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P.T. opinions please

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Mr.T

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Hello again everybody. I started my P.T. class about a month ago. I am the only one in the class with a THR. I don't know how familiar the the therapist is with THR. I am still on my walking cane. Without it, I still have very much of a limp. I asked the P.T. if I should get out and walk more,and he said no.He said that I should just concentrate on doing exercises to strengthen the leg muscles on my new hip. Those muscles are quite a bit smaller in diameter than my dominant leg. It's hard to make up for over 40 years of difference.
My question to my experienced friends is,do you agree with the therapist that walking is not that important? I value the opinions of those that have already been down this road.Thank you in advance.
 
Given a choice between PT and walking, I think supervised PT every time. You should be walking some but don't overdo it.
 
Once again my experience is different, I'm starting to feel like I was whisked away by alien doctors and delivered back afterwards.

When I went to my OS at the 3 weekly visit he said somthing about physio, he said you don't need to still go, he said just walk and you will build up the muscles. He added that when he did my knee, (which he did in Nov '08) that was a whole different thing, he said physio was essential. However, as most of you would have read, I had 3 very brief, (15 mins) PT sessions, no struggle, no hands on by PT nothing really, and then was discharged by PT, the OS wasn't impressed. I have just muddled on myself at home.

Good news is both times it's worked out fine but I know there are others who really need the expertise and hands on PT and if you can get it I say Go for it.

Chris :)
 
Mr. T.

I feel walking is VERY important as it creates a nice moment at the femoral component to help the bone remodel and strengthen in it's new configuration.

HOWEVER, I found myself struggling a bit a about the two month mark. Not so much with walking, but with certain movements where I asked my new leg to support my entire body weight (the worst was putting pants on whilst standing). I was told by my OS to work on abductors strengthening. I did this with simple leg raises, some other exercises, and at my local climbing gym. In a few weeks, the problems improved greatly. My PT had reviewed some of the exercises with me in the past, which helped. I think PT is valuable. This time around, I think I may go in to see them when I'm about 3 months out to see where I can make any further improvements.

Imagine walking without a limp takes strong muscles called A, B and C. Say your A and B muscles are an 8 out of 10 strength, but your C muscle is a 2 out of 10. You can make gains in all muscles, but clearly, the gains in C have the most potential. Problem is, you may not know how to strengthen C. This is where a PT can really help!

My two cents.
 
Mr T
I absolutely love to be outside and walking or hiking. From about 5 weeks on i was walking a mile every day. Then built up more. Also doing exercises to build up the small quad muscles. Same as you smaller in diameter than the other side.

My home pt right after surgery taught me exercises for home and told me that most hip patients do not continue with pt. My doc sent me at around 6 weeks to get me aquainted with which exercise equipment was ok with the hip restrictions. The pt office I went to has a good sized gym.

So I basically did both, prefer walking and if I were you would ask my surgeon what his thoughts were .

Happy healing
Judy
 
Walk every day!

Don't push it so much that you come back and can't move, but a little aching is to be expected - use ice afterwards.

PT is absolutely important, but walking a little further every day will build your confidence and is an accurate measurement of how much you are improving.

My neighbors now tell me that they were watching as I treked up and down the street every day, and they saw how much I was improving every few days.

there will be enough bad weather days to give you a bit of a break, but don't use that as an excuse too often.
 
Mr T,,,,,,walking is the BEST exercise and is most natural in the healing process!Just take it easy,good luck & keep posting! :)
:)
 
I want to thank everybody that has replied to my question.I asked the P.T.why he discouraged walking for THR patients.His reply was that the more I walked,the quicker that my hip would wear out.I don't that he is right.But,I will be 55 yrs.old in May.And I drive a truck for a living.So I feel that I spend less time on my feet than the average person.Unless something really bad happens,I feel that my new hip should last me the rest of my life.
Before I started my P.T.and while I was still on my walker,I would walk at our local track everyday that the weather was nice enough.I actually felt like I was making some progress then.Since I started my P.T.and no walking,I feel like I am no longer improving.
I really NEED to go back to work.When I elected to have this surgery I never anticipated being off work over 6 months.My wife has now lost her job of 17 years.It went to China.So I'm real anxious to get back to work.I want to do everything that I can to speed up the process.
 
