The data that doctors are collecting about the number of total hip replacements shows an upward trend. An article published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that about 635,000 patients will be having this procedure every year by 2030. Physical therapy has been shown to help patients who have had a hip replacement recover faster. There are many other benefits a post-surgery physical therapy program can offer, and here are two specific benefits that physical therapy after a hip replacement could offer you:
1. Improve range of motion
The hip joint is designed to move in many directions. How far it can move in all directions is called its range of motion. During hip replacement surgery, muscles, tendons and other structures are often cut or detached from their normal positions, which can lead to decreased range of motion immediately after surgery. Physical therapy after a hip replacement can help patients work at improving their range of motion.
Therapists work toward this goal by showing you how to do specific range-of-motion exercises. They can also encourage you to walk and do other low-impact exercises that encourage the hip to work through its normal range of motion. Another technique a therapist might use to help increase range of motion is joint mobilization. When using this technique, the therapist will use their hands to move your joint in various ways without any help from your muscles. In many cases, this can help your hip by moving it in ways that you can’t move it on your own yet.
2. Relearn normal activities
After your hip surgery, your brain may learn habits that change the way you move, and in most cases, these habits are in response to the pain that follows the procedure. These habits can make it harder to do normal daily activities like sitting down or walking. However, physical therapy after a hip replacement can help retrain your muscles and nervous system. The goal of this technique is to help patients relearn how to perform routine activities in the safest and most effective way.
Practically, this means a physical therapist will have you do routine activities as part of your therapy plan. For example, they could have you practice sitting down and getting up from a chair. First, they’ll see how you’re performing the movement, and then, they’ll point out any bad habits that have infiltrated the sitting movement. Next, the therapist will show you how to break the habit and have you practice the movement in the correct way. This gives your brain the opportunity to relearn the best way to do this movement.
Get other benefits from the post-hip replacement physical therapy offered by Panther Physical Therapy
Panther Physical Therapy has three clinics in the north Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, suburbs that offer post-hip replacement physical therapy. Our first step will be to do a free screening to help us learn how the surgery has affected your hip. Then, we’ll use the information we gather to create a personalized recovery plan that meets your needs with therapy methods like:
- Therapeutic exercise
- McKenzie Method
- Joint mobilization
- Trigger point therapy
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an appointment to begin your post-surgery therapy.