Hip replacement surgery is not something that everyone is going to need, and it is not just for old people. If you are having a lot of hip pain that you are not getting relief from with physical therapy, it’s something you may have to consider. I had hip replacement surgery a couple of years ago because I was born with a medical condition where the hip socket does not develop the way it’s supposed to and doesn’t cover the ball portion of your upper thigh, which often leads to partial or full dislocation of your hips. I was born with both of my hips fully dislocated, which I didn’t have issues with for most of my life, until a few years ago, my right hip started to give me significant pain, and I need to consider surgery to get relief. Joint replacement surgery improves quality of life and can last up to twenty years before you need a revision, but it may last less time if you don’t take care of yourself. Life after hip replacement is different because you can’t move in the same way and have to be careful with certain activities, because it can put a lot of stress on your new hip, so it doesn’t last as long. I can do a lot of things in the same way I could before hip replacement, but there are some activities I no longer have the ability to do or have had to change the way I do them. What shouldn’t you do after hip replacement surgery? In this post, I am going to talk about things you will never see me do after a hip replacement.
Violate hip precautions before my doctor clears me– I had hip replacement surgery about five years ago, and at the moment, I have no restrictions. When I first had hip replacement surgery, I had a lot of hip precautions and pretty much couldn’t do anything independently without violating hip precautions. If you are recovering from hip replacement surgery, I understand that hip precautions are annoying because it takes so much of your independence away. If you want a faster recovery, it is so important that you listen to your doctor and don’t violate hip precautions because that is one of the most common reasons people need repeat surgeries. One of the things you will never see me do after hip replacement surgery is violate hip precautions, because you run the risk of dislocating your hip and needing a preventable surgery. Hip replacement surgery recovery is already hard enough, so don’t make it harder by making your recovery longer.
Hip impact exercise that puts stress on your hips- You can do high-impact exercise after hip replacement surgery if your doctor has cleared you to do so. I incorporate some kind of resistance training in all of my workouts, but most of the load is in my arms. Weighted workouts can be good for strengthening your hips and encourage people to do it, but if you have had hip replacement surgery, it’s so important that you aren’t adding too much resistance that puts a lot of unnecessary stress on your hips. One of the things you will never see me do when exercising after hip replacement is strapping heavy weights on my legs and doing a lot of high-impact leg workouts. There is nothing wrong with doing high-impact workouts, but you want to be mindful of how much you do because adding too much resistance can put a lot of stress on your new joint, so it doesn’t last the full twenty years.
You will never see me practicing doing a split- Splits have always been incredibly painful, but I have always had the ability to do them. When your hips are dislocated, it’s not hard to do a split, but even though you can do something that doesn’t mean you should. As a child, I practiced the splits a lot, even though it caused me a lot of pain, because I was amazed I could do it. Now you will never see me practice a split, especially after having hip replacement surgery, because it can cause damage to your new hip. Joint replacements are very durable and can last a long time, but they are not indestructible, and you can cause fractures by doing certain movements. You will never see me do exercises where my legs are not in a natural position because it can be unsafe for people who have artificial hips.
You will not see me stop exercising- It was harder for me to gain strength after hip replacement surgery than it would be for a non-disabled person. I was not able to walk immediately after surgery and was stuck in bed for three months because I have limited sensation in my legs, and you can’t teach me to walk with limited pressure like you can with most people. You will not want to exercise after hip replacement surgery because it’s hard, but it’s not going to get easier if you don’t. I have days when I don’t exercise, but you will never see me stop exercising, even after I feel like I have a good amount of hip strength. Exercise is so important after hip replacement surgery because it helps build muscle, so you are less likely to fall and get injured. You may have to modify some exercises after hip replacement, but you should never stop exercising!
You will never see me force my leg in a position- When I had a hip replacement, I lost a lot of mobility that has not returned because when your hips are dislocated, that surgery has to be done differently. It takes longer to recover, and sometimes the outcomes are not as positive as everyone else or it may take longer to make a full recovery. Hip replacement surgery recovery is long, and sometimes you start to get impatient, and it may be tempting to force your leg into a position that you aren’t able to do yet. I am constantly working on improving my flexibility, but you will never see me force my leg into any position because nothing good will come of that, and the only thing you may achieve is a fracture.
Hip replacement surgery improves quality of life for some people and is not something you want to have to do twice if you don’t have to. It is very hard to break a hip, but you can cause damage without even realizing it by doing too much high-impact exercise. I have no hip pain because of hip replacement surgery, but life is different after hip replacement and there are some activities I can no longer do, and that is okay. It is frustrating that I can’t do things to the same capacity that I could before having hip replacement surgery, but it’s so important to listen to your body. You may have to do things in a slightly different way after hip replacement surgery to accommodate your new joint because there is no exercise routine that is worth causing damage. Everyone who has had hip replacement surgery has different experiences, and some people may not have to make the accommodations as I do. What would you not do after hip replacement surgery? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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