Total hip replacement recovery tips please

Sadly my experience was very different. There are physios and physios. Mine led to a lot of pain, stress and another operation which I shouldn't have needed!

seacliff

I don't have access to a physio. I did self refer on NHS but she was pretty useless, Those who have one, I suppose you pay privately? I asked about classes but there are none. The only good thing, she lent me a walking stick.

It is worth paying to see a private physiotherapist, DH paid £30 per session and saw one for two sessions. He had been suffering with arm pain and couldn’t raise his arm more than 90 degrees. The GP said it was probably arthritis but I persuaded him to see a physio and it was worth every penny. In the first consultation she diagnosed him with a frozen shoulder and gave him exercises. When she saw him a second time she looked at his progress and recommended an injection, she told him it would probably heal in about 18 months, she wrote to our GP and it wasn’t long before he had the xray and injection which helped a lot and was done on the NHS (before Covid). She was correct it healed in about 18 months. It was well worth the £60 expenditure but we were fortunate to find a highly recommended physio who has worked wonders with family members with back problems.

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Great advice from everybody My op was 12 years ago now and after the first week or so needed no more painkiller than paracetamol. Compared with the years of pre-op pain it was nothing. The itching under the dressing was the worst bit! I had to inject myself in the belly every day for the first week or so but I can't remember what that was for and the support stockings were pretty gross. My sons had to help me to get them on and off. I had an epidural for the op with a tranquiliser but had worked so hard the previous months to make sure my work was up to date that I slept through most of it anyway. I must have been exhausted!

Definitely do all the suggested exercises little and often and build up your walking every day. My physio started after 6 weeks but was actually more of a gym session with exercise bike, treadmill and stretching exercises. I had an exercise bike at home which I used every day. My physio said that short of a heavy fall or car accident you are unlikely to dislocate it.
Sleeping on my back was difficult but I got used to it eventually though took almost a year before I could lie comfortably on that side.
Luckily I had no emotional upset. I was just so relieved to be pain free. If I had I would probably have occupied my mind by something challenging eg studying something new like a language, writing, painting etc.

Just be kind to yourself and don't rush. It is early days for you and it will get better.

The anaesthesia is hardly out of your system!! Give yourself a month at least. That’s what it took for me to feel emotionally better after a knee replacement. You cannot hurry these things. Seems like you’re going all the right things to recover so relaaax and be patient.

I don't have access to a physio. I did self refer on NHS but she was pretty useless, Those who have one, I suppose you pay privately? I asked about classes but there are none. The only good thing, she lent me a walking stick.

^MUSE Seated exercises are brilliant. I did ones like this after my operation.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROwj2dNcL6c^

Muse thanks so much for this link. It is just what I needed.
I am going to try and do it at least twice a day. Must dig out my resistance bands.

Tbh I'm surprised you could do so much prior THR... Respect!
Give yourself time. Follow the advise do the Physio, use crunch or stick until you are confident. You gait will be off you have to relearn walking correctly.
Had mine 6 years ago and pain went instantly but Surgeon broke my Femur putting it in so I was off my feet for 8 weeks.
So took longer to rehab but it was all good once I got cracking with it.
Eventually got back to the Gym better than before.
Now I'm on waiting list for other Hip and a Knee replacement.

Not only did I do no physio, but the physio dept at the place I had my replacement in had closed down the physio dept altogether. It's counterintuitive but there's no need to do exercises. Check the research on efficacy of physio post joint replacement. Just walking and activities of daily living is all that's really needed.

Some very good advice given here.
I’ve had two replacements and was very strict with myself as regards physio….follow the recommended exercises daily.
Spinal injections are much preferred now and as I was reluctant to know what was happening I asked for a light sedative beforehand and I knew nothing further until I came round.

Had a brilliant total hip replacement 16 years ago. The best way to get back to normal is to abide by the physio guidance. You turn like a robot so no twisting. You sit on higher chairs than normal also toilet seats. Then gradually build up walking and that is the most important advice of all. Short walks twice a day and then longer. Keep with it and it will change your life. Every good wish?

Do the exercises provided by your physio, little and very often. Walk as much as you can. I walked round a circuit of streets close to my house several times so if I got too tired I didn’t have far to go to get back home. Focus on walking evenly on both legs using your stick for balance and reassurance. Each time push yourself to go a little further than before. Making progress is great for making you feel better generally.

Take painkillers half an hour before bedtime and use loads of pillows to prop your leg in a comfortable, safe position. That way you should be able to fall asleep without being kept awake by pain. Getting enough sleep helps your mood.

