The aims of the pre-operative and post-operative exercises are:
- To improve movement of the hip joint and strengthen the muscles around the hip
- To improve lower limb circulation to help the healing and soft tissue recovery
- To facilitate weight bearing and therefore to improve mobility and overall function
- To reduce swelling (please note that swelling can be present for up to 3 to 6 months).
Your compliance with your exercise programme pre and post operatively is essential for your recovery from surgery. This is to ensure better outcomes and benefits after surgery.
Pre and post op exercises
These are the same exercises that you will do before and after surgery.
Each exercise should be performed 10 times every couple of hours. (Repetitions can be increased if you find them easy or decreased if you find them more difficult).
Bed exercises
These exercises are important for increasing circulation to your legs and feet to prevent blood clots.
Ankle Pumps
Instructions
Keeping your leg still, slowly push your foot up and down.
This exercise can begin immediately after surgery and continue until you are fully recovered.
Ankle Rotations
Instructions
Keep your leg still and then do small circling movement with your ankle, clockwise and anticlockwise.
These exercises are important to strengthen muscles and to improve your hip movement.
It may feel uncomfortable at first, but these exercises will speed your recovery and reduce your postoperative pain.
Gluteal Contractions (Buttock squeeze)
Instructions
This exercise can be done either lying down, sitting or while standing.
Static Quads (thigh muscle) contractions
Instructions
Tighten thigh muscle (push back of knee into the bed as if you are squashing something under your knee). Hold for 5 seconds and then relax.
Knee flexion in lying
Instructions
Bend your knee by sliding your foot towards your bottom and then straighten leg.
Only move as far as you are able to comfortably go. Do not let your knee roll inward.
Hip Abduction
Instructions
Slide your leg out to the side as far as you can and then back. Make sure that your toes are facing upward at all times and your leg does not roll in/out.
Straight leg raise
Instructions
Tighten your thigh muscle, keeping your leg straight try and raise it 6 inches off the bed.
Standing Exercises
Start these straight away before the operation and then one week after the operation.
While doing these standing exercises, make sure you are holding on to a firm surface such as the back of a chair or kitchen worktop.
Standing Knee Raises/hip flexion
Lift your operated leg toward your chest. Keep your back straight.
Do not lift your knee higher than your waist. Hold for 2 or 3 counts and put your leg down.
Standing Hip Abduction
Be sure your hip, knee and foot are pointing straight forward. Keep your body straight. With your knee straight, lift your leg out to the side. Slowly lower your leg so your foot is back on the floor.
Standing Hip Extensions
Lift your operated leg backward slowly. Keep your back straight.
Hold for 2 or 3 counts. Return your foot to the floor.
Hip precautions post operation
In order to protect your hip and prevent dislocation you should avoid all the movements shown below for the next 6 weeks.
- Do not bend your hip more than a right angle
- This means not bending over at the waist to pick things up or to put shoes and socks on. You should use a long-handled reacher and long-handled shoehorn.
- Do not bring your foot up towards you.
- Avoid low chairs, beds and toilet seats that could mean that you are sitting with your hips lower than your knees.
- The therapists will advise you of the correct heights for your furniture.
- Do not cross your operated leg over the other leg
- Do not turn your operated leg inwards
Using stairs and steps after surgery
Going up
- Stick stays down on bottom step
- Step up with your non-operated leg (good leg)
- Then step up with your operated leg (bad leg)
- Now bring stick onto same step
Going down
- Place stick down onto lower step
- Step down with your operated leg (bad leg)
- Then step down with you non-operated leg (good leg)
Going up and down step with a frame
Going up
- Lift frame on to step
- Step up with your non-operated leg
- Then step up with your operated leg
Going Down
- Lower the frame down the step
- Step down with your operated leg
- Then step down with your non-operated leg
Sitting and standing with walking sticks
Standing up with sticks
- Place sticks into one hand
- With your other hand push up from the chair/bed
- Once stood up, place the sticks into each hand
Sitting down
- When you feel the chair/bed on the back of your legs, place both sticks into one hand
- With your free hand reach for the chair/bed
- Now slowly lower yourself down on to the chair/bed (you might find it less painful if you slide your operated leg forward as you sit down)
Our contact details
Grantham Hospital: 01476 565232
Physiotherapy Department: 01476 464253
Occupational Therapy: 01476 464360
Ward 1: 01476 464420
Lincoln Hospital: 01522 512512
Physiotherapy Department: 01522 573945
SAL (Surgical admissions lounge): 01522 573144
Digby Ward: 01522 572256
Pilgrim Hospital: 01205 364801
Physiotherapy Department: 01205 446412
Ward 9A: 01205 446412