Restrictions After Hip Surgery

Hip replacement surgery is a surgical method in which the hip joint is surgically replaced by an artificial hip prosthesis, which is a hip replica. Hip replacement surgery is commonly done as a partial replacement or as a full hip replacement.

There are many reasons why a patient would need hip replacement surgery, the most common being a traumatic injury to the hip that leaves the hip unable to bend properly and brings pain, instability and stiffness to the affected area. Other reasons include aging and wasting of the hip bone due to joint disease.

Some patients may also require hip replacement surgery due to osteoarthritis. The hip joints are often very sore, and therefore, difficult to move. In addition to the soreness, the arthritis that affects the hip joints can cause the hip bones to recede, leaving portions of bone exposed. If this occurs, the bone cannot heal properly, and the bone will eventually crack. As a result, the patient will require hip replacement surgery.

Re-evaluation by a physical therapist prior to having hip replacement surgery will help the physical therapist determines how much weight loss and restriction will be involved in the patient’s rehabilitation.

The physical therapist will also ask questions about the patient’s medical history to make sure that there are no other health issues that will need to be addressed before having the hip replacement surgery. After the patient has been given a thorough examination, it will then be time for the doctor to make his final recommendations. The surgeon will also need to make his own evaluation and suggestions.

After surgery there are a number of restrictions placed on the patient to ensure proper recovery. As the hip joint is involved in a large portion of a person’s mobility some of the restrictions are quite rigorous in the initial weeks. As the joint strengthens the restrictions are lifted gradually.

This blog post will examine some of the main restrictions placed on patients after surgery.

Restrictions for the first two weeks:

• Do not bend, lift, or twist at the waist
• Do not carry packages, luggage, or groceries
• Do not kneel, squat, or bend at the waist when cleaning
• Not Moving Too Quickly
• Movement needs to be gradual

Restriction for the next few months:

Avoid Stairs

After undergoing hip replacement surgery, the patient will likely experience some restrictions. One of the most common restrictions is not being able to use stairs. This should be avoided because it puts a lot of pressure on the new hip replacement’s ball and socket. The patient should increase their activity gradually which will improve the muscles and the range of motion.

No Driving

Avoiding driving for long periods of time is another restriction that may be placed on the patient. This is because driving places a lot of strain on the joint. Driving with a long distance should also be avoided because it increases the number of times the joint moves. The warning signs for restriction should be followed to prevent re-injury and to help increase bone density and muscle mass.

Resting and Being Patient

Resting is an important part of recovery. You need to divide your day into set of normal daily moving, therapeutic exercise, and rest. As the weeks progress and the joint strengthens your daily rest time can be reduced.

It is important to learn how to be a patient while at home. This can be extremely challenging as our intuitive sense tells us to resume our daily activity prior to the surgery. Do not allow yourself to do that. You may benefit from using a calendar to break down the activities throughout the day.