The hip joint plays an important role in ensuring that a person can partake in everyday activities, such as walking, standing, and exercise. Unfortunately, many people have hip issues, such as arthritis, injuries, or other problems that cause extreme pain and limited range of motion in the hip joint. In this type of situation, an orthopedic surgeon, like those at El Camino Center for Sports Medicine, may recommend a hip replacement. A hip replacement is a type of orthopedic surgery that typically has very good outcomes and can help a person resume a normal life without pain and the ability to move freely. If you are scheduled for hip replacement surgery, use the following tips to help you recover after the procedure.
Arrange to Have Help at Home
A hip replacement is a major surgery, and it does come with a significant recovery period. While you will most likely be able to get out of bed and walk with help within a few days of the procedure, completing daily tasks on your own will not be safe or possible. As soon as you're scheduled for hip replacement surgery, one of the best things that you can do is ask a family member or friend to stay with you and assist you in your home for several days. Having someone available to help you with preparing meals, doing chores, and running errands, will help ensure that you can get plenty of rest in order to promote healing.
Stay on Top of Pain and Discomfort
In the long run, undergoing hip replacement surgery can improve your life in many ways. But in the short term, you will most likely experience pain and discomfort in the days and weeks following the procedure. If you want to minimize pain and discomfort as much as possible, it is important to closely follow your orthopedic surgeon's instructions. You will be prescribed pain medication to help keep you be comfortable. Make sure that you take the medication exactly as prescribed, and avoid missing a dose. This will help prevent having to deal with extreme pain.
Make Physical Therapy a Priority
A major key to promoting healing and restoring regular range of motion in the hip joint is physical therapy. Your surgeon will let you know when to begin working with a physical therapist, but it usually isn't long after the surgery is completed. While physical therapy may be uncomfortable at times, working hard in each physical therapy session can make a big difference with how fast you recover from surgery. In addition to putting in full effort during each session, make sure that you also complete the home exercises recommended by your therapist.
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