What is rehab after a hip replacement for?
Rehab helps the new hip do its job: carrying your weight, letting you walk without a limp, and letting you stand, sit and climb with confidence. The operation replaces the worn joint. The muscles, balance and habits around it still need rebuilding.
Your surgeon’s instructions come first, including any rules about how far to bend the hip or which way to turn the leg. The physiotherapist works inside those rules and explains them in plain language.
Who has a hip replacement, and why does the hip wear out?
Most hip replacements are done for wear and tear in the joint (osteoarthritis) that has become painful and stiff. The World Health Organization (WHO) lists joint replacement as management for severe joint damage [1]. Our page on hip osteoarthritis explains the stage before surgery.
A hip replacement can also follow a broken hip. If that is your situation, read our page on hip fracture recovery, which covers the different pace and risks.
What will the physiotherapist check first?
We begin with your discharge papers and what the surgeon told you. Then we check how you are managing in your own home.
- The wound and swelling, referred back to your surgeon if anything looks wrong.
- How you get out of bed, sit down, stand up and turn.
- Walking with your walking frame or crutches.
- Strength in the buttock, thigh and calf.
- Balance, and whether the legs feel equally trusting.
- What you most want to do again.
What does a home visit change after hip surgery?
The hip precautions that look simple in the ward become complicated in a real house. A home visit lets us practise them where you need them.
Think of the squat toilet, a low sofa, a floor mat at the family table, a high bed and a car seat. We check each one and suggest changes, such as a raised seat or a firmer cushion.
Our guide to bathroom safety for older adults in Malaysia covers the bathroom in detail. The guide on getting up from the floor explains what to do if you cannot manage floor seating for now.
Why does the limp stay after the pain goes?
The pain was probably there for months or years. Over that time the buttock and thigh muscles weaken, and the body learns to protect the hip by shifting weight and shortening the step. After surgery the joint is fixed, but the habit remains.
Rehab retrains it. We work on hip strength, balance and walking quality, then add practical goals such as the morning walk or the climb to the first-floor room. If you also worry about falling, the World Health Organization advises exercise that challenges balance and builds functional strength for older people in the community [2].
What can I do this week?
Keep to your surgeon’s exercise sheet, and prepare the home so you can follow the rules without effort.
- Put daily items between waist and shoulder height.
- Raise low chairs and the toilet seat if your surgeon asks for it.
- Remove loose rugs, and clear the path from bed to bathroom.
- Ask your surgeon the questions on your list, and write the answers down.
- Arrange for someone to be home for the first physiotherapy visit.
Our guide to following your surgeon’s rehabilitation instructions lists what to ask before you leave hospital.
When should you call your surgeon or go to hospital?
Call your surgeon if the wound leaks or opens, the area becomes hot, red and very swollen, or you have a fever. Go to the emergency department for sudden, severe hip pain after a fall or a leg that looks shortened or turned out. Also go for chest pain, breathlessness, or a swollen, painful calf.
These need a doctor first. Tell us afterwards so we can adjust the plan.
Home visit or our Canning Garden centre?
Home visits across Ipoh are available now, and they suit the first stretch of recovery when travelling is tiring. Our Canning Garden centre near Fatimah Hospital is opening soon, and may suit you later if you want gym equipment.
Prices for home and centre are different, and we give a quote on WhatsApp after a short description. Read more about post-surgical rehabilitation and home physiotherapy.