 Physical Therapy After a Hip Replacement
After hip replacement surgery, physical therapy plays an important role
in your recovery.
Once your surgery and a brief stay in the recovery room are completed,
you will be brought to the orthopedic floor for the remainder of your
hospital stay. Depending on what time you arrive on the orthopedic
floor, a physical therapist may attempt to perform an initial evaluation
of your strength and mobility on the day of surgery. Once therapy begins
you will be asked to perform exercises to strengthen your muscles and
promote early mobility. Goals will be established for you to work
towards in order to demonstrate your progress to greater independence
and mobility. And you will learn which positions are appropriate to put
your operated leg in and which positions are to be avoided.
On the day after your surgery and for the remainder of your stay, you
can expect to undergo physical therapy twice a day. Emphasis will be
placed on safely getting in and out of bed, standing and transferring
from the bed to a chair, and performing activities of daily living. You
will learn to walk with the most appropriate assistive device, usually a
walker. During each session of therapy you will work on increasing the
distance that you can safely walk while decreasing the amount of help
needed to do so. When not actively participating in your therapy
sessions, it will be very important to spend time sitting up in a chair
next to your bedside. This will help to prevent complications, such as
pneumonia, skin breakdown due to lying in one position for too long, and
other problems which occur due to limited mobility.
The exercises prescribed for you will play an important role in
strengthening the muscles around your hip joint. These exercises are
also crucial in promoting improved circulation in order to avoid
potential complications such as blood clots, or “Deep Vein Thrombosis,”
(DVT). You can expect to perform these exercises (see attached) on a
daily basis for weeks after your surgery. Throughout your recovery
period, your therapists may modify these exercises.
Your therapist will ask specific questions about your home environment
and will help address architectural barriers you may have, such as
stairs, in order to prepare you for a safe return home. A walker will be
provided for you to use during your stay and the physical therapist will
work closely with the case management team to address any equipment
needs or discharge requirements.
In some situations, you may also receive occupational therapy to improve
your ability to perform activities of daily living, such as bathing,
grooming, dressing and other self-care tasks. You will also be educated
about adaptive equipment that can be used to help you with these tasks.
Many patients leave the hospital and return home, with therapy provided
from a home health agency. However, in some cases, patients may not be
quite ready to return home once the doctor releases them from the
hospital. In these situations, your case manager works closely with you,
your physician, nurse, therapists, and your family to make arrangements
for the most appropriate discharge plan in order to provide the care you
need to return home safely.
At Southern Regional Health System, we believe that the more our
patients know about their rehabilitation, the better prepared they will
be to work towards a successful outcome. Patients and family members are
encouraged to ask questions of their health care team. Family members
and caregivers are encouraged to participate as well. Education and
active patient participation both play a vital role in successful
rehabilitation.
After your surgery a physical therapist will begin assisting you with
exercises geared toward strengthening your muscles. Below are the common
exercises you will be doing as part of your rehabilitation. You may want
to start practicing these before surgery to help improve your muscle
tone. You may want to start with 10 repetitions of each exercise two
times a day. If any of the exercises increase your joint pain, do not do
them.
 Physical Therapy After a Knee Replacement
After knee replacement surgery, physical therapy plays an important
role in your recovery and return to greater mobility.
Once your surgery and a brief stay in the recovery room are completed,
you will be brought to the orthopedic floor for the remainder of your
hospital stay. The day after surgery, a physical therapist will perform
an initial evaluation of your strength, mobility, and range of motion.
Once therapy begins you will be asked to perform exercises to strengthen
your muscles to regain motion in the knee joint itself. Goals will be
established for you to work towards in order to demonstrate your
progress to greater independence and mobility.
On the day after your surgery and for the remainder of your stay, you
can expect to undergo physical therapy twice a day. Emphasis will be
placed on how well you are able to get in and out of bed, transfer from
the bed to a chair, and perform activities of daily living. You will
learn to walk with the most appropriate assistive device, usually a
walker. During each session of therapy you will work on increasing the
distance that you can safely walk while decreasing the amount of help
needed to do so.
When not actively participating in your therapy sessions, it will be
very important to spend time sitting up in a chair at bedside. This will
help your body adjust to being upright and will also help to prevent
potential complications, such as pneumonia, skin breakdown due to lying
in one position for too long, and other problems which occur due to a
lack of mobility.
In addition to your mobility, regaining your knee’s range of motion is
equally important. Exercises will play an important role in
strengthening the knee and regaining the ability to bend and fully
straighten the knee. They are also crucial in promoting improved
circulation of the legs in order to avoid potential complications such
as blood clots, or “Deep Vein Thrombosis,” (DVT). You can expect to
perform these exercises (see attached) on a daily basis for weeks after
your surgery. Throughout the recovery period, your therapists may modify
these exercises.
A Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) machine may be ordered by your
physician to promote early movement and decrease stiffness in the knee
joint in the days after your surgery.
Your therapist will ask specific questions about your home environment
and will help you address architectural barriers you may have, such as
stairs, in order to prepare you for a safe return home. A walker will be
provided for you to use during your stay and the physical therapist will
work closely with the case management team to address any equipment
needs for discharge.
Many patients return home and receive several visits from a Home Health
therapist before progressing to an Outpatient Therapy area. However, in
some cases, patients may not be quite ready to return home once the
doctor releases them from the hospital. In these situations, your case
manager works closely with you, your physician, nurse, therapists, and
your family to make arrangements for the most appropriate discharge
plan.
At Southern Regional Health System, we believe that the more our
patients know about their rehabilitation, the better prepared they will
be to work towards a successful outcome. Patients and family members are
encouraged to ask questions of their health care team. Family members
and caregivers are encouraged to participate as well. Education and
active patient participation both play a vital role in successful
rehabilitation.
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