A hip replacement is a highly successful operation, but the result depends heavily on what happens afterwards. The joint is new; the muscles around it have often been weak for years. Structured rehabilitation is what turns a technically good operation into a hip you stop thinking about. We work alongside whatever protocol your surgeon has set.

Does this sound like you?

Most people have several of these, not all of them.

Weakness through the hip and thigh, often longstanding before surgery
A limp or altered walking pattern that persists after the wound heals
Difficulty with stairs, particularly going down
Reduced confidence and fear of movement
Swelling and stiffness in the early weeks

Why it happens

Advanced hip osteoarthritis, the most common reason
A hip fracture requiring replacement
Avascular necrosis of the femoral head
Inflammatory arthritis affecting the hip
A previous replacement being revised

What we would do about it

Roughly in this order — each step waits for the one before it.

Working within your surgeon's protocol and any movement precautions
Early range of movement and walking retraining
Progressive strengthening through the hip, thigh and trunk
Balance and single-leg control work
Stair, car and daily-task practice
A graded return to walking distance, and to sport or work where relevant

See a doctor first if

Your pain followed a significant injury
It is getting worse rather than settling
It comes with numbness, weakness or unexplained weight loss

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Symptoms overlap between conditions, so the right treatment depends on an assessment.

The operation is half of it

Surgeons replace the joint; the strength around it is rehabilitation. We work to your surgeon's protocol and take it through to full walking and stairs.

Book post-surgical rehab Ask a question first

Or call us on 0403 907 587 — we see patients across Seaton.

Other hip conditions we treat

Gluteal Tendinopathy Hip Osteoarthritis Groin Strain Hip Impingement

Back to all hip conditions

General information only, not advice about your own problem — nothing here replaces an assessment. Source: Total Hip Replacement on Physiopedia.

Hip Replacement Rehab