Hello argee,
Others from the UK have noted they were not told to ice - interesting difference between standard protocols.
My experience, from two THRs, is that there are some things that worked well for me for broad recovery;
- get off narcotics as soon as reasonable
- elevate the op hip a bit with foot above heart (pillows under knee, roll slightly up on op hip)
- silicon ice pack with only a thin cloth layer (clothing) on the hip (45-60 minutes several times a day)
- walk between icings and bathroom breaks ... in my case, initially I would walk inside for as long as I felt comfortable (walker, and alternating walker and crutches, then single crutch - “round and round”) - start 3 minutes of walking and build up to 15 minutes. Start moving outside for longer distances as it feels comfortable to do so.
Based on my experiences, PT, at this point = walking. Sure, foot slides, slow stretches, etc are fine. The hip will heal best, in normal recoveries, by simply walking. Return to the gym can follow after a few months.
I felt comfortable putting a pillow between my knees to sleep - I think it might also serve as a reminder to maintajn alignment.
Your recovery sounds normal!
Here‘s my thread with various lessons learned along the way.
Left THR/A on 14 May Posterior Approach Far different from first THR/A (2000) on right hip. (early life injuries from horses, motorcycles, falls in cold-weather inclement remote military sites and circumstances) Some pain establishing nerve block - finding right spot. 0720 start, and 0815...
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