Excersises

I was told if it hurts don't do it.  If it is only that exercise I would drop it for a couple of weeks.  Protocol here in the US is to take it easy for six weeks.  Muscles, tendons, and nerves are all healing.  Maybe try back in three weeks with a modified(smaller clam) version.

I had my THR on the NHS and wasn't given a booklet of exercises.  Saw the physio for the last time at 4 weeks.  Think by butt off bed you mean the bridge which I was given along with the side lying raising your leg and the clam.  Even though I had been doing these exercies for many years in pilates I could only manage the bridge at this stage.  The other two have come on since, probably from eight weeks but I haven't pushed it and now at fourteen weeks they are going well - when I remember to do them.  I just thought that if my body doesn't want to do them and it hurts, don't because it will come in time.  I would relax, concentrate on walking and doing the simpler exercises until after 6 weeks.  Good luck!

I'm 27yrs old and I'm 5weeks post op.

Our bodies heal differently and I guess being a younger patient I might be healing quickly.

What I'm trying to say is some of the exercise are real painful like laying on your side and lifting your leg it's pretty pain.

I think my therapist had my start that on my 4 week or so.

It was brutal but she had me do 10 reps, it was painful so I stopped there, the next day I tried another 10reps then I did another 10 reps making it 2 sets of 10. It was very verh painful.

So I decided to hell with it, he 3rd day I did just 10reps and increased the reps on all other exercises. I think that helped because today I was about to do 3 sets of 10 reps which felt amazing but painful.

You have to be able to tolerate some of the pain, because it's really worth it I'm telling you that because I'm in my 5th week and I'm walking without a crutch or cane nothing just not long walks but I can walk around the block without it.

Another advice would be after therapy try to lay down for at least an hour or two before put the hip to work again.

I hope my reply helps.

And remember if you feel like it's too painful and you bare it then you stop.

Also remember, I don't really know how the saying goes but it's like iron goes through before it can molded.

Stay positive and stay strong.

Bless.

It is not the doing of the exercise, that will come with time.

You need to ask your physio to teach you to feel for the muscle in your butt twitching, took me some time but I finally got it, in one appt, and could feel the muscle trying to lift my leg, but took weeks of keeping trying, my left leg was a nightmare, but my right leg had no problems with it at all, the benefit was I could feel it getting stronger the more I tried the exercise the better my limp got so that was a strong incentive to keep trying.

As I noted earlier, my left leg I had big probelms with, but with phyios help it eveutaully came right.

I also added treading water in the local heated pool, 3 days a week from about 21 days after my surgery, checked with GP that my cut was healed enough to be in public pool, OHHHHHH lovely, just to be non weight bearing, did my exercises with the water as extra resistance.

Physio very impressed with ability to plank and bridge even though I had a terrible limp from weak butt muscles, and also surprising enough weak core muscles, she also gave me exercises for them.

I never did the clam though I do recall seeing it in the book. Physio can be painful but it is also key to getting movement back. But if it hurts a lot it might be better to do fewer repeats or drop it for a while. I found moving my leg to the side the most uncomfortable exercise but I also found over time I could do more with less discomfort.

Mike

hi jean, 

just looked at your previous post and noticed that this is your 2nd hip replacement surgery ..

Bridge and clam exercises are streneous ones and I agree, when it hurts don't do it (yet) - or perhaps not too intensely - small movements are effective as well but only if you can lie comfortably on your side - 

butt clenches you can do anywhere and anytime -

There is no NO PAIN NO GAIN in hip replacement surgery - 3 weeks is still kind of early in recovery and major healing is taking place -

SOunds like you ae doing great - just keep listening to your body and be gentle to your self - 

big warm hug

renee