If Your Hip is Talking, You Need More Than Walking!
In the USA, there is an ever-growing aging population as our baby boomers reaching retirement age and people living longer than ever. Unfortunately, as all of us age the issue of arthritis increases. One very common area affected are hip and knees. Incidences of need to have a total hip arthroplasty (THA) have risen from the year 2000 having 138,000 hips replaced to over 310,000 performed in 2010. The hip is a very common area of issues and people are in ever increasing need for a total hip arthroplasty (THA).
So, many of ourselves, friends and family will go through having a hip or knee replaced in their lifetimes. After these procedures, it is very common to have physical therapy after a knee replacement surgery to help regain ROM, strength, reduction of pain and ability to walk. This is not the same after a hip replacement. This is due to quicker recovery after a hip replacement and ability to walk sometimes without a cane or walker just days after surgery. So, many orthopedic surgeons simply ask their patients walk after the hip replacement for therapy. Many people do quite well with just walking and regain function with minimal pain or issues. Though, for many people that have a hip replacement do continue to deal with long standing walking/gait deviations. One of these deviations is called a “Trendelenburg Gait” that is when a person is walking their pelvis drops usually due to tightness and weakness of muscles surrounding their hip. An extremely important muscle are the glutes that are made up of the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus as they are usually weakened and/or tight from long standing issues or from surgery.
This compensation of walking/gait can lead to many other issues over time after the hip replacement like IT Band syndrome, greater trochanter bursitis, lower back pain, or knee pain. Many of these secondary complications can be resolved with physical therapy. A licensed therapist will be able to perform hands on techniques to improve hip mobility and educate you on corrective exercises to restore proper muscle function when walking. A licensed physical therapist would be able to create a detailed stretching, strengthening and functional training program to help you regain that proper gait so you will get you walking without a limp for many years after your hip replacement! So, call us today to set up a complimentary movement screen or evaluation at Spooner Physical Therapy Desert Ridge at 480-502-5510 or www.spoonerpt.com.
1. References: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db186.htm
2. https://nabilebraheim.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/gait/
