HIP REPLACEMENT TREATMENT will help speed up your recovery process. While healing and recovery time will vary between patients, proper management can minimize complications and optimize your function. Supervised Hip Replacement Treatment by a Registered Physiotherapist will help to restore your strength and range of motion.
This guide can help you better understand your exercise and activity program after a hip surgery. At PhysioNow, our Registered Physiotherapists will help you return to your daily activities. To ensure your safe recovery, be sure to check with your Physiotherapist at PhysioNow or surgeon before performing any of the exercises shown.
Safety Precautions after a Total Hip Replacement
After hip replacement surgery, precautions must be taken to allow proper healing. It is important that you follow the safety precautions your surgeon gave you for the given time period, usually 6-12 weeks. Depending on the surgical procedure and approach used for your hip replacement, the precautions may be different or even not at all! Your surgeon and Physiotherapist in hospital will help teach you these initial precautions, and your outpatient Physiotherapist will remind you of them. Below are some of the most common hip precautions and some tips on how to adhere to them. Again, these precautions may not apply to you so make sure you check with your surgeon and Physiotherapist specifically!
- Avoid more than 90 degrees of hip flexion
- Use a raised toilet seat
- Use a cushion when sitting in a chair so that your hips are higher than your knees
- Don’t lean forward from a sitting position ex. putting on shoes, use a shoe horn instead
- No crossing your legs or ankles
- Avoid twisting your body, move your feet to turn your whole body
- Avoid sitting cross logged
- Sleep with a pillow between your knees
- Avoid sitting cross legged or one leg over the other
How much weight can you put on your new hip?
Your surgeon will decide your weight bearing status based upon the following:
- The type of surgery and prostheses used
- The condition of the your natural bone
- How the prostheses was fixated to the natural bone
Follow instructions from your surgeon at the hospital and at home upon discharge. Initially you will be advised to put a small percentage of weight on the affected leg and use a gait aid such as a walker or cane to help. With proper exercise and keeping safety precautions in mind, you should be able to restore strength to your new hip over time.
Total Hip Replacement Treatment Guide for Weeks 1 to 4
1) ANKLE PUMPS:
Slowly point the toes as far as possible then pull them back toward you as far as possible.
Repeat this exercise several times a day, as often as every 10 to 15 minutes.
2) ANKLE ROTATIONS:
Move your ankle inward toward your other foot and then outward away from your other foot.
Repeat 5 times in each direction.
Perform 3 to 4 sessions a day.
3) BUTTOCK CONTRACTIONS/GLUTE SQUEEZE
Tighten your buttock muscles.
Hold for 5 second. Repeat 10 times.
Perform 3 or 4 sessions a day
4) HIP ABDUCTION
Slide your leg out to the side as far as you can and then back.
Repeat 10 times.
Perform 3 or 4 sessions a day
5) QUADRACIPS SET
Tighten your thigh muscle. Try to straighten your knee. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, repeat 10 times.
6) STRAIGHT LEG RAISES
Tighten your thigh muscle with your knee fully straightened on the bed. Lift your leg several inches off of floor. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Slowly return, repeat 10 times.
STANDING EXERCISES
Make sure you are holding on to a firm surface such as a bar attached to your bed or a wall when performing standing exercises.
8) STANDING KNEE RAISES
Lift your operated leg only few inches off the floor, below your waist.
Hold for 2 to 3 seconds, and put your leg down. Repeat 10 times both legs.
Perform 3 or 4 sessions a day.
9) STANDING HIP ABDUCTION
While standing, raise your leg out to the side. Keep your knee straight and maintain your toes pointed forward the entire time. Slowly lower your leg so your foot is back on the floor.
Repeat 10 times on each leg.
Perform 3 or 4 sessions a day.
10) STANDING HIP EXTENSIONS
Standing tall and keeping knee straight, extend one leg back without leaning forward or arching your back. Return to the starting position.
Repeat 10 times for each leg.
Perform 3 or 4 sessions a day.
Progressing After 4 Weeks
Always attempt any exercises within your pain tolerance. After 4 weeks, individual healing times vary and some people may be ready to attempt more demanding exercises and start getting back to physical activity. As a result of the variability of progression, it is recommended that you contact our Registered Physiotherapist at PhysioNow to help you with your safe recovery. They will be able to customize your program to your current level. Overall, hip replacement surgery can be a rewarding experience, as it will allow you to return to your daily living activities.
Registered Massage Therapy is another excellent treatment after having had a Total Hip Replacement. The muscles in the low back and hip area tend to get quite tight after surgery and Registered Massage Therapists are very skilled at releasing this muscle tension. As a result, this will help your pain and may speed up your recovery time! We have Registered Massage Therapists available daily Monday to Saturday.
If you are considering having hip replacement surgery, check out this link to the Mayo Clinic with some extra information that may be useful.
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