Post Hip Surgery Exercises

[Rayray]

These exercises are really well illustrated including animations. Designed primarily for hip arthroscopy patients but also useful for Open Debridements, possible PAO's:

http://www.damiangriffin.org/rehab.html

[oscarsmum]

Thanks Rayray,

They are really good and easy to follow too. I have saved them and will try some of the stage 1 that I haven't got, but stage 2 looks way to scary at the moment,lol.
Kate x

[missiongirl]

Hi Kate.

I believe you have done hydrotherapy before but I just wanted to say that I really feel that it helped me a lot. I find that I can stretch certain muscles much better in the water..especially easier for my side. You might just want to try using an aqua jogger in the pool. For proprioception I like to do the one foot balancing shifting weight back & forth. I also find hip adduction & abduction easier to start off with in the pool. What i like about the pool is that it also works my ab's some..

I have just started back at the pool and my legs are stronger now....I'm totally hoooked! ALthough I am suffering from some sort of setback I can move much better than I did in April in the pool when I went regularly..so off I go.

I hope you are doign well and that is a great site Vixen..I'm going to steal sum of those! MG

[oscarsmum]

MG,

I haven't been prescribed hydro this time unfortunately , I found it really good after the scope. I can remember most of the stuff but haven't got motivated yet to get into the pool. I keep saying I will do some of the stuff and finish with a few laps but haven't got there yet-maybe next week,lol.
I'm glad you are doing well at the pool because you have had a rough time lately, hope it helps.

How are you doing now ? Have you managed to get an appointment with the OS yet?
Hope things get better soon,
Kate x

[Rayray]

Kate,

I am using a large gym/body ball at home now. It is great just to sit on and do leg raises to increase the muscle strength in the operated leg. There are loads of other exercises you can do on it as well.

Home is beginning to look like a gym now though - treadmill, exercise bike (not using yet), cardio glide and body ball!

[oscarsmum]

Bet you will look fantastic with all that!

I have a gym ball (deflated in the wardrobe,lol). What exactly are you doing on it? Its been so long since I used it I can't remember anything except sit-ups. I am thinking of getting some ankle weights as some of the exercises are getting easier now, and asking for a more resistant thera band too. My worst one is the straight leg raise, am still totally hopeless with that!
Am also looking for a gym membership for three months, before I committ myself to joining for a minimum 12months. Hopefully that will help with the motivation for the pool too-I hate the public ones, and its worse now the kids are off school. They do adult swims but about 9.30pm and I am too tired and sore to go then (at least thats my excuse!!)
Keep up the good work,
Kate

[Rayray]

Hi Kate,

I think the most effective exercise on the gym ball is to just sit on it with your legs at a right angle. Raise the non operated leg and this is a good test of balance - I really notice it in the operated leg and is certainly the most difficult to do! You can also roll your pelvis which I find easy but is good exercise.

Your can also lie on it and do push ups, stand with it behind you and crouch down, lie sideways and extend the hip up onto it (lying still). I remember in pilates that we used to roll down from a standing position onto the ball, roll it until it was underneath our feet and then do press ups - all in one elegant movement. Not quite sure if I am up to that yet!

I used to belong to a gym until my back pain (which I now know came from my hip) stopped me going about four years ago. I always loathed the gym itself i.e. the machines, but loved the pilates, yoga, dance and aerobics classes, and the pool. I used to do at least three classes a week plus spend an hour or so in the pool. I would like to do this again but I am not up to classes yet and also I am concerned about my left hip which keeps reminding me that it is not happy. I have decided to book a one on one pilates session at the local studio so that I can get some exercises tailored around my hips and then do them at home.

It is nice to feel that we can get relatively fit again though isn't it. I have always been pretty fit and done loads of exercise but the last five years it has all gone out of the window!

[oscarsmum]

Thanks Rayray.

I used to use the gym and preferred that to classes, just remembered reading your last post an exercise I used to do on the gym ball for glutes. I was always hopeless tho and hated it because I had no strength there at all-now I know why,lol.

How are you doing with the walking? Are you still using a crutch/walking stick? You sound like you are going from strength to strength. I am sure you will get back to classes at some point, but remember you are only 10weeks post-op! It takes time.
Kate x

[Rayray]

Hi Kate,

I am using a stick out of the house. Mr Norton seemed keen that out of the house I didn't limp and I do when not using the stick. His protocol was that if Hubbie noticed me limping he had to remind me once, if I am still limping I am tired so use a stick/crutch/two crutches whichever is the next step up. I have never gone back to two crutches though from day one of weightbearing as I found one was enough.

I haven't used the crutch at all for a couple of weeks. On a couple of days I have felt the need to and Hubbie has just said that if I am that sore then I should be resting anyway and I think he is right in my case. I don't use anything in the house most of the time although I want to at times. Yesterday I got more and more tired and just ended up not moving. My hip joint is very sore today and the paras are having no effect but I suspect this is just part of the recovery process.

Are you still very sore walking? If so I wonder how long this will last?

[oscarsmum]

Hi Rayray,

I am still sore walking, but not as bad. I find it bearable in the house without anything, but still limp badly. Outside I am using one crutch and that is still sore too. I am a bit worried the limping will become a habit,and have thought about going onto the stick to prevent that. I can't walk at all without limping yet, but don't know whether its better to limp and try to get stronger or not limp, use the stick, but might that make the muscles slower to recover? Will ask physio on Tuesday. What Mr Norton said seems to make sense to me, and I have heard that from others. I wonder if that is why I am always sore, because I am not giving it any time to recover.
Also, although I know I couldn't walk outside yet without the crutch, I don't think I would want people to see me walk yet as I am embarrassed by how much I do limp, and don't want questions from everyone thinking that it has made me worse etc ( I know it hasn't but to others it would look like that.). Its bad enough everyone who sees a crutch wanting to know the full details-especially as its hard to give a simple answer.
Still, I think the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer.
Kate x