Scared to move after hip dislocation!

Physio, very good physio is going to be a life saver for you long term, I'm sure your surgeon will be able to recommend the best he knows of, also adding strength to those muscles that surround your pelvis. its those muscles that hold your hip in place, its doesn't stay there just by itself, as you have found out to your dis-pleasure. 

For now you are doing exactly the right thing, walking, gently gently, and building up the amount of walking you are doing each and every day, even with the crutches to help support you,

Can I suggest that when you walk to the sitting room, turn around and walk back to the bedroom, and then back to the sitting room before you sit down, just doubling up the distance and strengthening those muscles.

Remember DO NOT twist, you must move your feet, just as though you had a stiff neck, you don;t try twisting it, you move your whole body rather than twist, very important I was told after hip replacement.

Look up coastal ortheopedics,and hip replacement exercises, in western australia, they have a little book you can print out with photos of what exercises to do and what you also cannot do, exactly the same exercises I was given to do post hip replacements, double hip, you will have to modifiy what suits you, some you will not be able to do, It might help.

Hi Debbie yes it's very rough when it happens it leave you almost like posttraumatic worrying if it's going to happen again , ease your mind it doesn't have to happen a second time give yourself time to heal it's OK to be careful and talk to your doctor about it stretching , peace be with you Mike

Evening Debbie....I dislocated my hip shortly after my first rhr.  I didn’t even know it was dislocated.  When I went in for my 3 week checkup and had X-ray was when it was discovered I dislocated it.  Dr was going to try and pop it back in but couldn’t and had to do a total hip revision.  Was six weeks non weight bearing and no hip exercises or hip flexion past 80 degrees.  I was besides myself.  I’m now 14 months out.  Now I’m having nerve pain and sensitivity in my thigh.  I’ve been seeing a pain dr since May. Have had injections in the nerve and back but still having the pain.  I’m taking lyrica, 75 mg 3x day.   Now I’ll be trying a spinal stimulator as I have a lot of back pain too. There are days I wished I never had this surgery as I feel I’m in pain again.  It’s not like the pain before surgery but nonetheless it’s pain again.  Talk to your surgeon about what exercises you can do safely.  I know I was scared for months about dislocating my hip again!!   Physical therapy will be good to do too to help strengthen the muscles surrounding your hip.  Best of luck to you for a speedy recovery and healing.  Hugs 🤗 Linda. 

Oh poor you, that sounds like a nasty dislocation.

I would think that you should be doing some exercises if only to strengthen the hip muscles as that's what we are told actually holds the hip in place and stops dislocations from happening.

I think that in your place I would get in touch with the surgeon (or his team) in Edinburgh immediately to ask his advice as he will have the x-rays and results from the hospital in Perth.

This has been a bit of a setback, but you are in good hands, and there is no reason you shouldn't make a good recovery from this.  Remember that the risk of dislocating (see my graph) reduces over time as we strengthen those muscles.  Feel free to moan on here, there are so many 'kind ears' around the world all wishing the very best for you.

Graham