Physio gave me standing exercises to do...pendulum, lifting leg out sideways, raising knee and heel lifts but i was looking through the arthritis uk booklet this morning and theres loads more in there, some standing and some lying down. It doesnt say when they should be started but implies straight away so im wondering if the prescribed exercises are different for others. I dont go back to physio till next week but dont want to wait if i can do more now
Hi Helen
Nice to meet you....
Keep the 90 degree rule for 6 weeks...but try a variety of exercises you fancy even three or four times each. Some will be easy...Some difficulty and you can discuss with physio.
But yes...good to make a start soon!
Mic
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pre operation yet but I hear a lot about the 90% rule . What is this as i want to practice everthing possible in the next month before my op.
Hi there
Very simply....leg not to be higher than at right angles to your tummy...then down again. Important as we heal not to bring leg to chest as is shown in some pictures.
Standing on one leg is kinda good too.
Mic
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once you have your new hip you will need to be careful not to bring your knee higher than your hip. its to prevent dislocation. to begin with there will be no way your hip will bend that far anyway because the muscles are too tight and sore but after a fortnight its easing enough to be a risk. Its not really something you can practice before hand though
Hi Helen,
i am not quite sure when you had your op and how many weeks on you are.
The first physio visit, she went through how to get in and out of the chair, bed, watched all my movements on stairs, carry the extra crutch up and down stairs. The excercises were ankle movements, pressing knees down, one by one and counting, to start building up the top of leg muscles, also bottom tightening. All gentle and preventing d.v.t. She kept an eye on leaning too far forward from the chair, and twisting.
the next one, was stepping on to a very low stool, then bottom step of stairs, up and down 10 times.
Then lifting each knee , gradually increasing weigh bearing on operated leg.
Then taking the second stick away, watching how I was walking, and correcting hip hitching. Walking sideways on each side, backwards and forwards.
Rubber band around foot, stretching sideways, backwards, forwards, putting the muscles under tension.
Walking down the road and back with 2 sticks, then 1 stick, cheered on by neighbours. Distance increased and speeded up a bit.
using the rubber bands herself under tension making the muscles work harder.
walking up and down the stairs with proper steps, weight bearing with 1 stick, then none, holding on to banister.
walking with no stick, forwards, backwards, sideways, lifting,
today was 5 weeks, no stick, except outside. Much better having 2 hands to carry stuff. Getting faster, not rushing. Posture not great, trying not to hitch hip.
Today I removed the raised toilet seats. I would love to say it was all very easy, but I have found each day had difficulty, but gradually getting a bit better. I sigh quite a lot and feel it's all a bit endless.
I have an automatic car, and my left hip is the operated side, so was told I could drive after 2 weeks. The excercises made getting in and out of the car easy.
It's All about getting tension and strength back into your muscles. All the leg excercises can be done sitting in your chair.
I have taken night analgesics all the way through and have been having a good 8 hours sleep a night.
All my church friends have brought meals every day and have been praying for me and visiting.
i am truly grateful for them, an excellent hospital care and physio.
My friend with the discrepancy in the length of her legs took much longer to get going, but is flying around now with very little bother.
i hope things get better quickly for you.
Take all the help you can, rest a lot, eat well, this is a marathon not a sprint.
Olive
Hi Olive
All sounds a good solid plan!
I missed the lessons on flying though, do they come later?! Then you might fly over the hospital and drop off the crutches....
Go well and stay well
Mic
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hi helen --- good to hear you are doing great and eager to do your exercises ... personally I would do the ones your PT showed you - she/he assessed your posture and strenght in muscles ( I assume) - it is very easy to do it incorrectly, as I did :-(
there is a reason why they give you certain muscle groups exercises first ...
How long ago did you have your surgery ? Take care of your self and listen to your body ...
Hi Olive ... sounds wonderful - what a loving and supportive group you have close to you ... your PT sounds very knowledgable and caring ...
thanks for sharing and God bless -
im just 2 weeks post op. getting very impatient with my body for not being able to do things. im struggling to get my new hip to open. feels like something is stuck in my groin but im working on it. it has to give eventually. Everything hurts because of the length discrepancy. My back and pelvis are grumbling and my knees/other hip are getting really sore. I know i should be managing round the house with one crutch now but being so uneven is making it painful. Im pushing things a little because my experience is 'use it or lose it'. I have a chronic condition called complex regional pain syndrome in the same leg as the one with the new hip. it means my body over-reacts to trauma and continues the pain response long after the initial trauma has healed. Im so worried about this op making things worse that im less inclined to just sit around and let things heal than i would be otherwise. its complicating things but i am being careful not to overdo it.
