Hi, like many of you, I have bone on bone, osteoarthritis in my right hip. I'm due to have hip replacement in the fall (I was scheduled to have it May 15th, but a root canal got in the way of it!) Being told how important it was to exercise and strenghten the muscles before surgery, I have been walking on a treadmill, about 2 miles a day. My hip seems more painful than ever however, and maybe this is a dumb question, but how does walking or any other type of exercise help when there is constant bone on bone movement? Doesn't it just aggravate the bone on bone?
I was waiting for an ankle joint revision some months ago and to save it I stopped my walking and started swimming doing over half a mile every other day to build up my fitness, then my twenty year old replacement hip failed some months later.
I suggest that you consider swimming to get fit as you will not be loading up the hip joint. Mine failed due to years of wear to the plot cup fitting not the swimming!
Hi Betty, The exercise is to strengthen the surrounding muscles for a quicker recovery, but if the treadmill is too painful you can certainly do other exercises. There are many simple exercises that can help. You can find them online, the same exercises you do right after surgery are helpful before too. If you stil have a couple of months before surgery try not to be totally inactive, any movement helps. Also 2 miles is quite a lot when you are bone on bone. Would it help to lower that to ½ to 1 mile? If not, stick with the simpler exercises. Weights on your ankles and lifting them forward while sitting, 2 sets of 10. Exercise bands in bed, lift legs and hold 20 seconds, 2 sets of 10. Glutes, squeeze while laying in bed, hold 10 seconds, release, do several times. All of these and more like them strengthen the muscles around your hip. Walking will be the best exercise after your surgery so it is good your body is accustomed to it. I have problems walking as I had knee replacement a year ago and now after the hip replacement it is acting up. I just ordered Nordic Walking sticks, hope they will help me. It is hard to walk here now though as it's been over 110 for the last two weeks. Come fall though, I will be ready. I did not time my surgery well. I am just past 8 weeks post op, not doing too bad, but I am walking with a limp which makes my back and whole lower body sore. I had in home physical therapy but am starting outpatient physical therapy next week. Hoping that helps. Best wishes for your surgery. You sound fit and should do well. Hip surgery is much easier than knee surgery. I would not worry, just try to stay active before as much as you can, you're not going to hurt the hip worse. Have all your aids ready at home before your surgery and you will do well.
Hi Peggy, Thank you for your thorough response. First of all, where do you live? Where I live in California, it has been triple digits as well for the past few weeks. That is why I bought a treadmill, as it was just too hot to walk outside. Actually the treadmill is not painful for me at all, in fact I find it to be less impact than walking on ground, but my hips, especially in the groin areas, seem more sore than ever since I started walking on the treadmill, and I wondered if I was aggravating the bone on bone even more so.
I also had a total knee replacement, in July, 2014, (same side as my bad hip) and my knee has really been hurting as well, and I HOPED it was pain coming from the hip, so I was distressed to hear that you started having knee pain after your THR.
I agree Peggy that I may be over doing it walking 2 miles every day, and I will reduce it and see if it helps, as well as doing the other pre-op exercises that were given to me.
I'm also trying to lose some weight, another reason I push myself to walk the two miles. I am also going to take Richard's advice and try swimming. I have never been a swimmer, but I guess now is as good a time to start than any!
Good luck to you Peggy with your recovery and look forward to reading your posts as you get better and stronger.
Hi Betty, I had some exercises that the physio gave me, and they seemed to ease the pain a bit. I just had 3 exercises to do. With one I had a resistance band around a table leg, and my bad leg, and I pulled out my leg at a 45° angle. Another one was having the band around both legs, and stepping the bad leg out sideways and back, slowly. As Peggy says there are probably good ones on line, or maybe you could see a physio. All the best, Judith
Thank you RIchard. I've never been a swimmer, however I'm sure doing water exercises/aerobics are good for anyone. This is a perfect time to try it, as it has been extremely hot where I live.
Have you already had your ankle joint revision and hip revision? Are you still swimming? Wow, a lot to endure ~ good luck to you Richard.
