much, and even more important to make sure you insist on specialist/physio/osteo help and try not to do it all on your own. Please do let us know how you go on, and I hope your leg strengthens with the exercises and the pain reduces. Take care.

  • Wobblylegs
    Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176

    Thanks to everyone who answered me about this subject. This is for anyone that would like an update.
    I saw my osteopath yesterday and she went through the exercises I’m doing and got rid of quite a few and changed some. It seems I’m doing the right exercises but the ones she got rid of are ones the hospital gave me which have made my spinal problems flair.
    Conclusion: Some issues from weak glutes due to surgery but most of my pain in my legs coming from my lower back! Continue but gently! Still learning guys. Thanks again.

  • Trish9556
    Trish9556 Member Posts: 873

    Hi @Wobblylegs

    Sorry I've not been here for you - just out of remission here after 40 years for something else so struggling here - I hope you're doing better but I would go with the others and say listen to your body and if you get any pain/discomfort, try easing up for a couple of days then slowly build up again.

    Trish

  • Wobblylegs
    Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176
    edited 13. May 2025, 17:54

    @Trish9556 I'm so sorry you're struggling, as someone who has relapses with MS I can well appreciate how you will struggle with that. How are you doing now?

    It's so kind of you to stop by and reply to me when you need time for yourself. I'm doing exactly what you suggest. I think I'm frustrated more than anything about how we're all given the same exercises without thought for it's impact on the rest of us. Plus in my case I've not even seen a physio and that's hospital protocol. Sometimes when we have other problems we forget ourselves how that can impact on our recovery too. I have no pain in my hip which is great! It's just muscles!

    I haven't been able to walk far for some 15 years since the arthritis started in knees, hips and back so it was always going to be a slow recovery. My muscles are struggling because of the MS too. So I'm trying not to keep putting pressure on myself and take things slowly. Hope you're feeling better soon X

  • Trish9556
    Trish9556 Member Posts: 873

    Hi @Wobblylegs

    Another thing I ithought of……with all this hot weather, what about a paddling pool that you can sit down in and shake your legs about? I would imagine if you can get one that's deep enough to cover your legs and splash about it would be like hydrotherapy in a swimming pool? We were in a hotel a couple of months ago and spent an hour walking up and down their pool which was the same depth all the way along the length. Felt marvellous afterwards!

    I'll be fine….I think! I am Epileptic, have been since I was 3 months old and went through an awful time in my youth only to go into remission and in the last 40 years I've had no meds, seen no consultants and can count on one hand the amount of seizures I've had - this last one was probably the worst I've ever had and had a helicopter en route to me as my airway was blocked, my seizure lasted 40 minutes and I didn't regain consciousness until just before it was due to land. I'm a very very lucky 69 year old and this has hit me very hard. I've recovered mentally from relapses before and will again, just take a bit longer this time round.

    Keep up the good work

    Trish xx

  • Wobblylegs
    Wobblylegs Member Posts: 176

    Thanks @Trish9556 thats a great idea, this hot weather is perfect for it, I’m on it.

    Just wanted to say you have my complete understanding and sympathy. I also have seizures mainly due to where the lesions from MS are located in my brain. They are intermittent, usually about once every 5 years and as I’ve got older, I just had my 70th two weeks ago, they’ve taken me weeks to get over every time. I didn’t want to take medication as they’re so infrequent, but I’ve recently started a very small amount. The Neurologist I see regularly asked me to consider it as he said he wasn’t worried that a seizure would kill me but that at my age I might have a “catastrophic fall”. Having said that I’ve never had one last longer than a few minutes so I can only imagine how you feel. Get well soon. 🤗 xx