Is walking on a treadmill good before hip replacement?

Thank you RIchard. I've never been a swimmer, however I'm sure doing water exercises/aerobics are good for anyone. This is a perfect time to try it, as it has been extremely hot where I live.

Have you already had your ankle joint revision and hip revision? Are you still swimming? Wow, a lot to endure ~ good luck to you Richard.

Dear Betty

The twenty year old hip failed as I was waiting for the ankle revision on the four year old ankle to be revised.

The hip had to be done first and was carried out on May 11th but I suffered severe bruising and a suspected cracked pelvis when I was thrown to the floor in the passenger ambulance outside the hospital at the start of my trip home.

My surgeon told me not to weight bear until I saw him on June 19th some five weeks later. I've now been walking for three weeks and am walking well up to three miles a day without any aids.

All the best

Richard

OMG Richard! Thrown to the floor in the ambulance? Bless your heart and KUDOS to you for doing so well after all you've been through!

Reading everyone's stories here, I'm embarrassed for complaining about some silly pain that I brought on myself from over doing it on the treadmill!

I've read your posts in the past and you seem to have a very good attitude. I'm sure that's why you are experiencing a faster recovery & I hope to take all the positive vibes from you & others & get through my recovery quickly.

Just putting shoes & socks on in the morning, I feel like I've just done a 30 minute, intense work out and leaves me in tears of frustration. Can't WAIT for that to be behind me

Keep up the good work Richard!

Dear Betty

Thanks for your kind words. Having been self employed for almost all my working life perhaps helps plus the can do attitude I have. Sometimes this can do attitude has got me into trouble though!

I was looking forward to seeing if my recovery from the revision would mirror the swift and easy recovery of the original surgery twenty years before but the accident threw this out of the window however I'm relieved that so far I seem to have got well on the road to full recovery though I don't mind admitting to a huge amount of apprehension about dealing with the revision of my four year old total ankle replacement on the other side as it looks as if it is a bit of a disaster area.

I hope you get to enjoy your hit swimming pool again.

Cheers Richard

Hi Peggy, Thank you for your thorough response. First of all, where do you live? Where I live in California, it has been triple digits as well for the past few weeks. That is why I bought a treadmill, as it was just too hot to walk outside. Actually the treadmill is not painful for me at all, in fact I find it to be less impact than walking on ground, but my hips, especially in the groin areas, seem more sore than ever since I started walking on the treadmill, and I wondered if I was aggravating the bone on bone even more so.

I also had a total knee replacement, in July, 2014, (same side as my bad hip) and my knee has really been hurting as well, and I HOPED it was pain coming from the hip, so I was distressed to hear that you started having knee pain after your THR.

I agree Peggy that I may be over doing it walking 2 miles every day, and I will reduce it and see if it helps, as well as doing the other pre-op exercises that were given to me.

I'm also trying to lose some weight, another reason I push myself to walk the two miles. I am also going to take Richard's advice and try swimming. I have never been a swimmer, but I guess now is as good a time to start than any!

Good luck to you Peggy with your recovery and look forward to reading your posts as you get better and stronger.

Hi Betty,

I live in Las Vegas, very hot this time of year. I had a treadmill but it conked out on me and hubby got rid of it. I still have a recumbent exercise bike but after doing it I could barely walk for 4 days! I don't think I am ready for it yet. I had problems with my weight too while so inactive for two years, with the injury, the knee replacement and now the hip. I gained 30 pounds after my hip replacement, so went on Nutrisystem in January in prep for this. I have lost 40 pounds as of today. It hasn't made me more limber but hopefully it will help in the long run. I have a pool and thought my timing was good as I would swim and walk in the pool, but the water is 101 from this heat spell and not easy to exercise in. I did however get my outpatient physical therapy through and have an appointment let this afternoon. I have had this bad limp and then the knee is stiff too. Don't feel worried about a 2014 knee replacement. I had mine 11 months prior to the hip and it recovered very slowly. It was finally feeling okay month 10 so scheduled my hip. In retrospect I should have waited another six months. The knee had plagued me with stiffness that finally was gone after I got more active. Now it is back and feel like I'm going through that therapy again. Many hippies have knee pain afterwards so I think the hip surgery aggravates the knee. Mine may be moreso because it had barely recovered and then was so inactive for two months again! I'm sure it will improve, but I have work ahead of me to get back where I was. The hip itself feels fine. I know it's not as strong as it needs to be yet. My home therapist said the lack of strength of those cut muscles was causing my limp. Could be, but it is probably a combination of that and my stiff knee.

Well off to therapy.....wish me well.

Peg

 

should have been, I gained 30 pounds after my knee replacement, which is whynI had to do something before the hip replacement...

Whoa Peggy, you ARE in "hot country!" Even the pool water is too hot to go into! Yikes!

You have been through a lot between knee & hip and now having to endure that awful heat while recovering!

