11 wks po now

[midiowa]

hey hippy's.  at 11 wks trying to get a feel where iam supposed to be.  been back moving hard at work for 3 weeks. lots of physical work with job , going easy with not jumping on hip, heavy lifting etc.  feels like ive hit a stopping point.  no physical therapy at all Dr just said walk and use it no limitations just use common sense,   it seems like everywhere else the physical therapy is a must. am i missing out or will it just be a longer safer recover without it. i get plenty exercise working but is it in the right muscle groups? as of today i cant really put my leg up on my opposite thigh to put on socks without the monkey fist feeling in my hip, its gotta be muscles and flexibility issues, have not done roller yet, i want to get all i can out of this new hip, but why are the Dr here so pt negative is beyond me.  maybe iam just to impatient because i do feel good and move well also.  any thoughts ?

[Neild5]

I am 2 weeks behind you, 9 weeks yesterday.  My doctor had me doing PT 3X a week for the first 7 weeks and 1-2X for the next 3 weeks.  We are working on targeting specific muscles to help with my gait.  Due to the limping pre surgery there were several muscles that needed to be re-trained.  The PT that did the first 6 weeks kept reminding me that "you just had major surgery!" whenever I pushed myself too hard.  Because of PT I am more flexible than my surgeon and I am at least a dozen years older.

[Jen from Tucson]

Hi there,
I had 20 PT visits spread over 2 1/2 months.  I asked my physical therapist about the need for PT because I saw so many posts here where people didn't have to go.  He said that PT just speeds up the strength and flexability, that you'll still get there without it, it'll just take longer.  Don't be discouraged.  I, too, have a physical job and at 11 weeks it was still hard for me (I'm 5 months post-op now).  Just keep stretching and the rest will follow.  It took me about 16 weeks to be able to put my ankle on the opposite knee to put on my shoe. 
Hope that helps...just be patient with yourself.

[hernanu]

hey midiowa. I've profited from PT, both in house and outpatient (not outhouse  ::)  ).  There's folks who have done well either with or without PT, the recovery protocols seem to vary.

I can only speak from my perspective, and I think the exercises I did in PT addressed the smaller muscles that are compromised during the surgery. My outpatient PT Rebecca routinely kicked my behind but spent a lot of time doing research on what muscles to best address and the best exercises to do that. She and the other PTs in the group were psyched to get me (I was their first HR), and liked having a younger patient, since they were used to THRs. They watched recordings of the surgery and were in direct contact with my surgeon (his office arranged the appointments).

The exercises that Pat has listed on the site were the majority of the exercises I did after 4 weeks for a couple of months. I think if you do these and other exercises that deal with the supporting muscles, it would help. Again, thoroughly based on my own experience, not a professional or anything of the sort.

[Ross]

Hern
Where are those exercises that Pat listed.  I am having some issues with my left hip.
Thanks
Ross

[hernanu]

Hey Ross, the list of exercises are here:

http://www.surfacehippy.info/ptarticles.php

You can pick the ones you'd like to use, there are several sources for different times of our recovery.

[Ross]

Thank you Hern
Cordially,
Ross

[hernanu]

No problem, Ross.