What You Need To Know About Hip Replacement Surgery Recovery

A lot of people who need hip replacement surgery are ones that have nagging hip problems over many years. This article will explain the recovery process of someone who has had a hip replacement.

In some situations only partial hip replacements are necessary where there are only specific parts of the hip joint need to be replaced. In more extreme cases where continual damage has been done over the years a full hip replacement will have to be done. Currently, there is a very low rate of complication from this type of surgery which is great, now assuming you have had the surgery and have a shiny new hip, you need to move on to rehabilitation.

Hip Replacement Rehabilitation

Your doctor should provide you with a lot of information about rehabilitation, if you have any questions during the time make sure that you ask. Nonetheless I will still go over the basic information that should have been covered in case your doctor missed anything.

There are two aims of rehabilitation in this case: to prevent joint malfunctions, and to strengthen the hip for the future. Firstly, while the hip may be brand new and strong, it doesn't mean the hip joint is. The tissue around it will be healing and your body will be getting accustomed to the new hip for the next little while so it is important to keep this in mind.

To prevent complications, try not to put excess stress on your hip by lifting heavy objects or doing strenuous exercise. Another thing to watch out for is hip dislocation, which can happen if you cross your injured leg in front of the other. As much as possible try to maintain a neutral, relaxed position for your legs.

Hip Replacement Strengthening

The second part of recovery is to strengthen the muscles surrounding the hip. Your doctor should have given you a specific routine, however if he did not you can refer to the articles about hip flexor strengthening to help give you some guidance. The goal of strengthening these muscles is to prevent a re-occurrence of the issue that caused you to have to get a hip replacement in the first place.

Expect to have several follow up appointments with your doctor so he/she can assess the condition of the hip replacement. If all is well these should take no time at all and you'll have no future problems with your hip.