I was back at work five weeks after my hip was done. It took me about six months to get over the mood swings post surgery, though. Hang in there!

seacliff

I have this to look forwards to early next year. I'm so unfit, and want to improve before the op. Not sure how to get fitter before hand, as I can hardly walk.

I can recommend Pilates. The lady that runs our class knows that several of us have had hip replacements or about to get one. We even help each other up.

Seated exercises are brilliant. I did ones like this after my operation.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROwj2dNcL6c

Good luck for next year

Thanks so much to everyone who has commented, with practical suggestions, encouragement and emotional support. Taking a day at a time, being gentle with myself and recognising small steps in my progress were all very helpful. Also highlighting there may be a sense of anticlimax. Yes! I’ve waited so long for this op, and saw it as the start of the next chapter of my life- but of course, I have to recover first! Thank you again. Everything feels better during the day and when the sun comes out too

I used to work with people who had joint replacements and I used to tell them (having been told by past patients) that the after effects of the operation are often very like flu in terms of tears, depression and tired ness, loss of appetite and so on. Yes do your exercises and your mobility practice but also be kind to yourself and take it easy with everything else.

I have had three hip replacements ! - 3? - yes! one dislocated 4 times ( very ouch!) and I had to have revision surgery to replace it again.!
The first two ops were straightforward and I did the excercises as instructed and was driving at 5/ 6 weeks . The first one dislocated twice to begin with and then twice 2 years later by which time I had had enough of A and E and pain.!
However the revision surgery was another story - took longer to recover - was more painful due to the muscles being damaged in dislocation and pelvic pins put in place. I never felt weepy or depressed though - just impatient that I could not recover as fast as I had expected.!
Each person is different but I found just taking it day by day and not finally expecting too much at once was the way to go and now 10 weeks on I am fine again - and loving my new life where I can be - almost - normal again!
Keep going with Optimism !

DH has had three hip replacements and the advice given here is excellent. For anybody who hasn't had the procedure yet, if you are offered the option of an epidural rather than a general anaesthetic please consider it. DH had general anaesthetic the first two times and when I was sitting with him after he had been admitted for the third procedure, which was to remove the failing replacement and to insert a more robust replacement, the surgeon came in and said he didn’t recommend a general anaesthetic but an epidural and he went on to outline the procedure and the advantages of an epidural over a general anaesthetic. DH took it all in his stride and signed the consent form, I have to admit I was in shock as it hadn’t been discussed before and my motto is always they can do what they want to me as long as I am asleep. For the first two surgeries he was really out of it so I didn’t visit until the following afternoon but at 3pm the day of the op my phone rang and it was DH sounding as fresh as a daisy and really upbeat. So my son and DIL visited that evening and they couldn’t get over how well he was. The following day he made so much progress with mobility he was able to come home in the evening.

Every day gets better. You will notice that when you look back each week.

I had my new hip at 53 that was 12 years ago. It was about three months after my new hip I started to feel more confident. I was told not to use a walking stick but to walk on my own. I bought a wedge for my shoe because I was walking with a kind of hobble.
I used to love to swim but lost my confidence I have always walked a lot but can’t run my ‘Exeter’ hip has always felt stiff and rigid. I hope you have a good recovery.

I had my hip replacement done 10 years ago when I was in my late 50’s. Best decision ever. Yes, recovery had its ups and downs but being pain free was such a relief. Take each day as it comes. Before you know it you will be up and about again. It seems to drag but each day you will begin to feel better and be able to a little more. I found an internet group called ‘bone smart’ invaluable. So much advice and support from others going through the same worries.

Sixteen years ago, I had my new hip. I was reasonably fit before the op, but took as much rest afterwards as I felt I needed. I didn't have prescribed exercises, but walked a little further each day. It also helps to have something to look forward to. My family had asked me to go to a gite in Normandy with them, two months after the op, by which time I was down to one crutch, though walking on a beach was a challenge. Perhaps you have something you can plan to do - difficult in current circumstances, I know, but even a day out can make so much of a difference.

MWdebbie I think two weeks in is a very short time after a major op. The anaesthetic alone can cause a feeling of depression in some people and you have been pretty knocked about. I have had a shoulder replacement and it does take a while, think of how long a small bruise can take to go. Be kind to yourself, exercise and rest, keep trying but not too hard. Good luck.

Thanks Aveline, I really thought it was usual that most people started the replacement process with a steroid injection and a bit surprised no one seems to have had one, So I limp on.
Next stop is replacement I suppose, best get on the long long waiting list,

My Fitbit is invaluable. It counts and records my steps so I can measure progress, reminds me to move every hour and records my sleep. It's been really helpful.