OK Mr. T that pt of yours is just crazy
You get out there and walk as much as you want to. I am 51 and very active. My doctor has told me to walk as much as I want to. At 3 months after surgery when all restrictions were lifted, he gave me the ok to hike again.
He knows my plan was (maybe still is) to backpack the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada. (I'm just not sure because of extensive back surgery)
My hip is totally fine to do that trip. I have hiked miles and got to the top of mountains which were strenuous since the hip replacement.

Same doc did arthroscopic surgery on my knee in Dec. I just got the ok to walk as much as I want on it.
Now running will wear it out sooner, so he does not want me to run ever again.

Please walk as much as you like. The surgery was to give you your life back to do as you please.

I am sorry about your wife's loss of employment. so many are in the same place. Me being one of them

Judy
 
Mudpro,

Very funny. Forgot to mention the neighbor thing. I had my little route in our neighborhood and was later told by my neighbor how they watched me "evolve". All I could think of was the little mock-up you see showing ape to Neanderthal to Modern man. My wife may argue I'm stuck as a Neanderthal!

Mr T,

I'm with Judy. New PT. Unless your doctor put in older generation polyethylene, I wouldn't stay up at night worrying about wear rates. Even if he did use something like that, I still wouldn't worry about wear until my recovery was complete! Otherwise, what's the point of the operation? You may want to talk to your OS. He may want to know which PTs are giving what advice to his patients!
 
Hi Mt T,

I found walking to be the best, but then I didn’t have any structured PT – just does not seem to happen for hips under the New Zealand Public health system. I was determined not to limp, so after going to one crutch at 3 weeks, kept using it, especially for long walks, for quite a few weeks after that.

About 2 months after surgery I went to see a trainer at my gym who is a Muscular Skeletal Rehabilitation specialist and he gave me a set of simple exercises to do, leg raises etc. I also find cycling really good, and have just got back into the routine of using the “endless pool” at the gym.

It did take a few months before the operated leg stopped looking like a poor, underfed version of the unoperated leg – amazing how the muscles just seem to fade away and take their time returning!

All the best,
Monica
 
The good thing though is that muscles have memory, Monica!!:)
 
The good thing though is that muscles have memory, Monica!!:)

One of the exercises my PT has added recently (10 weeks) is standing on just the operated leg without holding onto anything. This is suppose to help the muscles "remember" how to react in order to retain balance. You will feel the muscles tremble, this is them reacting the the changing pressures and strains to stay upright.

3 set at 30 seconds each, twice a day.
 
Mudpro's exercise is a great one! Once you're comfortable with that, there are these little squishy discs you can add in. I had no idea what they were for! Then someone showed me how you can do the exercise Mud is talking about whilst standing on the disc. The little bit of wobbliness makes your body train those stabilizing muscles that much more. I recommend starting off near a hand rail or wall until you get the hang of it.
 
I saw my gym instructor doing that one day. He looked really funny!
 
You can do that on the Wii Fit, too! (I swear I do NOT work for Nintendo!) There are several yoga poses & strength training routines that require balancing on one foot & the gadget actually records your center of balance--man, mine was all over the place--this was REALLY hard to do!
 
Mud, my PT added that at just 3 weeks! But mine is 10 seconds x 5 once a day. And yes, Judles, it was definitely an OUCH! But after just a few days, I can really tell the difference. I do get to stand at the counter in case I need it, though.
 
My OS told me to stand on my operated leg for 1 minute. It was harder than I thought, but I considered it a challenge and soon was able to do it.
Judy
 
Yep, that's fabulous exercise for balance and to get leg strength back. Both my trainer and home PT had me doing it. The PT put me at the kitchen sink so I could hold on if needed. Once I could balance for a while, she had me reaching to various places on the counter....out to one side, reaching across my body....all while standing on the one leg. It is hard, but VERY good for you. Be sure and do it on BOTH legs as the other one will feel neglected and will not be as strong as your operated leg!! That happened to me and now I'm having to work on the "good" leg!
 
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