Proper walking is the best way to help your hip recover. At first, you will walk with a walker or crutches. Your surgeon or therapist will tell you how much weight to put on your leg. Early on, walking will help you regain movement in your hip.
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).
Climbing Stairs During Physical Therapy
Learning to climb stairs with an artificial hip is an important part of your physical therapy program after surgery. Your physical therapist will focus on strengthening muscles that work against gravity to help you progress as quickly as possible.
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.
How long does it take to recover after a hip replacement? “On average, hip replacement recovery can take around two to four weeks, but everyone is different,” says Thakkar.
Returning to normal after your hip surgery
You should be able to stop using your crutches within 4 to 6 weeks and feel back to normal after about 3 months. After this time you should be able to perform all your normal activities.
Don't lean forward while you sit down or stand up, and don't bend past 90 degrees (like the angle in a letter "L"). This means you can't try to pick up something off the floor or bend down to tie your shoes. Don't lift your knee higher than your hip. Don't sit on low chairs, beds, or toilets.
However, even the most successful hip replacement is not immune to postoperative aches and pains, the most common of which are pains in or around the buttocks. The pain does not render you immobile and does not indicate an unsuccessful surgery as it is entirely normal following a hip replacement.
You should not bend your hip beyond 60 to 90 degrees for the first six to 12 weeks after surgery. Do not cross your legs or ankles, either. It's best to avoid bending to pick things up during this period.
Is cycling good after a hip replacement? Unlike running, cycling is seen as a very good post-op activity because it's very low impact on your hips. In fact, your doctor may recommend cycling on a static bike as a way of building muscle strength around the affected hip.
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.
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.
Most people, though, experience surgical pain for approximately two to four weeks following hip replacement surgery. Your activity level, medical history, and any pain you're dealing with before surgery have an effect on how long it will take you to make a full recovery.
Hip replacements are known to irritate the bursae and cause bursitis in the buttock area. Tendinitis —Tendinitis is a condition characterized by inflammation in the tendons (the tissue that attaches the muscle to the bone). This is a common cause of post-hip-replacement buttock pain.
Anterior thigh pain after hip arthroplasty is also associated with femoral stem size, use of cement, femoral stem design and material, femoral stem instability, and loosening and disharmony in flexural strength between the bone and femoral stem [4,8-15].
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.
The best sleeping position for your hip is to lie on your back with a pillow between your legs. This will ensure you won't twist your body during sleep, which could put you at risk of your new hip popping out of its socket.
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.
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.
Getting on and off a toilet
You will need to use the toilet equipment provided for at least the first two months following your operation.
At no time during the surgery are any muscles cut. The femur (thigh bone) is separated from the acetabulum (hipbone socket). The acetabulum (socket) is prepared using a special instrument called a reamer. The acetabular component is then inserted into the socket.