What you do BEFORE hip replacement or ANY type of surgery will affect your outcome.
So, if you’re looking at any type of surgery, NOW is the time to get some strength training in. Obviously you may need some guidance for this, so don’t be shy about reaching out to a coach to help you identify exactly what will be most beneficial. (This is where I can help.)
I often get asked how I prepared for my hip replacement surgeries that has allowed me to have a full recovery, returning PAIN FREE to EVERYTHING I did before surgery.
Here’s a bit of advice…
The biggest mistake is to continually add exercises while the hip or joint becomes increasingly irritated.
Instead, progress ONE variable at a time.
-Start with bodyweight or a light band
-Then, increase band resistance
-Make the movement slower, rather than dramatically increasing volume
For muscle maintenance/building, you need adequate protein & overall nutrition, since the exercise stimulus works much better when the body has the raw materials to maintain muscle.
Here are a few exercises to be cautious about before hip replacement surgery specifically:
-deep squats
-deep lunges
-high step-ups
-aggressive hip stretching
-wide lateral movement
-high-impact work
These are traditionally considered good hip exercises but if they provoke deep joint/groin pain, they’re not useful PREHAB exercises.
Do the range of motion on these movements that you can do without pain (during & after the work).
Possibly my biggest bit of advice is to NOT WAIT for things to get better – if joint replacement is medically needed, no amount of physical therapy, dry needling, acupuncture or any other modality will solve the issue. Do your best to move ahead with surgery as quickly as you can to avoid continued pain, compensations and muscle wasting.
I promise, there’s pain free life AFTER joint replacement but you’ll get there sooner when you put the work in before.
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