I hope your physical therapy went well - at least you are inside where it's air conditioned!

Good luck with it all Peggy & take care! Betty

Hi again Peggy ~ this has nothing to do with hips (hope I don't get in trouble   but I thought it was interesting that you said you lived in Las Vegas, as I just finished a book today where the story was set in Las Vegas. The author herself lives in L.V. Its called "we are called to rise" by Laura McBride. I only mention this because L.V. was on my mind after reading the book, then getting your post soon after, saying you lived in L.V.

Also about Nutrisystem ~ I was on it years and years ago and I do know it works, however I still have to fix dinner for my husband every night, and I hate having to fix a full meal for him and then I can't eat any of it myself. He's a "meat and potatoes" guy too and would not be happy with a salad or a piece of grilled fish or chicken every night! I just have to watch portion sizes like they do in weight watchers.

Hope your physical therapy session is going well! Betty

We would love to leave Las Vegas, tired of the crowds, crime and glitz, but our daughter and grandson are here and we're in no shape to move. We do think about it however. I had the same issue with my hubby but he was at the surgeon with me when he said I would do better if I could get the 30 pounds I had gained off. Husband is no cook but got him to eat Hungryman meals and we do the occasional steak on the grill, I just eat veggies with mine. He's actually gotten used to it, so hoping we can do another month or two of it until I get a bit more mobile. Then I am just going to have to be careful what I cook. Thank you for asking about my therapy. It went well but on the way home we stopped at the grocery store for his meals and I'm pooped. The therapist is the same one I had for my knee and I get very personalized treatment. I did a lot of different treatments then walked around the facility with him timing me. I was just barely on the line of okay. I then used what they call a stepper but not a traditional stepper, it just shuffles your legs back and forth, not up and down. I used it for 10 minutes. I was there an hour and the therapist said the pain near my knee is from my hip and it's weakness. He said we would just work at strengthening it up and getting my walk faster and hopefully with no limp. He was not worried and said it was not a serious problem that it was still early after surgery. I am going 2 times next week to get used to it gradually and then to 3 times a week for about a month. He told me I would see a huge improvement around month 3, so not too long!  He is a part of my doctors office, a separate office but owned by them. It's nice to have one person that knows and remembers you. It's a bit of a drive but worth it to me. I'm feeling so much better. I was feeling depressed yesterday but now am sure it will all pass. He told me to stay off my exercise bike until about the 4th month. He advised swimming as soon as my pool cools down a bit. I know how good it felt the 3 times I got to use it before it got so hot. It looks like it will cool a little next week. I like a warm pool, just not a hot one. I expect to hurt tomorrow but that's okay. I did a lot of exercise so I am advancing. I ordered some Nordic walking poles that should arrive Friday. I am anxious to see how they work. I read it puts less stress on knees and hips and many use them after hip and knee replacements instead of canes.. I'm hoping I can use them this fall and if I like them hopefully start walking regularly. I've never been into exercise so that would be a big deal for me and very helpful when I eventually get my right knee and hip done. If you lived close by we could walk together! It would be so much easier if I had a friend to walk with. As far asnyou walking the treadmill, if the pain is not too much I would keep it up, just do a bit less. I don't really think you can hurt the hip further and since it is going to be replaced, I wouldn't worry about it.

Regards,

Peg

Leaving Las Vegas, wasn't there a movie with that title

Seriously, I completely understand wanting to stay near family, especially as we age. ( even though I have no idea of your age, but it's how I certainly feel!)

I'm so happy to hear about your physical therapy session! It sounds like you have a great therapist and I'm sure you will be feeling great before too long!

I'm thinking of getting some pre-op physical therapy to be sure I find someone who I want to continue with after THR. We have moved since my 2014 TKR so I will be looking for someone new.

It would be great fun to walk with you, both of us using our "Nordic walking sticks"

Take care Peggy and look forward to keeping up on each other's progress.

PS I'll have to try some Hungry Man meals on my husband

I need a break!!!

Betty

Peggy, please tell me you do have air conditioning! I have Las Vegas on my weather app and I can NOT believe the heat you are getting! It never cools down either!!!

Been thinking of you and wondering how sore you are today after yesterday's first intense PT session! Hope you are able to walk today

