How to Run with a Hip Replacement: running

Showing posts with label running. Show all posts

The dangers of the day after

We all know what its like to be sore the day after unfamiliar exercise. Although running strengthens our muscles in the long term, in the short term they are weakened by unfamiliar stress. This is important to take into account as we try to protect our hips while restarting running after a hip replacement.

A big thanks to all those who have requested more information about how to run with a hip replacement. I have spent the last few months writing a 90 page eBook which I hope will at least partly satisfy.
You can buy the eBook through Amazon for a very small fee ($2.99).
Click on Read more » to view the INTRODUCTION to the eBook which gives you a flavour for what's inside.

Katheryn of Houston, TX is a runner undergoing a hip replacement operation emailed and wants to know, "How long did it take between your surgery and the first steps you were able to run?"

I can answer your question Katheryn but because every case is so different it may have no bearing on another question, "How long will it take you to get back to running?"

Let me digress

I know in past posts I have been focused on preparing for a hip replacement and recovery immediately after the operation but I would like to skip ahead in this post and talk about something that is on my mind. So humor me if you will.

You're in your running shoes, poised and ready for your first outside workout on crutches. Over the next few weeks and more your hip will respond well to walks of increasing duration.

When your six week checkup with the specialist rolls around aim to be walking up to one and a half kilometers at a time. That should be enough to trigger the green light for trekking poles.

Running shoes and crutches for runner with hip replacement

The wind on your face

Once you are on your crutches and mobile you’ll quickly feel strong enough to head outside. If the weather’s not too extreme grab those crutches and go for it - this is the start of your ‘running’ recuperation proper.

Closing the layers

It might help you relax and be patient if you understand a bit of the process the surgeon has gone through to close you up once your new hip is in place. Surgeons call it 'closing in layers' - picture this:

Your first 4 layers are closed with heavy-duty dis-solvable stitches, these are:
1. the hip joint capsule
2. the deep layers of muscles
3. the shallower muscle sheets
4. the strong shell over the muscles called the tensor fascia lata
Then the surgeon picks up thinner dissolvable stitches to close:
1. your fat layer
2. a thin layer between the fat and the skin called the subcuticular
Then comes the staple gun to finish up or you might get away with steristrips to close your skin.

So yes, there is a lot of healing going on in the first months and there are no short cuts (if you’ll excuse the expression).

GETTING ON WITH IT

Resting when you’re tired is important but you won’t be tired all the time and there are exercises you can do immediately after surgery that will help. We'll look at some of these in the next post.