THA – Total Hip Arthroplasty (or Hip Replacement)
Ok, today’s topic is going to be on a very common surgery that we treat and help people with all the time. We (Dr. Matt Toone and Dr. Jordan Brady) treat patients all the time who have had a THA – or Total Hip Arthroplasty. What is this? Basically, it is getting a new hip! Very often as we age, we develop arthritis in our joints that become so painful that it requires surgery (joint replacement) to relieve the pain.
More often than not, this surgery is performed in older aged patients who have tried everything else to help alleviate their pain. Many have tried pain meds, injections, even physical therapy – and the arthritis is bad enough that essentially their last resort is to get a new hip. When other conservative therapies have not helped, a THA is then performed.
What Are The Signs & Symptoms of Arthritis in the Hip (that requires a THA):
- Hip pain
- Stiffness in the joint (worse in the morning, but ‘loosens’ up as the day progresses)
- Loss of range of motion in the hips and during daily activities
- Age 60+
- Standing, walking, stairs, etc. – all daily activities become very difficult and painful
- Compression of the joint hurts, while distraction helps alleviate the pain
Most of the time, your Doctor will recommend you try Physical Therapy first. While we as PT’s can not take away your arthritis, we can help create a customized plan to help reduce your pain, develop an exercise program specific to how you present which will help lubricate the joint and improve functional activities like gait, stairs, sit-stands, etc. Most patients who do physical therapy improve and find that we can help reduce pain and get you moving, stretching, and strengthening to the point where you feel you can avoid a surgery or at least put it off for now
If, on the other hand, the pain does not improve with physical therapy, it doesn’t mean PT failed as much as it means you may be ‘bone-on-bone’ and the arthritis has developed to the point that most likely you will need to get a THA
The good news is that a THA surgery is something that the vast majority of patients respond very well to, and the recovery is much easier and quicker than most other major joint replacement surgeries. Typically physical therapy is required after a hip replacement, but it is minimal and most people recover their strength and functional abilities (ie: stairs, walking) very quickly
Whether you need physical therapy before or after your hip replacement, let us help you with your physical therapy needs. We’ve treated many patients pre and post THA, and will do everything we can to help you. Whether you live in Layton, Syracuse, Clearfield, Clinton, Farmington, Kaysville, Roy, or anywhere in between – call us today with any questions or to set up an appointment. You can reach us at 801-773-1350.