x Betty

I think everywhere in Las Vegas has air conditioning. Our house has two. I could not live here without it as we never have cool breezes. I am sore after yesterday's PT. I got out of bed and could barely stand. After moving around a bit, it's not quite as bad but I will be resting today. Next PT is not until next Tuesday, so I have time to recover. I go Tuesday and Friday next week and then 3 days a week after that for 3,weeks longer. Hope that works well for me. It was nice that I know the therapist (from my knee), he knows my fitness level (or lack there of) and works with me to try to find the best strategy. I'm trying to motivate and wrap my head around it. As I mentioned, I have never been into exercise but am motivated to get back to walking normally or at least trying hard to be. I'm wishing I still had a working treadmill but hubby would have a fit if I wanted to buy another. I rarely used the last one as I had two years of knee and hip pain. I have had two bad knees for a long time, I get the cortisone shots in them regularly. I fell on our slippery pool deck when it was first installed and broke my kneecap. That was 4 months non-weight bearing in a brace, not fun! About 2 years ago I started having severe left hip pain. Beside the normal discomfort. It would also send a sharp pain in my groin area with no warning and I was afraid I was going to fall, so started using a cane when I left the house. Then in one of my less graceful moments I got my foot tangled in a lamp cord and tripped and fell on the same left knee on hard ceramic floor. I could not get up for 30 minutes and then it was with an ice pack numbing it and extreme pain. I was in bed a week with my leg propped up with ice packs on it, as it hurt too much to even try to go to the doctor. Finally hubby took me to the Nellie AFB ER, they took an x-ray said it was only bruised and sent me home. For two months I could barely put weight on it, it was terrible. At my regular appointment with my primary care she saw me struggling, looked at the huge bruise and promptly sent me for a MRI. The MRI showed all kinds of knee problems including torn meniscus. The consensus was with all the damage plus the osteoarthritis in it, knee replacement was the only way to go. Before the injury I had been planning formhip replacement that fall, but the knee needed it urgently, thus started my journey. 11 months later (in May) I had the hip done. What is depressing is today my right knee is killing me. The injection has worn off but it's not time for another and the physical therapy probably hurt it worse then anything. I have to grit my teeth and do it though as have to get the left new hip and knee working well. I don't want to think about the knee but know it will come next. I'm so tired of one thing after another. It wears you down. Then the surgeon said my right hip x-ray showed it about as bad as my left. He had to look hard to see the difference by gratefully it is not hurting me yet! My sister is calling me the Bionic woman! I will be when I get the right side done too! I sure would like a year of no pain in between just to remember what it felt like and give hubby a break. He was a military man, now retired, but he was gone a lot and I did all the housework and cooking, shopping etc. He's had 2 back surgeries and it's hard on him too. I do what I can but just have not been able to do much. I've had the restrictions which mean no bending. I have done laundry, using my grabber from my second day home from hospital. I fashioned a cat litter scoop I could use by taping it to the end of an old cane so I could use it. I dress myself with the grabber and wear slip on sandals, except for PT. I can do straightening up, can make the bed, but can't do meals or kitchen clean up, to much bending. That should come before the end of my 3 months and as my energy levels improve. Mine was a cascade of events that caused me to get weak from non-activity. I can get my next right knee injection in early September. Feels like a long way off....hopefully my strength will be coming back by then and my walk will be better. I usually try to plan my shots (I'm down to just one now) around the holidays so I am able to Christmas shop etc. This one will throw me off but I cannot wait longer. If they would allow them every two months I'd do well. I used to get them every six months and now every 4 months, but now they suddenly wear off after 2 months. It makes me want the right knee done soon, but I just don't think hubby and I can take another year of recovery. The knee recovers much slower and requires much more physical therapy too. I just need a break....

Well enough sob story! I will get through this. Need to concentrate on my hip recovery now. It is slower because of my long inactivity and my knee stiffening up, but therapist says we can fix that. He's no kid as many of them are. He's in his 40's and very good. He has seen all kinds of situations so I believe him. I did tell you he knew without me saying where the knee pain was and told me it's pain from the hip. It runs down a line on the side of the knee and hurts to barely touch. (Nerves maybe?) I should have asked him. I am actually relieved it's not the knee. I know the hip recovers much more quickly.

Betty good luck to you and your surgery. Keep us all informed how you do. The fact that you have been doing so much prep with the treadmill will definitely help you. You will be stronger and your recovery should come sooner. Even if you do a bit less on your treadmill, as you probably should for the pain, you are going to be a lot stronger than someone that did no exercise and was relatively inactive for 2 years prior (me). I think you will do great! 

Regards,

Peg

 

Hi Peggy,

You really have been through a lot, between your knee and hip! Indeed it does get you down, and I completely understand your fear of having to go through it again with your other knee and hip so soon.

I had my TKR in 2014, however it was not long after that when my hip (same side) started giving me trouble. People kept saying how great I must feel now being pain free, asking if the TKR was a success, etc., and I was feeling distressed about it, thinking it was not a success, before realizing the pain was coming from my hip. Now, like you, I worry once I have my THR, it won't be long before the other knee and hip act up! Everyone says I will be bionic as well! In fact I'm sure I have osteoarthritis in my feet, although I've never had them x-rayed. Don't know what can be done about that!

I'm curious Peggy, when you had your TKR, were you on that forum?

Hope you feel better before your next round of PT. I stayed off the treadmill yesterday but I think I will walk about a mile on it today. The more inactive I am, the more sore I am, especially if sitting for any length of time.

Take care and keep cool! Betty