| After any surgery, life is altered for a while. Your | | | | therapy and an exercise program. The occupational |
| body has to have time to recover from even minor | | | | therapy includes activities of daily living (ADLs) such |
| surgeries, because even the minor ones are | | | | as getting in to and out of bed, bathing, and getting |
| perceived by the body as an invasion and it reacts | | | | dressed. |
| accordingly. Hip replacement surgery recovery can | | | | You will probably need special equipment in order to |
| be especially intense. | | | | achieve total independence. |
| Temporary changes in bodily function may include a | | | | This equipment includes adaptive bathing and dressing |
| poor appetite. It's important to consume plenty of | | | | aids. Other common ADL tools are reachers, sock |
| liquids – water, juice, milk, and light soups – | | | | aids, long shoehorns, long sponges, and elastic |
| to prevent dehydration. Don't worry, you'll want | | | | shoelaces. You should obtain these items prior to |
| solid food again soon enough. | | | | surgery; they can be found at most medical supply |
| You might experience some insomnia as well. This is | | | | stores. |
| normal. Try not to take too many naps during the | | | | As your physical therapy becomes less supervised, |
| day so that you'll be sufficiently sleepy at night. | | | | your home exercise program will become even more |
| Pain medicine contains narcotics, which can cause | | | | essential to you. Your goals for that first four to six |
| constipation. Eating lots of fruit, particularly prunes, | | | | weeks after surgery include: |
| can help. Use stool softeners or laxatives such as | | | | - walking with a cane or a single crutch as your |
| milk of magnesia only as a last resort. | | | | physician advises |
| Ways of controlling the normal discomfort that | | | | - walking a quarter to a half mile or as much as you |
| occurs after hip replacement surgery include taking | | | | can |
| your pain medicine at least half an hour prior to your | | | | - moving from climbing stairs one foot at a time to |
| physical therapy sessions and gradually weaning | | | | normal stair climbing |
| yourself from your prescription medication to an | | | | - straightening your hip completely |
| over-the-counter drug such as Tylenol. Two | | | | - driving a car with your physician's permission |
| extra-strength Tylenol, for example, can be | | | | - and, of utmost importance, continuing with your |
| substituted for the prescription drug up to four times | | | | home exercise program three times daily! |
| a day. | | | | Time heals all wounds – you just have to allow |
| Make sure to change your position at least every 45 | | | | for time. Be patient. Your body may be |
| minutes. Also, use ice packs on the affected joint | | | | permanently altered, but it will heal itself and adapt to |
| for up to 20 minutes at a time each hour. Ice can | | | | the changes if only given the chance and the proper |
| be used before and after you exercise. An ice pack | | | | resources. |
| can be as simple as a bag of frozen peas wrapped in | | | | When it comes to hip replacement surgery recovery, |
| a towel. However, you might want to designate | | | | getting the right information can be a daunting task. |
| that bag of peas as your ice pack rather than | | | | That's why we put together this confidential report |
| actually consuming them. | | | | for you at our hip replacement surgery recovery |
| Physical therapy will begin a day or two after your | | | | website. |
| surgery. Physical therapy includes both occupational | | | | |