Did you know that over 63,000 hip replacement surgeries were performed in Canada between 2019 and 2020? The prevalence of this surgery has risen by over 2%, and Canada isn’t the only place seeing this.
In other areas of the globe, such as the United States, there are almost 500,000 hip replacement surgeries performed. Anterior hip replacement therapy is crucial to someone’s overall recovery following this procedure.
You want to make sure that you have a qualified and skilled rehab team on your side throughout every step. Physiotherapists save you time, pain, and further expenses from complications.
If you are interested in anterior hip replacement physiotherapy, then keep reading to learn more.
How Physiotherapy Can Help in Your Post-Op Rehab
What is physiotherapy? Physiotherapists are trained healthcare professionals. They specialize in how the body moves and treat various injuries, illnesses, or disabilities.
Exercising after surgery is critical to success. Physiotherapists use hands-on techniques and thorough education that are can lead to improved outcomes.
An anterior hip surgery includes a total joint replacement. If you or a loved one is going through this procedure then the surgeon replaces the hip joint through an incision on the front of your hip.
Many researchers are urging surgeons to perform hip replacements through this strategy due to its higher success rates. What are the benefits of physiotherapy after surgery?
Research shows that movement immediately after surgery helps in the recovery process. Some physiotherapists will immediately walk a patient the same day as their surgery. Not only is this safe to do, but it is highly encouraged.
Movement and exercise right after surgery help your muscles start to regain strength and improve your balance and mobility. It also reduces the risk of blood clots. However, it is still important to remember that you should follow your surgeon’s guidelines for medication and other precautions.
After your surgery, there are two options for recovery. Some people require a more in-depth hospital stay and rehab. Anterior hip rehab in this setting is carried out under a medical and rehab team.
Some people are able to go home immediately after surgery and participate in outpatient or in-home rehab. Outpatient rehab includes going to a specific rehab clinic multiple times a week.
With in-home rehab, the physiotherapist comes into your house and helps with exercises and other mobility training. Sometimes patients find the mobile rehab team helpful for practicing functional tasks under the safety and supervision of a trained clinician for improved independence.
Our In-Home/Mobile Rehab Team
Mobile rehab teams are improving in popularity. These clinicians provide the same level of expertise and skill that you find by visiting them in their outpatient clinic.
Many people struggle with task-specific exercises in the home. Others have difficulty making it to appointments. If this is the case, an in-home physiotherapist can make it out to you.
There are four different types of specialized healthcare clinicians that perform in-home rehab which are:
- Physiotherapists
- Kinesiologists/Active Rehab Programs
- Chiropractor
- Massage Therapist
Kinesiologists mainly work with active rehab. While they are similar to what physiotherapists perform, they also focus on more activity and active exercises.
Chiropractors also treat a variety of illnesses and injuries. They are well-known for their specialty in treating the spine – specifically lower back injuries. Despite this, they use manual techniques, exercises, and other techniques for treating injuries.
Massage therapists are well-versed with anatomy. Through their skill set, they offer various hands-on techniques that decrease pain and improve mobility and flexibility.
What can you expect from an in-home physiotherapist assessment? A physiotherapist will come to wherever you are and provide an initial assessment.
From here, you will have a better idea of how many treatments sessions per week you will need and what types of activities you and the physiotherapist will work on. Some treatments that the physiotherapists perform are:
- Soft tissue mobilizations
- Taping
- Joint mobilization
- Acupuncture
The physiotherapist also helps correctly teach exercises and transfers for improved safety and independence in the home and community.
What You Can Do To Recover From Anterior Hip Surgery
Following exercise programs outside of physiotherapy helps in the overall recovery process. There are also other guidelines that certain hip surgeries entail. The positive aspect of total hip replacements with an anterior approach is fewer precautions.
Hip replacements often came with a set of “rules” to follow. These included things such as no excessive hip flexion or crossing the legs. While these are still encouraged with anterior hip surgeries, the rates of success are higher and don’t require as many precautions.
The biggest emphasis you can do for recovery is movement. Start with walking and then progress to the exercises outline by your physiotherapist.
Walking
You can start walking three to four hours after your anterior hip replacement. Through this approach, you are on your feet almost immediately and start your recovery process.
If you need assistance while walking, your surgeon or physiotherapist might suggest a cane or walker. This is common to use after surgery and oftentimes patients progress from there.
Once you are home, you should keep up with the walking routine. It is highly encouraged to walk at least two to three times a day with an assistive device, as needed. If you feel like you can do more, then try to slowly increase the amount you are moving.
Exercises
There are some common exercises that your physiotherapist might suggest and demonstrate for recovering from hip replacements. Exercises to do at home include:
- Ankle pumps
- Quadricep sets – with this exercise try and tighten your quad muscle by pressing the knee down
- Gluteal squeezes
- Side raises
- Straight leg raises
- Standing hip abduction – stand tall and move your leg out straight out to the side
- Stairs
Anterior Hip Replacement Physiotherapy
Anterior hip replacement therapy benefits you and your recovery process. While having a hip replacement may seem daunting – a skilled physiotherapist makes all the difference.
If you are wondering about where to turn for anterior hip replacement physiotherapy, then contact us today and let one of our qualified clinicians perform an assessment. Take the next step in getting back to your life.
