Hip surgery, usually a hip replacement, is performed when the hip joint is badly damaged to the point where severe pain is not improving, there is a reduced range of motion, and your mobility has been severely compromised. The hip is one of the largest joints in the body. Therefore, hip pain affects many parts of our daily lives and how the rest of our body moves. 

Recovery after hip surgery can be long and difficult. The specialists at H&D Physical Therapy will use physical therapy in Flatbush, Brooklyn, after hip surgery to speed up recovery and strengthen the joint overall. For more information on physical therapy after hip surgery, continue reading below.

What post-surgical symptoms can physical therapy help with?

After hip surgery, some post-operative symptoms are common. Physical therapy can be used to reduce these symptoms and get you back to where you were in strength and mobility wise, before the injury. These symptoms include:

  • Pain
  • Loss of strength
  • Scar tissue
  • Adhesions
  • Loss of range of motion and flexibility
  • Nerve damage
Physical Therapy in Flatbush, Brooklyn

These symptoms can be frustrating and make a recovery difficult. H&D Physical Therapy can help! We offer physical therapy in Flatbush, Brooklyn, which can help reduce these symptoms. Our doctors will create a treatment plan best suited to your goals and work with you to reach them.

How can physical therapy help after hip surgery?

Physical therapy is beneficial after hip surgery because it can strengthen the hip joint, increase flexibility, increase range of motion, improve balance, and restabilize the joint. The professionals at H&D Physical Therapy can use physical therapy in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to help you get back to your lifestyle before surgery. Continue reading below to learn specific physical therapy exercises that can be performed after hip surgery to help with recovery.

Ankle pumps:

To perform ankle pumps, a patient lies on their back with their ankle pointed and pumps their ankle up and down. This can be performed ten times every hour to improve mobility. 

Quadriceps sets:

This exercise is performed by having the patient lie on their back and tighten their quadriceps while pushing their knees towards the ground. This can be repeated ten times, two times a day. 

Gluteal sets:

This exercise is performed by tightening and squeezing the glute muscles while lying down on a flat surface. This exercise can be performed ten times, two times a day.

Heel slides:

Heel slides are performed by having the patient lay on their back, starting by bending the leg on which the hip surgery was performed and slowly sliding the heel towards the hip and back to the ground. This exercise can be performed ten times, two times a day.

Sitting knee flexion:

The sitting knee flexion exercise is performed by having the patient sit on a chair with a towel on the chair. The patient’s feet should be flat on the ground. The patient then bends the leg on which the hip surgery was performed while the other leg’s foot is slid back, held for a few seconds, and slid back to the starting position. This exercise can also be performed ten times, two times a day.

Physical Therapy in Flatbush, Brooklyn

The physical therapists at H&D Physical Therapy have years of experience treating patients who underwent hip surgery to get back to their lifestyles before surgery. Our specialists use physical therapy in Flatbush, Brooklyn, to help their patients regain strength, balance, range of motion, and flexibility. They use a mix of strength training, resistance training, stretching, lengthening exercises, and core strengthening exercises to speed up the recovery process. If you have recently had hip surgery, contact H&D Physical Therapy today for help getting back to your typical lifestyle!