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Physical Therapy after Total Hip Replacement

Posted , 12 users are following.

ShelleyS1102
ShelleyS1102

Good morning. I am 2 weeks out (tomorrow) from my surgeery. I have had home physical therapy 5x weekly since my release form the hospital on day 2, I am now capable of walking with no cane, and 1 mile on my elliptical and 1 mile outside. BUT I am unable to bend down vertically and bring up my operated leg to cross over the other leg to put on socks shoes and tie my laces. This therapist I am using can't-or won't-help me. I just found out he is a PT assistant. All he does are the same exercises over and over for strength and walks me outside for 1/2 mile. Can anybody please share their experiences with their therapists so that I know what to do AND whaa is their recovery.  Do I fire this one and hire another or just fire this one? Or just accept the fact that I will forever be unable to bend or put on my own shoes socks, etc. without instruments? I have apointments with my pt through May 11.Thanks.

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  • kimberley38758
    kimberley38758 ShelleyS1102

    Posted

    Hi Shelley,

    You are only 2 weeks out.  Healing takes time and you can't rush it.  It takes up to 12 weeks for the soft tissue and muscles around the hip to heal completely.  The main thing to focus on for the first few weeks is strengthening the hip back up, not extensive stretching.  Once you are closer to the 12 week mark, it is safer to do gentle stretches several times a day to regain your flexibility.  Everyone heals at a different pace, but I assure you that with time and patience you will be able to bend down to tie your shoes again. 

     

    • ShelleyS1102
      ShelleyS1102 kimberley38758

      Posted

      Thank you, Kimberly, for your comforting words. I plan on starting out- patient therapy to see what they can do for me since in-home care was very limited. Will keep you informed. Take care!
  • libby96241
    libby96241 ShelleyS1102

    Posted

    I am baffled by this. i am also two weeks in. I saw the surgeon after one week and he advised me that for safety reasons a walker is recommended for the first six weeks. I have taken a few steps when required for transfer purposes, but would not be able to walk at this point although I have long walks outside with my walker and do physio three times a day. I have physio scheduled at the hospital every two weeks. Initially the physio is challenging but eventually within days becomes easy and is boring but I am continuing on with it.  Perhaps you had anterior ? Because I have had posterior and there would not be any possibility of  attempting to do socks or shoes or walking independently... or bending outside of ninety degrees as that  is a requirement for the entire three month time. The doctor told me that healing with posterior is longer but that after six months all the results are similar.

     I m 61 and live in British Columbia, Canada.

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen libby96241

      Posted

      Dear Libby

      I suspect that there is a large measure of the fear of litigation at play in all of this!

      What is possible, comfortable and safe for one person may be totally inappropriate for another person.

      The not crossing your legs the no twisting your legs and the 90 degree rule is sensible, but then I think based on just ny exoerience

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen

      Posted

      As I was saying going on my experience I think you should listen to your body and go for it.

      I had my total hip surgery twenty years ago and was not using any walking aids within a day or two, just got on with walking, did not do any exercises because I was not told to and was back to work etc on weeks.

      I had no pain that I can remember, no swelling, nothing and my hip gave me fantastic service for twenty hard years before I wore through the poly cup. Perhaps I was just lucky but I don't think I'm the only one here who sailed through it.

      I'm just holing that y revision in eighteen days is a re-run and that I don't have egg on my face!

      Cheers Richard

    • ShelleyS1102
      ShelleyS1102 libby96241

      Posted

      Hi Libby! Yes, I had anterior and dropped the walker in 6 days and at day 10 walked a mile outside with my pt. My surgeon gave me NO restrictions, but I m very concerned, and accordingly, am doing the best I can to avoid any complications. Going back to doc on Thursday. We will see what he says then. Keep up the good work!
    • libby96241
      libby96241 RichardKen

      Posted

      I don't know of many.... if any  .....cases of litigation here in Canada. Even when Dr's are grossly incompetent and botch surgeries or give incorrect  information they never admit to any wrong doing in this country. My GP told me I was getting an anterior procedure and he was wrong. I found out right before the surgery and then had the choice of going right back to the beginning  of a wait line of a year and a half with the only surgeon in town who does do anterior or go ahead with the  posterior. I wasn't happy about it but the GP would  not admit to making a mistake.

