When you find yourself in pain, especially in the hip, one usually tends to favor that side and when that happens the hip joint moves much less than usual. By allowing yourself to favor the hip in pain, you are ultimately weakening the area around the hip as well.
When surgery is completed and your new hip joint is in place, you may face issues if the area surrounding the hip are not as strong as it should be. So, how do you “pre-rehabilitate” your body to prepare your body following surgery?
Strengthen Your Body For Success
In order to ensure your success following surgery, introducing some of the following exercises can mean all the difference in a positive, fast recovery versus a slow and potential painful recovery.
Keep in mind, your hip is already strained or injured so our Jonesboro chiropractors have compiled a list of exercises in which can be completed in either the sitting position or lying on your back.
This exercise can be done laying on your back. First you contract your muscles in the buttocks pulling your hip joints inward, and hold for 5 seconds. Relax and then repeat.
This exercise can also be done while laying on your back. Begin by tightening your quad muscles and then gently press the back of your knees into the bed, and then rest and repeat.
A heel slide is where you lay on your back and then by bending your knees and hip, bring the heel toward the buttocks and then lay the leg flat again. Rest, repeat.
A leg slide is similar to a heel slide but for this you are moving your leg from side to side while keeping the kneecap pointed straight up at the ceiling. Perform this exercise slow and steady to work that hip joint.
Following surgery there is the potential for the use of crutches and having strong arms as well as strong hip muscles will aid in the healing and recovery process. To work on the arms, sit in a chair and then slide yourself to the edge. Begin lowering your body and then lifting up, essentially performing a push up in a seated position.
Prior to hip surgery, completing these exercises one to two times a day, doing about 10-20 repetitions of each should allow for smoother recovery following the surgery. However, if any activity becomes to strenuous, stop right away.
Let Our Staff Help You Prepare!
If you are preparing for a hip surgery and interested in implementing some of these exercises, contact our Jonesboro chiropractic team for more information to help get you ready! Call us today at (404) 602-0387.