THR Massage post THR

Ric A

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I have been doing all of my exercises as directed two times per day. About 2 weeks ago I increased my walking distance and started using a cane for walking inside. I also cut out Hydrocodone and only was taking Tylenol. My non operated hip also has severe arthritis and once I started to up the walking this hip really started to hurt.
I'm not surprised your non-operated hip has started to hurt. It's bearing an extra load at the moment, as your new hip isn't yet up to doing its full 50% share of walking.
In addition, you've increased your exercise and reduced your pain killers.

Since replaced hips don't really need a lot of exercises, I suggest you reduce those and cut back your walking. Spend a bit more time resting, icing and elevating - you could also try icing your bad hip as well as the new hip.

Your new hip will still get all the exercise it needs, just with your normal activities of daily living, so don't worry that you'll be putting its recovery at risk by stopping the exercises.

Hi, my first post.

You say new hips do not need lots of exercise. But do we not have too do lots and lots of stretching as directed in PT over the months to enable the new joint and the ligaments etc to stretch out and give us maximum mobility in the area long term?

I am concerned that just walking will not give us that effect. Could you or someone perhaps elaborate on how it all works please.

I am now 12 weeks into my first THR after sports wear and tear, the other one needs doing sap when I can get a slot. I am 62 years old, low bmi and fit apart from darn hip issues.
 
@Ric A Welcome to BoneSmart! Can you please give me the date of your surgery and which hip was replaced? I'll put the information in your signature for you.

I moved your post to a thread your own so that our members will be able to respond to you.

Yes, new hips do not need lots of exercise. Gentle stretching will help ease stiffness that many new hippies experience. But excessive exercise is not necessary while a hip is healing. Remember, you are not in training, you are in recovery.

Once that hip is healed, if you feel you need strengthening then by all means work on that. Start slow and build up very gradually.

I know you are 12 weeks out but I'll leave our recovery guidelines for you. Lots of good information.
Hip Recovery: The Guidelines
1. Don’t worry: Your body will heal all by itself. Relax, let it, don't try and hurry it, don’t worry about any symptoms now, they are almost certainly temporary
2. Control discomfort:
rest
ice
take your pain meds by prescription schedule (not when pain starts!)​
3. Do what you want to do BUT
a. If it hurts, don't do it and don't allow anyone - especially a physical therapist - to do it to you​
b. If your leg swells more or gets stiffer in the 24 hours after doing it, don't do it again.​
4. PT or exercise can be useful BUT take note of this BoneSmart philosophy for sensible post op therapy
5. Here is a week-by-week guide for Activity progression for THRs
6. Access these pages on the website

Pain management and the pain chart
Healing: how long does it take?
Chart representation of THR recovery

Dislocation risk and 90 degree rule
Energy drain for THRs
Pain and swelling control: elevation is the key
Post op blues is a reality - be prepared for it
Myth busting: on getting addicted to pain meds
Sleep deprivation is pretty much inevitable - but what causes it?

BIG TIP: Hips actually don't need any exercise to get better. They do a pretty good job of it all on their own if given half a chance. Trouble is, people don't give them a chance and end up with all sorts of aches and pains and sore spots. All they need is the best therapy which is walking and even then not to excess.

We try to keep the forum a positive and safe place for our members to talk about their questions or concerns and to report successes with their joint replacement surgery.

While members may create as many threads as they like in a majority of BoneSmart's forums, we ask that each member have only one recovery thread. This policy makes it easier to go back and review history before providing advice.
 
Thanks. my op date was July 23rd.

I am doing the standard exercises 3 times per day, and walking a total of 3 miles per day inside and outside the house in total.

My problem is the other hip will hold me back from any more walking than this, I suppose i could do more of the static type hip stretches and leg strengthening.

Iam UK based, and so covid is blocking of my normal exercise in the local pool for now. I could easily manage 1 or 2 miles pre op.
 
Is it possible to use a chiropractor or osteopath to loosen up the spine that many of us have had jammed up as a result of major surgery?

I know I need by lower back re aligning.
 