2weeks is very early on Helen. I saw a big difference during the next week, which continued. Every few days, people commented on the improvement. If you watched the operation on u tube, you would see what happened to your poor leg. If you break a leg, it takes several weeks to heal. Well, your bone, ligaments, muscle, connective tissue, and skin have all been traumatised and 2 weeks is not going to heal it. Try accepting it, make the moments as enjoyable as possible and be an invalid for the next month or so. Try being thankful for the things you have got, husband, child, house, garden, whatever, eyes, ears. This battle is largely in the mind and either you beat it or it beats you and pulls you and your loved ones with it. Don't get me wrong, it's a pig of an experience, but something is going to win and we get to choose which. It really is a moment by moment choice. You obviously are a fighter, so fight with and not against your circumstances. Says she.... Sighing
Thanks Renee, yes she is. I am so grateful to her and those who have been so thoughtful. A neighbour left a nice bottle of wine on the doorstep, didn't ring, in case it was too much trouble to get up and answer the door! . This has made me more aware of keeping my eyes open for those unfortunates around, who might be worse off than me. I still find it a slog and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Not a bad way to look at how the other half lives. . . How far on are you?.
Positives, I enjoyed watching Celebrity Chef, birds having a wash in the bird bath outside my window, asking visitors a. Question from my box of "ice breakers" next to my chair and watching their faces as they try to think outside the box. "If you could put a camera in any room in the world, where would you put it". Gives you an insight into the way people think. Another friend lent me a book the she was sure was the best book she had ever read. The first chapter was awful, when she asked about it, it pretended I was well into it, so out of guilt, I read the rest in 2 days, staying up very late to find out how it ended, it was a great book of course...
onwards and upward 🎈
Ha ha, keep the humour going, thanks💃🏾🏇⛺️🚤
I started exercises in hospital day after op, foot pumps , raising leg, moving leg to side and back in, pushing back of knee in to bed and holding for 5 seconds, all reps of 10 , then standing exercises holding on to end of bed or chair , lifting leg to side and back in , lifting leg up to knee , stretching leg out to the back , all reps of 10 and 3 to 4 times per day , they get easier and keep you from getting too stiff , I am 8 days post op now and today is the best day I have had .
I also try n get up and walk every hour and a half , just pottering around the house , this is what the physio at hospital told me to do , it's hard work and sometimes I don't feel up to it but know it's all hing to help me get more mobile x
thats what i was given. maybe im expecting too much of myself. that could explain why im finding some of the exercises too painful to do. i think ill rein it in till i see physio next week. thanks
I am the same Helen , just do what you can , I find it hard because I have a bad left hip that needs replacing too so the extra strain on that while I heal doesn't help. Hope you feel stronger soon x
I read with interest the exercises given following surgery.
I had my TRHR on 6 May. I've had a ceramic hip. Physio discharged me at the hospital after showing that I could use the loo, and manage stairs. I have been told to only partial weight bear for six weeks, and to walk little and often.
Nothing about stepping up or extending my hip to the side. I have had arthritic hips for 10 years, and only 5-10% flexibility in my hips. I have been going upstairs one at a time for many years, due to my left hip locking.
I have no idea what other exercises I could be doing, or what hopeful outcome there could be. I need my right hip replacing too.
Any suggestions of what videos to look for on Youtube gratefully accepted.
Thank you.
to be honest, if you have those restrictions you should only do what your physio says to do. I have a ceramic on ceramic and am fully weight bearing so there must be a reason for the restrictions. Sometimes they place them if the femur bone isnt as strong as they would like but could be any number of reasons i guess. you will be seeing physio next week if youre on the same time frame as me (my op was may 6th too) so will probably get a bunch of exercises then.
m impatient because i can actually feel the other hip worsening now that my op leg is longer and my pelvis/gait is so different. i would really like a week or two of normality before i start again.
I have no follow up appointment with a physio. I'm not sur if I can refer myself. The nurse was quite dismissive when I spoke to her when I had my staples out - she was kind and lovely, just not interested.
I find people almost expect me to throw the crutches away already, but I will be using them until I have my post-op on 22 June.
My right hip is behaving so far. I think it's enjoying the rest!
thank you.
Gosh is nothing standard in the UK?
Just back from gp and got a self refer form with the phone no of physio
Confusing!
Mic
P'S I kept my crutches a week after post op check in....Exellent for battling London tubes!