Yes, I have pre-op exercises that were given to me, but I wanted to keep up the walking too, in the hopes of losing some weight. When I'm on the treadmill, it actually feels good, less impact, but its the soreness afterwards that I'm noticing, where I did not notice before when I was walking on ground, so I wondered if the treadmill was not a good thing to do with bone on bone.
I hope it will be a good thing to walk on AFTER THR, as I just bought the thing!
Thank you Judith and good luck with your recovery!
Hi Betty, I'm sure that it will be good afterwards! (I was told that walking was the best exercise,) I'm fine thanks, had my op almost a year ago, mostly I hardly think about my hip. Hope all goes well for you, Judith
The twenty year old hip failed as I was waiting for the ankle revision on the four year old ankle to be revised.
The hip had to be done first and was carried out on May 11th but I suffered severe bruising and a suspected cracked pelvis when I was thrown to the floor in the passenger ambulance outside the hospital at the start of my trip home.
My surgeon told me not to weight bear until I saw him on June 19th some five weeks later. I've now been walking for three weeks and am walking well up to three miles a day without any aids.
I live in Las Vegas, very hot this time of year. I had a treadmill but it conked out on me and hubby got rid of it. I still have a recumbent exercise bike but after doing it I could barely walk for 4 days! I don't think I am ready for it yet. I had problems with my weight too while so inactive for two years, with the injury, the knee replacement and now the hip. I gained 30 pounds after my hip replacement, so went on Nutrisystem in January in prep for this. I have lost 40 pounds as of today. It hasn't made me more limber but hopefully it will help in the long run. I have a pool and thought my timing was good as I would swim and walk in the pool, but the water is 101 from this heat spell and not easy to exercise in. I did however get my outpatient physical therapy through and have an appointment let this afternoon. I have had this bad limp and then the knee is stiff too. Don't feel worried about a 2014 knee replacement. I had mine 11 months prior to the hip and it recovered very slowly. It was finally feeling okay month 10 so scheduled my hip. In retrospect I should have waited another six months. The knee had plagued me with stiffness that finally was gone after I got more active. Now it is back and feel like I'm going through that therapy again. Many hippies have knee pain afterwards so I think the hip surgery aggravates the knee. Mine may be moreso because it had barely recovered and then was so inactive for two months again! I'm sure it will improve, but I have work ahead of me to get back where I was. The hip itself feels fine. I know it's not as strong as it needs to be yet. My home therapist said the lack of strength of those cut muscles was causing my limp. Could be, but it is probably a combination of that and my stiff knee.
OMG Richard! Thrown to the floor in the ambulance? Bless your heart and KUDOS to you for doing so well after all you've been through!
Reading everyone's stories here, I'm embarrassed for complaining about some silly pain that I brought on myself from over doing it on the treadmill!
I've read your posts in the past and you seem to have a very good attitude. I'm sure that's why you are experiencing a faster recovery & I hope to take all the positive vibes from you & others & get through my recovery quickly.
Just putting shoes & socks on in the morning, I feel like I've just done a 30 minute, intense work out and leaves me in tears of frustration. Can't WAIT for that to be behind me
Hi again Peggy ~ this has nothing to do with hips (hope I don't get in trouble but I thought it was interesting that you said you lived in Las Vegas, as I just finished a book today where the story was set in Las Vegas. The author herself lives in L.V. Its called "we are called to rise" by Laura McBride. I only mention this because L.V. was on my mind after reading the book, then getting your post soon after, saying you lived in L.V.
Also about Nutrisystem ~ I was on it years and years ago and I do know it works, however I still have to fix dinner for my husband every night, and I hate having to fix a full meal for him and then I can't eat any of it myself. He's a "meat and potatoes" guy too and would not be happy with a salad or a piece of grilled fish or chicken every night! I just have to watch portion sizes like they do in weight watchers.
