IS IT POSSIBLE TO DAMAGE A NEW HIP BY WALKING TOO MUCH TOO SOON?

You have to listen to your body Mumsy a little and often is what they all said to me, but when your body says enough then stop and rest......... I'm 10 weeks post  op today and I walk a mile to a mile and half in one go but always come back and put my feet up with a coffe for half an hour afterwards. Sometimes you just have to put your feet up and rest your legs..... it a slow process and a long one but we will all get there in the end. xxx

Yes you can I damaged mine in the first 6 weeks of getting mine I damaged both of mine

Hi. I'm a one for not sitting still. Thougt might take a well earned break but at day 8 I went to kids sports day and since then did everything normal about the house, pottering, housework, nipping to shops etc. With 2 kids, 8 and 10 on summer holidays I'm back to normal at 4 weeks apart from one crutch when out and about. I do get a little tired in evening but that helps for full nights sleep. I to am not sure whether all this activity is recommended but I don't know how else to be and I feel great.

I see surgeon tomorrow at 4 weeks 4 days post op as he is off on holiday so I'm hoping I get all clear to drive. I'll ask him if I'm doing too much but I am presuming that as long as I don't break 90 deg rule then activity can only help repair muscles.

Fingers crossed he says all ok! As others on this site say, as long as you rest when needed think you have to know your own body and what you can do.

Be aware aches etc can start more at around 2-3 weeks as things repairing. For me some aches but all bearable.

Keep going, just rest if needed.

Karen x

Hi Mumsy ...

Probably not your new hip, but maybe the fragile structure of tendons and muscles - not damaging, but perhaps tearing -- 

but as long as you listen to your body, make sure you walk properly and be cautious, no tripping or acrobatics, minding the 90 degree rule etc. you are doing really good ...

It is easy to overdo it, and your body will let you know .... 

have a good night -

warm hug

renee

You'll know if you over do it. I went really well at the start but then when I got stuck into the physio (or rather her onto me!!) I got sore again. Now I'm doing hydrotherapy 3 x a week and physio weekly I've backed off too much walking.

i am finding since changing my focus my walking has become much more 'normal'

best of luck 🌈💌🌈💌

Hi Mumsy,

delightfully different views again, tho a combination of

when your body says enough then stop and rest

when your body wants to walk a mile go for for!

Makes lots of sense to me! I would say walk sans limp, and don't overbend or walk on rough terrain yet. If like me you got no post op physio, it might be worth buying some in to help achieve what you can.

you'll loose those sticks too as your body grows in confidence!

Walk lightly over the world, seeing that of Godde in everyone.

mic

x

Hi Mumsy

My understanding is that there's minimal chance you'll damage the actual new hip, but rest is as important as activity.  It's good that you're getting about, as you shouldn't be sitting down for too long.  The variation is good.  

But you  also need to be doing the exercises that are going to build up the muscles, tendons and tissue that has not only been knackered  in the course of the op but also was not functioning properly beforehand when your hip was poorly.

You may well get swelling in the leg in the coming week and a lie down with your leg elevated helps there.  I have found that an afternoon nap is a wonderful little pleasure  

Great that you're feeling so well!

My advice is little and often and excercise in water as much as possible. My big mistake was walking to my daughter's house, about a mile uphill at 4 weeks, carrying a small backpack. I was fine doing the walk but that night my thigh muscle went into the most painful spasm that I fainted with the pain. Aim to build up to full activity by about 4 months. Best wishes.

Betty

Hi Mumsy, 

Doing too much can be as bad as not doing enough I was told.  My father-in-law said the best advice he recieved when he had his was from a man who was in the hospital having his "fixed" because he didn't listen to the Dr and did too much too soon.  I think this man was probably breaking his 90 degree rule as he was doing gardening and you are only watering but I would err on the side of caution.

Rest is very important in the first few weeks and I'm assuming on day 8 you would still be on pain medication so it's easy to do too much and not realise it as the meds are taking the edge off your pain.

As the others have said, listen to your body.  Doing the physio exercises are more important than the amount of walking you are doing as you have to built up the strength in your muscles.

At my first physio appt 14 days post surgery she wanted me to do leg raises with a 1kg weight and I thought it was impossible.  I'm now doing them with 2kg weights at 5 weeks post surgery.  Its amazing how quickly you will recover just be patient.

Gaylene  

I had the Anterior operation on my left hip. I left hospital after 4 days. At day 5 after the operation I was using 2 crutches and able to walk 2 kms. At day 6 I was using only one crutch but had quite some pain. After day 7 of the operation I was walking 4kms per day. Two weeks after the operation I wasn't using crutches and walking around 4kms per day. The pain was a struggle to start with. No pain killers after 10 days after the operation. The pain I was having was from my knee, as improper  walking  from the hip had created a tight muscle down the left side of the leg that was connected to the knee. After seeing the physio once and some exercises the pain went away quite quickly. Now after just over 3 months post operation I haven't had any pain at all from my hip or knee from around 8 weeks after the operation. I found each day challenging immediately after the operation, but the more effort that I put into it I felt great improvement even on a day to day basis. Immediately after the operation I had to learn how to walk again. A number of my muscles in the legs, feet had to undergo much exercise to correct them. Preserving through the hard workload I put myself though I had a number of surprises in terms of my recovery. It was very tough to start with and I thought to myself what was I doing, and sometimes questioning whether some of the pain would go away and it did. I wish everyone success in getting rid of the pain and experiencing a normal pain free lifestyle.

Realize that that precaution is mainly for people getting a posterior hip replacement. Anterior approach hip replacements generally have very few precautions and almost never that one...up to surgeon of course.