Using Physiotherapy To Recover From A Total Hip Replacement
Total hip replacement surgery can have a drastic impact on your daily quality of life, but this major medical procedure also requires regular exercise and physiotherapy to ensure a full recovery. A physiotherapist will not only be able to guide you through strengthening exercises, but also help you manage any pain and catch signs of complications early. If you are about to undergo a total hip replacement and aren't sure about the value of attending your recommended therapy afterward, consider the following four benefits a physiotherapist (like those at SoulSpace Physical Therapy) can offer.
Regaining Your Coordination
Whenever an important part of your body is removed and replaced, there will inevitably be a transition period where nothing feels quite right. You may feel stiff, uncoordinated and limited in your motion, all of which can affect your ability to live independently. Physiotherapy works to stretch and strengthen the muscles surrounding your new joint, allowing them to regain their full range of motion within a few weeks or months of steady work. Improved coordination is also a health priority, as it decreases your risk of falling and injuring your hips in the future.
Getting You Walking Sooner
Your first few days after hip replacement surgery will likely be spent in a hospital bed, with only a few short, assisted steps to get you back on your feet. Once you move into the therapy stage, you will be given the chance to stand up, stretch and move around, all under the supervision of medical professionals. These exercises can rid you of your wheelchair or walker at a much faster rate than if you choose to recover on your own.
Promoting Faster Integration With Your Body
In order for the surgery to be considered a success, your body must both accept and learn to work with its new joint. Modern technology has made this easier than ever before, but you may still be at risk for osteolysis, a condition where bone deteriorates around an artificial joint, and dislocation, when the replacement joint comes loose and causes small fractures in the pelvis. Screening through medical imaging is the most effective way to identify early signs of complications, but physiotherapy has been shown to speed up the healing process and encourage your body to accept its new artificial components more readily.
Monitoring Your Recovery
As a patient, it can be hard to determine what discomfort is part of a normal recovery process and what needs further medical attention. By working closely with your physiotherapist, you will have many opportunities to discuss your concerns, and your therapist may even spot new issues before you notice them.
Therapy might seem like an unnecessary and tiresome add-on to an already demanding medical procedure, but by complying with your surgeon's recommendations, you will be giving yourself the gift of a faster healing time and seamless transition into a better, more mobile life.
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