Top 5 Tips for a Fast Recovery After Hip Replacement Surgery

No matter if you had a hip replacement surgery using the anterior approach or the posterior approach, recovery can be painful and discomforting. When it comes down to it, hip replacement surgery is one of the most intense surgeries to recover from. If you are experiencing pain in your hip as a result of arthritis, you may need hip replacement surgery to repair the damaged bone and ligament. Usually, just the ball of the hip is removed and replaced with a prosthetic joint, which is usually made out of ceramic or metal. After you have this surgery, it is important to undergo physical therapy and recovery methods almost immediately. Here are five tips for a fast recovery after hip replacement surgery.

1. Recovery starts months before your surgery. If you are scheduling a hip replacement surgery, it is important to start building up strength far before you enter surgery. This will effectively allow you to have the support and strength you need for physical therapy. A surgery is often more successful when you are fitter and stronger. Having strong muscles and a strong immune system is critical before and after a major surgery.
2. Seek pain relief. Pain relief is important – don’t try to tough it out. Toughing it out will only make the recovery worse. Make sure that you don’t have strong pain and discomfort when you recover, because it can dissuade you from getting better. So, you want to speak with your doctor about different pain medication and relief options. Today’s pain relief is a lot safer and you will have a far slimmer chance of becoming dependent on the medication. Not only that, but the medication of today only has few side effects.
3. Start recovery right away. It is important to start rehabilitation as soon as you are fully lucid – maybe even the following day after surgery. When it comes down to it, the more days that pass by, the more your muscles will atrophy. So, you want to start building your muscles back up and you want to provide the support for your new knee. When it comes down to getting hip replacement surgery, it is critical to have a good rehabilitation plan set up, so that you can get things started right away.
4. Know that hip replacement surgery recovery varies in different people. Another part of hip replacement surgery that can start to dissuade you is the fact that each person will have a different recovery process. This is important to know, because you want to try different methods before you give up on recovery all together. For instance, some people may find more success with a clinical approach rather than a holistic approach – and vice versa.
5. Partner with a good physical therapist. Your recovery will only be as good as your physical therapist. So, you want to make sure that you partner with someone that can build your strength up and who can get you walking normally again. After all, the beauty of a new hip is that you don’t have to worry about walking on it – you may even get a dance in as well.