Hope your physical therapy session is going well! Betty
We would love to leave Las Vegas, tired of the crowds, crime and glitz, but our daughter and grandson are here and we're in no shape to move. We do think about it however. I had the same issue with my hubby but he was at the surgeon with me when he said I would do better if I could get the 30 pounds I had gained off. Husband is no cook but got him to eat Hungryman meals and we do the occasional steak on the grill, I just eat veggies with mine. He's actually gotten used to it, so hoping we can do another month or two of it until I get a bit more mobile. Then I am just going to have to be careful what I cook. Thank you for asking about my therapy. It went well but on the way home we stopped at the grocery store for his meals and I'm pooped. The therapist is the same one I had for my knee and I get very personalized treatment. I did a lot of different treatments then walked around the facility with him timing me. I was just barely on the line of okay. I then used what they call a stepper but not a traditional stepper, it just shuffles your legs back and forth, not up and down. I used it for 10 minutes. I was there an hour and the therapist said the pain near my knee is from my hip and it's weakness. He said we would just work at strengthening it up and getting my walk faster and hopefully with no limp. He was not worried and said it was not a serious problem that it was still early after surgery. I am going 2 times next week to get used to it gradually and then to 3 times a week for about a month. He told me I would see a huge improvement around month 3, so not too long! He is a part of my doctors office, a separate office but owned by them. It's nice to have one person that knows and remembers you. It's a bit of a drive but worth it to me. I'm feeling so much better. I was feeling depressed yesterday but now am sure it will all pass. He told me to stay off my exercise bike until about the 4th month. He advised swimming as soon as my pool cools down a bit. I know how good it felt the 3 times I got to use it before it got so hot. It looks like it will cool a little next week. I like a warm pool, just not a hot one. I expect to hurt tomorrow but that's okay. I did a lot of exercise so I am advancing. I ordered some Nordic walking poles that should arrive Friday. I am anxious to see how they work. I read it puts less stress on knees and hips and many use them after hip and knee replacements instead of canes.. I'm hoping I can use them this fall and if I like them hopefully start walking regularly. I've never been into exercise so that would be a big deal for me and very helpful when I eventually get my right knee and hip done. If you lived close by we could walk together! It would be so much easier if I had a friend to walk with. As far asnyou walking the treadmill, if the pain is not too much I would keep it up, just do a bit less. I don't really think you can hurt the hip further and since it is going to be replaced, I wouldn't worry about it.
Leaving Las Vegas, wasn't there a movie with that title
Seriously, I completely understand wanting to stay near family, especially as we age. ( even though I have no idea of your age, but it's how I certainly feel!)
I'm so happy to hear about your physical therapy session! It sounds like you have a great therapist and I'm sure you will be feeling great before too long!
I'm thinking of getting some pre-op physical therapy to be sure I find someone who I want to continue with after THR. We have moved since my 2014 TKR so I will be looking for someone new.
It would be great fun to walk with you, both of us using our "Nordic walking sticks"
Take care Peggy and look forward to keeping up on each other's progress.
PS I'll have to try some Hungry Man meals on my husband
I read the discussion between you and Peggy ... wow, so great to see this exchange in experience -
I lived in Los Angeles for 34 years and know about the ongoing heat - Las vegas is even worse ...
I live in Holland now and had 2 THR surgeries 6 months apart - rain, cold and damp winters are not helping either -
I had physical therapy pprior surgery and it was hell for me - it did aggrevate the bone on bone hip and I had to stop ... the exercises were not the right ones either -
so sorry to hear about the weight gain - same here - slowly gaining weight because of the restricted movements coming on - slowly (was in denial for a while) and then post op, plus another hip replacement surgery .. I was eating sensible meals however, not being able to move didn't help a lot ---
Your body and you are in pain ... exercising, even walking on a treadmill or using a stationary bike makes your body stiff and rigid - muscles are contracted just because you are hurting ...
SImple exercises, like Peggy mentions, are the best --- also upper body training might be good, like arms and shoulders and core muscles - not too heavy though -
I love Ojai !!!!
Hope it will cool down soon and maybe some much needed rain . (wish I could send some from here)..