       Nor will other Dr's go to bat for a patient against aother Dr. in this country  We have socialized mediicine here and no way of assessing whether we are getting a quack or not. The GP 's make referrrals and we have no choice of surgeon and very long waiting times.

      If we have a GP we cannot change GP's When you phone to ask a GP if they are taking new patients they ask if you have a current GP and if you do they  will not take your case, so if we are unhappy with our GP we are unable to get a new GP. The only way to get a new GP is to move out of the community.

      My daughters live in large urban centers and they are unable to get a GP at all. They go to walk in clinics and wait hours to see whaever GP is there. This is common in our country. 

    • RichardKen
      RichardKen libby96241

      Posted

      Golly Libby

      Your account of how the heath service operates in Canada makes me feel quite relieved that I'm living in the UK!

      Cheers Richard

  • Dav1953
    Dav1953 ShelleyS1102

    Posted

    Shelley

    These long timers are telling you straight. It takes a while for good movement. I had my left hip replaced 6 weeks after the right one . The right hip is now fine. Left one dr had problems with and i still suffer from it. But the right one will cross and go wherever I want it to no problem. You just need more time & you'll be hopping around !!

    • ShelleyS1102
      ShelleyS1102 Dav1953

      Posted

      Thanks for the words of encouragement, Dav! I will give my body as much time as it  needs to recover as best as it can. Best of luck to you!!
  • t3chiman
    t3chiman ShelleyS1102

    Posted

    "...just accept the fact that I will forever be unable to bend or put on my own shoes socks, etc. without instruments?..."

    Hi Shelley-

      Welcome to the tedium that is post-op physical therapy. You are on your first THR experience; your therapist has seen 3000 or so THR patients--probably is not as communicative as he might be regarding your progress.

    A lot of post-op progress depends on your health status pre-op. Even if you had decent range of motion before, the trauma of surgery is going to have you stiff for a while. How long? Probably a couple of months; certainly longer than two weeks.

    From your report, you are doing fine in the balance, strength, and stamina departments--better than  most patients, in fact. As for range of motion, your PT will soon have you stretched out on the table, and gently pushing against your stuck-at-the-limits joint. At that point, you can expect measureable progress to occur on a daily basis. It's quite a feeling, really.

    My advice: keep the PT, enquire about starting ROM exercises. Plan an nice trip to an exotic destination (New Zealand, say) six months from now, to celebrate your newly rejuvenated body.

    Hope this helps.

    • ShelleyS1102
      ShelleyS1102 t3chiman

      Posted

      Hi T3chiman, YOUR ADVICE IS INVALUABLE!!!!!! You hit it right on the head with me. I need agility more than anything else right now, but I do recognize, that I HAVE NEVER BEEN LIMBER, SO MY BODY ALREADY HAS MANY LIMITATIONS ON IT.  I will continue to walk and do my elliptical, but insofar as getting dressed goes, I will wait the course. If I can do it, great. Bu if not, quite frankly, all I ever wanted from this surgery was to lose the limp. Mission accomplished. Many thanks for your post and best of luck to you!!!!
  • margaret47400
    margaret47400 ShelleyS1102

    Posted

    Hi.  I think you are expecting too much of yourself too soon.  I'm walking and driving but I'm still unable to lift my leg to put my socks on without an aid.  I had my op 12 weeks ago and was advised not to even try to cross my legs or lift my leg too high in case I did damage to my new full hip replacement. Kind

    regards Margaret.

    • ShelleyS1102
      ShelleyS1102 margaret47400

      Posted

      I think you may be right, Margaret. I am looking for an out-patient therapy locale now, and with the script from the doc, hopefully the new therapist will help my agility to some extent. I will not push it, thanks to you and the many other wonderful posters here. Take care!
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