In the beginning, walk for 5 to 10 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day. As your strength and endurance improve, you can walk for 20 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day. Once you have fully recovered, regular walks of 20 to 30 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week, will help maintain your strength.
The second complication we try to avoid is loosening of the implants. This can happen when patients do too much walking and stress the implants prior to the ingrowth process. Generally, I advise patients to walk only a few hundred yards a day total until they get to around six weeks.
However, walking is generally considered as the best exercise following total hip replacement. This is because it helps to promote hip movement and is a low-impact activity.
3 to 6 Weeks After Hip Replacement Surgery
You'll likely be able to walk without a walker or crutches.
You have a window of time immediately after your surgery in which you can restore the range of motion in your new joint. If you don't move and engage in physical therapy, however, scar tissue develops that restricts movement and your muscles weaken.
Rehabilitation will continue a few days after the surgery, with visits with physical and occupational therapists two to three times per week, as well as home exercises.
Overworking your hip before it's completely healed could have serious consequences. After a couple weeks, you will be encouraged to walk as much as you can without pain. Swimming is also a great exercise to get back into shape after a hip replacement, and is something you can begin 12 weeks after surgery.
Walking: I recommend that you walk as much as your feel comfortable (at least 2-3 times a day), trying to walk a little further each time. You may walk inside or outside as you feel comfortable. As stated above, you will need a walker or cane for stability for the first 3-6 weeks.
Gentle exercise is beneficial, such as short, gentle walks around your home and outside. Supervised physiotherapy, like rehabilitation programmes and hydrotherapy, can also help improve recovery in the weeks following surgery.
Sit in a firm chair with a straight back and armrests. Avoid soft chairs, rocking chairs, stools, or sofas. Avoid chairs that are too low. Your hips should be higher than your knees when you are sitting.
The first, and most common, walking problem occurs when the hip replacement patient takes a long step (stride) with the hip replacement leg and a short step with the uninvolved leg. This is done to prevent extension of the surgical hip, which can cause a stretching discomfort in the groin.
Many people who have undergone a total hip replacement have had a significantly altered gait pattern, or limp, for some time prior to surgery. Besides reducing pain, alleviating a limp is the priority for many during the recovery period. Improving your ability and efficiency of walking is a multifaceted process.
The following activities are generally not recommended after hip replacement: running, jogging, squash, racquetball, contact sports, sports where jumping is involved, heavy lifting (over 50 lbs).
Limping is caused by relative insufficiency of hip abductor muscles because of high position of the great trochanter, and also because of high position of the center of hip prosthesis. Orthopedic surgeon should exercise a caution when informing a patient about the outcome of the surgery, particularly about the limping.
It is common for patients to be tired following a total hip replacement, which is due in part to anesthesia, blood loss, pain, and the necessity of prescription pain medications.
Everyone recovers differently, but it's often possible to return to light activities or office-based work within around 6 weeks. It may take a few more weeks if your job involves heavy lifting. It's best to avoid extreme movements or sports where there's a risk of falling, such as skiing or riding.
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Many people can return to normal activity 12 weeks after their procedure. It's important to avoid overdoing it — and to expect some good days along with some bad ones. Sometimes, full recovery from hip replacement surgery takes six months and up to a year.
The Don'ts
Don't cross your legs at the knees for at least 6 to 8 weeks. Don't bring your knee up higher than your hip. Don't lean forward while sitting or as you sit down. Don't try to pick up something on the floor while you are sitting.
It is normal to experience some post-operative discomfort and swelling in the groin, thigh, lower back and buttock regions. Some degree of pain or ache can persist for up to three months following your surgery. This is all part of the healing process.
Your orthopaedic surgeon and physical therapist may recommend that you exercise for 20 to 30 minutes a day, or even 2 to 3 times daily during your early recovery.
How Long Until You Can Sleep Normally? It's best to avoid sleeping on your affected side for at least six weeks. After your doctor gives you the go-ahead, listen to your body, and only lie on your operative side when you feel comfortable.
Researchers have previously shown that hip strength and muscle weakness persist up to 2 years after surgery. Based on the rapid recovery in the first 3 to 4 months, some patients may stop doing their exercises, which may limit their recovery and place them at risk for falls.