Walking

Good morning Linz,

It does depend on many factors but you need to build up the muscles in your operated hip before you will be able to walk "normally" for more than a few steps.

Exercises I found helped were walking sideways across the kitchen in both directions, start by doing it along the work surface and gradully doing it without putting your hands down.

Next stand sideways to the work surface with operater leg to the outside and hand of good hip on surface to give you support, stand up stright like you have a string pulling your spine up and keep your hips level and still, now lift your unoperated leg forward a step and through to a backward step, do in reps of 10. As you feel more confident progress to fingertips and eventually not holding on.

If you have had long term problems with your hip you will need new shoes/slippers as your old ones will be worn down and not encourage correct posture.

When to walk unaided imagine that same string attached to the top of your head pulling you up, put your shoulders back and put the heal of your foot down first for each step.

When you are tired its difficult so use one stick, correct posture is more importand than rushing to be rid of the stick vs walking properly.

Hope that helps, 5 weeks is early days in the greater scheme of things so take your time and pat yourself on the back for the progress you have made, best wishes, Dot.

Happy Tuesday Linz!

Good for you!  Don't forget heel first then toe, that helped me with the 'waddle'. 

4 weeks post op. Can walk around house and up and downstairs without crutches. Even carried my carvery lunch in the pub today without.

However if do too much leg muscles do hurt so I still take one crutch when out walking just to take strain off.

Each day seems to get better. Physio exercises which seemed so hard last week are becoming much easier.

I guess we'll all get the the same place in the end. X

Linzi, I am also walking the penguin way that is until I slow right down and do everything in slow motion. Going through the walking motion really slowly has seemed to re-train my brain into walking properly. If I forget I rock like a weeble!

 

Hi Linzh,

I am at 4 weeks, same as you can do stairs with some difficulty but manage ok. As for walking I am finding the hydrotherapy helps to stretch things out a little. The straighter I am the better the walk. Waddling happens when I'm tired.

Certainly we're all a works in progress 😜

 

Hi Linzi

I'm 5 weeks today as well - happy anniversary!  I'm also finding it hard to walk without the "waddle" but am improving every day.  I believe the reason we waddle is because the muscles are still mending and they have also obviously deteriorated as a result of the OA.  I can walk without the waddle with one stick but take the stick away I still waddle a little.

I'm making sure I do my exercises 3 times a day and will get the exercise bike out after reading the other comments on here.  

I know it's frustrating but it is only 5 weeks - we'll get there!  Oh, and I bought myself a new pair of ASICS sneakers and I don't waddle nearly as much when I wear them as they have a lot more support than normal shoes I would say although my other shoes do have inserts in them.

Goodluck 

xx

Hi! I am in my 4th week post op and am walking with a cane. I have tried to walk without the cane a bit and have the same waddle. lol. I feel a little pain when I bear all of my weight on my right leg. You are not alone....

Started using my exercise bike a couple of days ago, but not sure how long I should be on it for, as I'm worried I may over do it!

linzi x