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You’ve likely been hobbled by hip pain for some time, which is why you’ve decided to take the important step of having us repair or reconstruct your joint. With that decision made, you look forward to a speedy recovery and moving again without pain, which is where physical therapy can play a very important role.
At Western Orthopaedics, our resident hip specialist, Dr. Brian White, wants our patients to have a clear understanding of what to expect during and after hip surgery. While Dr. White can do his part through advanced laparoscopic surgical techniques to shorten your recovery time, the literal steps you take in physical therapy can make all the difference.
As we mentioned, it used to be that surgery of any kind came with some considerable downtime. Thanks to the advent of minimally invasive surgical techniques, as well as a better understanding of how to best encourage your body to heal, we get you up and moving far more quickly.
Typically, within one or two days of your surgery (often on the same day), we have you meet with our physical therapy team to begin the work of rehabbing your hip.
Our first goal during these early sessions is to show you how to put weight on the joint. When we do this, we signal your body that you intend to use the joint, and it responds by sending in healing resources in earnest, which is an important step in speeding your recovery.
Once we get you steady on your feet, our physical therapists begin to work on moving your repaired or reconstructed hip joint properly. They do this through targeted stretching and strengthening exercises that ensure that your hips benefit from plenty of support.
As well, the physical therapist concentrates on certain functional issues, such as stair climbing, so that you can get back to normal function as quickly and safely as possible.
The work you do in the company of our physical therapist is important, but the work you do on your own is even more so. As we mentioned, our physical therapist provides you with “homework” during each visit, and these are assignments you don’t want to miss. If you want to speed up your recovery after hip surgery, following your therapist’s instructions at home is a very important piece of your recovery puzzle.
Physical therapy does involve some effort on your part, but it’s also designed to help ease your discomfort and establish mobility. To that end, your physical therapy may also include massage therapy, as well as hot and cold therapies to help your joint recover more quickly.
The bottom line is that physical therapy plays an extremely important role in regaining hip function after your surgery so that you can recover more quickly. If you’d like to make an appointment for Dr. White to assess your hip pain, please get in touch with one of our offices in Arvada or Denver, Colorado.
