Question
hello.i'm writing about my mom.she had a total hip replacement a couple of years ago.her recovery time was very short.and untill now she has had no problems,but for the last 2 or 3 weeks when she stands for more than a few min. she is getting a dull pain down the front of her thigh on which the hip was replaced.if she sits(which she hates to do)the pain gets much better.what do you think might be causing this? thank you in advance.

Answer
Dear Jillian

Unfortunately I am not a doctor so I can't diagnose the reason for her pain.  My thoughts are, if the pain is not in the joint, the prosthesis is probably stable.  Has she fallen, or bumped her leg in any way?  Has anything changed in her activities?  When a hip replacement person heals, and are rid of their pain, they tend to sometimes overdo activities and this may be the problem your mom is having.

As long as she is not feeling any "slipping" or "popping" or "clicking" in the hip, I'd say try to put heat on it regularly for the next few days.  If it's a muscle strain, it should go away.  If it does not get better with heat and tylenol or advil, I would suggest that she see her doctor to diagnose the problem.

Best of luck to your mom.

Sharon Davis