A hip replacement procedure is a major undertaking, even for otherwise healthy individuals. Recovery is going to take some time, but it’s not just the passage of time that will ensure healing is a success. There are a number of steps you’ll want to take to help keep your recovery on track. In today’s blog, we share five tips for ensuring you have a successful recovery from total hip replacement.
Helping Yourself Recover After Hip Replacement
As we mentioned above, a successful recovery from hip replacement surgery won’t happen by accident. If you want to do everything in your power to help your hip and whole body heal, here are five things you’ll want to do.
- Prepare Your Home For Your Return – You can get your recovery off to a great start by preparing for your return home before you head in for surgery. Stock up on healthy groceries, prepare some easy-to-reheat meals, and set up a bed area on a main floor level so that you don’t need to traverse stairs, because doing so would put a lot of strain on your recovering hip. This will be easier to get ready before your surgery, so plan ahead.
- Be Mindful Of Fall Hazards – A fall can be devastating while you’re recovering after hip replacement surgery, and because your balance and mobility are affected by the operation, you need to be especially mindful of potential hazards. Remove objects from the floor, like toys, rugs or dirty laundry that could be a tripping hazard. As we mentioned above, set up a bed on a main floor so that you don’t have to constantly navigate stairs, and consider investing in balance aids like a walker or cane to help you keep your balance as you recover.
- Manage Your Pain – There will be pain and discomfort after your operation, and it’s important that you work to manage this pain so that you can stay active and participate in physical therapy, which will really help drive home recovery. You may have a high pain tolerance, but if discomfort is making it so that you don’t want to get up and move or do your daily exercises, it’s going to slow your recovery. Talk to your surgeon about how to safely and effectively manage your pain with medications in the days and weeks after your surgery.
- Do Your Exercises Every Day – Arguably the single best thing you can do for your recovery and your long-term hip function is to participate in physical therapy every single day. Physical therapy will help strengthen hip muscles, stabilize the new joint and increase flexibility in the area. The sooner these areas are established and developed, the sooner you’ll pass through rehab and be able to take on bigger physical tasks. If you don’t do physical therapy regularly, your recovery can plateau, leaving you at worse physical function than if you really committed to your rehabilitation program.
- Make Healthy Habits A Long Term Priority – If you do everything on this list, we’re confident that you’ll be putting yourself in a great position to make a strong recovery, but it’s also important to keep these healthy habits in mind once you’ve recovered. If you fall back into bad exercise or diet habits, or you start doing the same things that led to hip degeneration in the first place, you may find that hip discomfort returns. Keep exercising, continue to eat healthy and manage your weight, and pursue ability-appropriate activities outside of rehab to ensure the long-term health of your new hip.
If you have questions or are interested in learning more about hip replacement surgery or recovery, reach out to Dr. Botero’s office today.
