| A period of healing can be misperceived as a time to | | | | endurance, not to mention to reduce pain. |
| be laid up in bed, drugged up on painkillers. This, I | | | | Also, if you've always been an exerciser, don't stop. |
| think, couldn't be further from the truth. Especially if | | | | Sure, you might have to modify your routine and |
| you're in the process of hip replacement surgery | | | | definitely talk to your doctor about what activities |
| recovery, you're not healing if you're still in bed, | | | | might put a strain on your new hip. But don't be |
| half-conscious, with your system full of | | | | discouraged, and try not to think of it as having to |
| pharmaceuticals. | | | | give something up, but rather as getting the |
| Hip replacement patients often start their physical | | | | opportunity to learn new ways of strengthening your |
| therapy the day after their surgery. While this might | | | | body and building up your endurance. |
| not be true for all patients, it is true that physical | | | | An interesting statistical tidbit is that people who |
| therapy is an integral part of the healing process. | | | | engage in weight-bearing exercises when they're |
| In fact, physical therapy is now being recommended | | | | younger tend to have a decreased risk of |
| as a treatment for a variety of ailments, especially in | | | | osteoporosis. Osteoporosis, of course, can lead to |
| older people; people suffering from cancer, | | | | hip fracture, and thus to hip replacement. Think |
| Parkinson's, urinary incontinence, stroke, and arthritis, | | | | about why weight bearing might help to prevent all |
| among others, are all given physical therapy | | | | of that. It seems simple and logical enough that |
| regimes. While physical therapy was once | | | | because the muscles that support the bones are |
| considered "something to try," more of an | | | | stronger, there has been less negative pressure on |
| experimental type of treatment than anything else, it | | | | the bones throughout life. |
| is now very often the primary treatment. | | | | But even if you're not "younger," even if it's too late |
| Physical therapy is almost always prescribed for | | | | to prevent it, that information is not useless to you. |
| people who have had hip fractures or replacements | | | | It's going to be important to learn how to use your |
| – in cases where physical therapy wasn’t | | | | muscles in such a way as to not put adverse |
| prescribed, that was probably only due to rare and | | | | pressure on your new hip. There are still exercises |
| unexpected complications that prevented it. If it's | | | | you can do, physical therapy and beyond, to |
| expected that someone would not be able to | | | | strengthen your muscles and increase your |
| participate in physical therapy following hip | | | | endurance, thereby increasing your your stamina, |
| replacement surgery, that patient should not be | | | | your mental well-being, and your sense of balance, |
| recommended as a candidate for surgery, because | | | | which decreases your likelihood of falls. |
| what's the point of an artificial hip you can't use? | | | | When it comes to hip replacement surgery recovery, |
| Engaging in some sort of physical therapy or exercise | | | | getting the right information can be a daunting task. |
| routine prior to surgery will also help make the | | | | That's why we put together this confidential report |
| recovery process smoother. Physical therapy has | | | | for you at our hip replacement surgery recovery |
| been proven to help replenish or enhance strength, | | | | website. |
| coordination, flexibility, range of motion, and | | | | |