A new hip can give you back years of walking without pain, but the weeks right after surgery set the tone for how well it works. If getting to a clinic is hard right now, physical therapy can come to you. Here's what recovery at home usually looks like.
Why the first weeks at home matter
After surgery the hip is sore and swollen, the muscles around it are weak, and you're moving around your house with a walker for the first time. This is when people are most likely to fall, and when following your surgeon's precautions matters most. Starting therapy soon after you get home helps you walk safely, protect the new joint and build strength steadily.
Hip precautions: follow your surgeon's plan
Depending on how your surgery was done, your surgeon may give you specific movements to avoid for a period of time, such as bending the hip too far, crossing your legs or turning the leg inward. Others give few restrictions. Your physical therapist will go over your surgeon's instructions with you and show you how to do everyday tasks safely within them: getting in and out of bed, sitting down and standing up, using the toilet and getting dressed.
What happens at the first visit
- Review your surgeon's instructions and any hip precautions
- Check swelling, pain and how the hip moves
- Test your strength, balance and how you walk with your walker or cane
- Practice the things you need to do at home: bed, chair, toilet, shower and stairs
- Look for hazards such as loose rugs, low chairs and poor lighting, and suggest equipment like a raised toilet seat, reacher or shower chair
You'll finish with a short home exercise program and a plan for how often we visit.
What recovery usually looks like
Everyone heals at a different pace, and your surgeon's guidance always comes first. In general:
- Weeks 1β2: safe walking with a walker around the house, gentle exercises for the hip and leg muscles, and getting comfortable with daily tasks within your precautions.
- Weeks 3β6: building strength in the hip and thigh, walking farther, practicing stairs, and often moving from a walker to a cane.
- Weeks 6β12: balance, endurance and getting back to the things you enjoy, such as shopping, walks outside or time with the grandkids.
Why therapy at home helps after a hip replacement
The hardest moments after a hip replacement happen at home: getting off a low couch, stepping into the tub, climbing the stairs to the bedroom. In a clinic you practice on equipment. At home we practice on your own furniture and stairs, and set things up so they're safe for your new hip. You also skip the car ride, which is one of the hardest parts of the first weeks.
Does Medicare cover it?
Medicare Part B covers outpatient physical therapy in your home when it's medically necessary and your doctor signs the plan of care. UPT Services is a Medicare provider and also accepts Aetna Medicare plans, Independence Blue Cross plans and Keystone 65. We verify your benefits before the first visit.
When to call your surgeon
Call your surgeon's office right away for increasing redness or drainage at the incision, fever, new calf pain or swelling, a sudden increase in hip pain, or if your leg suddenly looks shorter or turned. Call 911 for chest pain or trouble breathing.
Start your recovery at home
UPT Services provides in-home physical therapy after hip replacement across Northeast Philadelphia, Bucks County and Montgomery County. Call (215) 760-8229 or request an appointment. Learn more about hip and knee replacement rehab, hip pain and fall prevention.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Follow the instructions from your own surgeon and physical therapist.