When can I drive? When can I sleep on my side? When can I put the cane away? After a hip replacement, the honest answer to most of these questions is the same: it depends on how your surgery was done and what your surgeon tells you.
That isn’t a dodge. Surgeons use different approaches to the hip, and OrthoInfo notes that precautions vary from patient to patient depending on the surgical approach, and that not all surgeons recommend the same ones. So at Lake Erie Physical Therapy in Buffalo, rehab starts with your surgeon’s list, not a generic handout.
Precautions come from your surgeon
Your surgeon may limit certain hip positions for a period, usually the first several weeks. OrthoInfo notes that the risk of dislocation is greatest in the first few months after surgery while the tissues heal. Bring your precautions to the first visit. We will practice getting in and out of bed, chairs and the car, dressing, and handling stairs within them, and we keep following them until your surgeon lifts them.
What hip replacement rehab works on
- Walking. Moving from a walker or crutches to a cane to no aid, at the pace your surgeon allows, and smoothing out a limp.
- Strength. The hip muscles that steady your pelvis when you stand on one leg, plus the thigh and trunk.
- Balance. Stairs, curbs and uneven ground, including Buffalo sidewalks in February.
- Daily tasks. Low chairs, the car, the tub, and reaching low places, all within your precautions.
- A home program. OrthoInfo advises continuing your prescribed exercises for at least 2 months after surgery.
Hands-on techniques and pain-relieving modalities are used when indicated.
Milestones, roughly
OrthoInfo reports that most people resume most normal light activities of daily living within 3 to 6 weeks. Returning to work can take from several weeks to several months, depending on the job. OrthoInfo lists walking, swimming, golf and driving among realistic activities after recovery, along with lower-impact options like bicycling and doubles tennis or pickleball. It lists high-impact activities such as jogging, singles tennis, racquetball, basketball and skiing among the ones to avoid. Your surgeon has the final word on your list.
Signs that need your surgeon today
Physical therapy does not replace your surgeon’s follow-up care. OrthoInfo lists these warning signs after hip replacement:
- Calf or leg pain unrelated to your incision, calf tenderness or redness, or new swelling of the thigh, calf, ankle or foot (possible blood clot)
- Sudden shortness of breath, sudden chest pain, or chest pain with coughing (possible clot in the lung): get emergency care
- Fever higher than 100°F, chills, increasing redness, tenderness or swelling of the wound, drainage, or hip pain that increases with both activity and rest (possible infection)
A sudden pop with severe hip pain, or suddenly being unable to put weight on the leg, also needs your surgeon or emergency care right away.
Getting started
Bring your surgeon’s protocol and precautions, the operative report, your insurance card and a medication list, and wear shorts or loose pants. With Medicare, you don’t need a referral to start; your physician certifies the plan of care, and Medicare Advantage plans may require prior authorization. See Medicare and physical therapy, and please confirm your coverage with us. For how we coordinate with surgeons across procedures, see post-surgical rehab. When formal therapy ends, Keep It Going offers a way to keep exercising in our clinic.
Questions about rehab after your hip replacement? Call (716) 332-4838, or request your first visit online.
Sources
- Total Hip Replacement (OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
- Activities After Hip Replacement (OrthoInfo, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)