You say new hips do not need lots of exercise. But do we not have too do lots and lots of stretching as directed in PT over the months to enable the new joint and the ligaments etc to stretch out and give us maximum mobility in the area long term?
No, I don't think you do. A little bit of stretching should be enough. And once a day is often enough for exercises.

After all, why would you need to do lots of stretching? Your ligaments won't have shrunken. They will be the same length as they were before your surgery.

And mobility comes back slowly. You've had major surgery and you're looking at a year-long recovery. There's no need to rush to do everything in the first few months.
 
Is it possible to use a chiropractor or osteopath to loosen up the spine that many of us have had jammed up as a result of major surgery?
Sure. Just ask him/her to go easy around the hip area.
 
I didn't do any outside PT. Did some basic movements at home mostly lying in bed like heel slides and moving my leg out to the side and back. At around 3 mos I was walking a good distance and doing easy Yoga. After my first THR the walking took it's toll on my other hip which was bad already so it cut down my walking until I had the 2nd one done.
 
Happy Three Month Anniversary!
I hope you find relief from any back issues soon so you’re able to move forward in comfort.
A great week to you!
@Ric A
 
Happy Four Month Anniversary!
I hope you’re doing well. Is your back feeling any better? Fingers crossed it is.:fingersx:
Let us know how your recovery is going these days next time you stop by and have the time. A great rest of the month to you. :)
@Ric A
 
Happy Four Month Anniversary!
I hope you’re doing well. Is your back feeling any better? Fingers crossed it is.:fingersx:
Let us know how your recovery is going these days next time you stop by and have the time. A great rest of the month to you. :)
@Ric A

Hi Layla, thanks for remembering and asking.

Things are going ok really, I can walk about 3 miles now max on one walk, and do a whole host of indoor rehab exercises. However, for the foreseeable future this walking distance is the best I can do until I can get hip 2 replaced. It is badly worn also. So I am on the list for that, not sure when this will happen. Its difficult in the UK with Covid or course.

One thing though is that thigh swelling is still an issue if I do a 3 mile walk, or even less. I m told swelling can go on for 6 months plus? I do follow the usual elevation and ice advice for that. Oh, and the back is slightly better as I had it re aligned by my local chiropractor, but until I can can get hip 2 done, this will keep flaring up.
 
Btw Layla, our daughter in law comes from Penn State...Lemont. I see you live in the US too. She works in London now.
 
I m told swelling can go on for 6 months plus?
For some, years! Still early days for you in what can be a year long process. And you may be putting extra weight on that op leg trying to stay off that other sore hip.
 
I m told swelling can go on for 6 months plus?
For some, years! Still early days for you in what can be a year long process. And you may be putting extra weight on that op leg trying to stay off that other sore hip.


Years gosh. Didnt think it would be that long.
 
THR recovery can take up to one year or more. Much of it depends on how long you limped around pre-op.
 
You're just four months out from surgery. You're still very early in the process of recovery. I sense that that point will sounds strange to you, but yes, four months is early!

Walking 3 miles is great for four months, though I hesitate to say that because 3 miles isn't necessarily better than 2 miles.

You have to pay attention to your body. If 2 miles reduces pain and swelling afterwards, then in fact 2 miles is better for you. You'll ultimately be able to walk as far as you want, but the soft tissue has to heal. And no, there is no particular stretching required to heal from hip replacement. I researched many top surgeons who treat highly athletic people, and I went to an amazingly smart PT. Stretching was not the issue in recovery.
 
OK thanks, good points.
 
I know I wondered often what "collateral damage" might be remaining after hip replacement.
Trying to rush the end result always led to overdoing or keeping still healing soft tissue aggravated in my case.

Where I was at 4 months is not where I was at 6 months and where I was at 6 months was not where I was at 9 months and so on.
Even well over a year, I felt some repercussions after new or excessive activity.
Time is definitely the great healer...as now all is well with my two hips and I see, looking back, that many of my concerns were just phases of my recovery that led me back to a healthy happy life.
 
Had my second hip replacement March 25th.

More wear on that one, also after the op bruising and swelling was twice as bad.

But at least the rehab can begin.
 

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