Hip Replacement
A hip replacement is a surgical procedure where your orthopedic surgeon replaces your painful hip with an artificial hip. Your doctor may recommend a hip replacement if you have severe hip pain from osteoarthritis, a fracture, or various diseases that cause breakdown of the hip joint. The goal of this surgery is to reduce pain and improve function.
After surgery, Physical Therapy is important to restore strength, mobility, and function. Patients benefit from exercises to strengthen weak muscles that may have been responsible for the excessive wear and tear on your hip. Although you have a new pain-free hip, you may continue to walk with a limp due to the bad habits you picked up before surgery. Your physical therapist will work with you to improve your walking so that your poor mechanics don’t cause pain in other parts of your body.
Your physical therapist will design a treatment plan that is unique to your specific type of hip replacement. This treatment plan will consist of stretches, strengthening exercises, and balance activities so that you can get back to the activities you loved doing prior to your hip pain.
