Life After Hip Replacement Surgery

The Big Suck

Life after hip replacement surgeryA client of mine, a fantastic woman in her 60’s who loves volunteering at the art museum, came in to see me to improve her life after hip replacement surgery (This was her second major replacement surgery–she had had a knee replacement many years prior).

Due to chronic pain, she was no longer able to maintain her role for the museum. When pain takes away movement, it creates a belief system that this is the new normal… This is life after hip replacement surgery! It is a place of hopelessness. I call it the “Big Suck”! 

She arrived at her first visit with a cane, unable to bear weight, stand, or walk without the cane due to the hip pain. She had already completed 6-12 weeks of postoperative physical therapy which not only didn’t help but actually caused the pain to worsen. 

We began our work with Movement Restoration and Exploration, focusing on simple ground-based movements to improve the pain-free function of the hips and spinal mobility. We went through a step-by-step process to strengthen her hips; build movement function up to a standing position, and then slowly improved her hip stability to the point she was able to let go and walk without the cane. It took several months, and she has been moving without the cane for over a year now.

New Life After Hip Replacement Surgery

I wish you could have seen her face when she ditched her cane to the dustbin. It was a moment in which her life changed. It was profound. These are the moments which make me love the work I do. Now she is able to spend 4-6 hours on her feet, giving tours and teaching about art. She is back to the life she loves.

Now that she’s ditched the cane, we have continued to work on practical movement skills, such as getting up and down off the floor in a variety of ways; squatting; sitting down into a chair without “falling” or “plopping”; standing up without bracing or using momentum heaving herself up. These are skills that may seem simple on the surface, but when you’re in pain, you lose the ability to do them. And when these skills come back to life… I really cannot express the empowerment that I get to witness. It is simply awe-inspiring and amazing.

The work we did wasn’t complicated. It wasn’t “hard.” It was simple, somewhat basic, and often tedious. It was also highly effective because she was consistent. She added in the daily homework like a boss; gradually improving her movement, and the best part–changing her life in the process.

You see, this client thought the pain was forever, that it was her new normal. Imagine not being able to walk without support. Imagine regaining that freedom, and how amazing you would feel. Imagine re-discovering parts of your body that you believed were lost due to age and old habits! 

It is your turn

You too can experience similar life-change, and even better, you can get it for Free!

This Friday, I am launching an exciting new, FREE program that can lead you into better, more sustainable movement practices. Whether you’re struggling with pain or just wanting to build a better foundation for movement, this online content is for you.

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