pierrot badmouths: Guest Post: Physical Therapy for Hip Injuries and ...

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Guest Post: Physical Therapy for Hip Injuries and ... - Fitness After 40

Today's post is by a guest, Elizabeth Carrollton, a representative of Drugwatch.com. In this post, Elizabeth discusses physical therapy for hip injuries and other options such as hip replacement. I hope you benefit from the information she is providing.

Physical Therapy for Hip Injuries and Hip Replacements
By Elizabeth Carrollton

Physical therapy is an important part of treatment for hip injuries, whether it is used as a component of a conservative treatment plan, as preparation for hip surgery or for rehabilitation after hip replacement has been done. Therapy for the hip focuses on strengthening and toning the muscles that support the hip in order to improve the function, range of motion and stability of the joint and reduce pain and stiffness.

Physical Therapy for Hip Injuries

Physical therapy is often used to aid in recovery after acute hip injuries, such as muscle strain, and overuse injuries, like tendinitis or bursitis. Typically, treatment for these injuries will focus on speeding recovery with the use of exercise, heat, ice and massage, and therapists will generally educate patients on proper warm-up and stretching to avoid future injuries.

Osteoarthritis in the hip is a common chronic condition characterized by gradual damage to the hip joint as its cushion of cartilage wears away. Physical therapy is often part of osteoarthritis treatment, especially in its early stages, using strengthening and stretching exercise to reduce pain and stiffness and improve or maintain range of motion.

Hip Replacement Preparation

Patients who are planning hip surgery can benefit from physical therapy. Frequently, people who require hip replacement have suffered impaired mobility for some time, which can cause significant weakening in the muscles surrounding the affected hip. Before hip surgery, therapy typically focuses on exercises to strengthen those muscles, improve joint stability and increase range of motion. Going into surgery with the muscles and connective tissues surrounding the hip in as good of shape as possible can reduce the impact of surgery on those tissues, improving surgery results and reducing recovery time.
Hip Replacement Rehabilitation

Physical therapy is essential to regaining strength and mobility after hip surgery and helps patients learn to compensate for the differences in hip function and range of motion that come with hip replacement. Strengthening the muscles that support hip function reduces the risk of implant dislocation or failure during the surgical recovery period, as well as making recovery faster and more complete. Therapy generally begins almost immediately after hip replacement surgery and continues for at least six to eight weeks.

Revision Procedure Rehabilitation

Physical therapy is also used to help patients recover after revision procedures, in which a hip implant is removed and replaced. These are often more complex than the original hip replacement and can take a heavy toll on strength and mobility. Revision procedures can become necessary for a number of reasons. Hip implants typically wear out after 10 to 20 years, depending upon the type of implant used. In some cases, they fail prematurely or patients have complications that force their removal.

In recent years, many revisions have occurred as a result of poorly designed metal-on-metal or other defective hip implants. Several hip components were recalled due to high failure and complication rates, including the DePuy ASR, Stryker Rejuvenate and ABG II, and Zimmer Durom Cup. Patients affected by joint damage due to failure or serious complications like metallosis or osteolysis - which are serious conditions related to implant debris accumulation in the body's soft tissues - may require long-term treatment and physical therapy to restore function and mobility. Some people have even had to file hip replacement lawsuits, due to these serious side effects.

Elizabeth Carrollton writes about defective medical devices and dangerous drugs for Drugwatch.com.