A total hip replacement is a very invasive procedure and will involve a painful healing process for several weeks following the surgery. As someone who’s been there, I would like to offer my advice on how to effectively manage the pain that accompanies a total hip replacement. The following set of suggestions can aid you in making your recovery as pain free as possible.
Take your pain management drugs. Follow the instructions that accompany any pain management drugs prescribed by your physician. Pain management drugs work best at preventing pain before it occurs. They are less effective at alleviating pain that is already in progress. Be sure to stick with the dosing schedule prescribed by your physician and take your pain management drugs even if you are pain-free at the scheduled time for your next dose.
Avoid excess stimuli. Loud noises, bright lights, and other jolts to your nervous system will only fray your nerves and make you less able to tolerate any break-through pain. This may sound silly at first, but remember that pain is a function of the nervous system. If you overload your nervous system with excess stimuli, you may not be able to tolerate the pain that accompanies recovery.
This is a trying time of your life and one that requires you to have a tremendous amount of patience and perseverance if you want to sail through it smoothly but if you simply manage to control stimuli, half the problem will be solved while the other half can be done by looking up hip flexors info online.
Do your physical therapy. Many patients, including myself, have a tendency to avoid doing their physical therapy because it causes pain. This is a logical and healthy response, but it actually works against you. The pain I experienced by avoiding physical therapy and letting my muscles get stiff was far worse than the pain I experienced during physical therapy. Try to plan your physical therapy and post-surgical exercises at times that follow your dosing schedule for pain management drugs. Performing your prescribed exercises shortly after your pain management drugs kick in will help to make your at-home physical therapy a less painful experience.
Ask for help. A total hip replacement will put you in a situation where you will need the help of others to perform the daily tasks of life. Trying to cook for yourself, do your own laundry, etc. will be very difficult at first and could cause you to get injured. Overexerting yourself by trying to live life the way you did before the surgery will only result in more pain. Its far better to ask someone to get you’re a drink of water or fetch you a blanket so your body can rest and heal from the surgery.
The previous suggestions come from my personal experience with hip replacement. Be sure to check with your doctor to see if he or she may have any additional suggestions on effective ways to manage pain after surgery. Lastly, remember that taking it easy is the best way to prevent pain after a total hip replacement.
