The role of physical therapy in hip replacement surgery recovery

Total hip replacements aren’t entered into lightly. Often, other treatment options have been tried, but they haven’t been able to reduce symptoms. In this case, many patients will opt for a hip replacement surgery. 

Many of the patients who end up having hip replacement surgery are affected by end-stage hip osteoarthritis. This type of surgery is performed frequently in the U.S. One medical study reveals that 2.5 million Americans had a total hip replacement in 2010. An important step to take after your hip replacement is to go to physical therapy. Doing so can allow you to get many benefits that can help you recover more rapidly. 

What benefits can physical therapy offer after a hip replacement?

The primary role of post-hip replacement physical therapy is to help you recover as quickly as possible. However, it can also play several other roles during your recovery process. Some of these roles include: 

1. Improving hip function — Prior to a hip replacement, you may have reduced hip function. This is a result of the damage that hip osteoarthritis does to the joint. After the hip is replaced, the damage done during the surgery can keep your hip function low. Your physical therapist can help address decreased function with therapeutic exercises. A medical study shows that such exercises helped patients achieve significant function improvements in just eight weeks. 

2. Increasing postural stability — Postural stability is your ability to hold your body upright while sitting, standing or moving. You may have trouble with postural stability after your hip surgery. Your physical therapist can show you ways to improve it. One study shows that a physical therapy exercise program helped increase postural stability by almost 37% after a hip surgery. 

3. Reducing post-surgical pain — During your healing process, you’re likely to feel some pain; this is a normal response to the trauma of surgery. A physical therapist can help you decrease your post-surgical pain. Medical researchers reveal that dry needling helped reduce hip pain scores by 20 points in as little as four weeks. 

Where can you find effective physical therapy after a hip replacement? Back in Motion can help!

Looking for a physical therapy team to help you recover from a hip replacement? Our team at Back in Motion is ready and willing to help you find effective post-surgical rehabilitation. 

We’ll start by performing a comprehensive evaluation of your hip. Then, our physical therapists will construct a personalized rehab plan for you that’s designed to fit all the roles above. We can even help you get care from home during the first stage of your recovery. This is possible thanks to the virtual therapy and at-home care appointments we offer. 

Contact us today for more information about our post-surgical rehab services or to schedule an initial appointment.