Hip replacement surgery is one of the stages of treatment. After a hip replacement, a person should get proper rest at night, following the doctor's recommendations. Before returning home, consider what adjustments will be needed to eliminate prohibited and undesirable leg and body positions.
Remedy for joints SUSTAFAST
- Basic recommendations
- Using orthopedic rollers after hip surgery
- Description of Product Features
- Types of products
- Features of use
Basic recommendations
- Bring your legs together, for example, lying on your side. To do this, place a rolled up pillow between your thighs. If you do not follow the instructions, the artificial joint may become dislodged due to the amount of stress placed on the muscles and ligaments.
- Sleeping on your stomach. During sleep, the patient cannot control the body position and may unintentionally bend the knee or rotate the foot inward, which also leads to the prosthesis head falling out of the acetabulum. The terms vary from 2 months to a year depending on the specific situation.
- Lying on the operated side.
- Exercises to overload joints and relieve pain.
The universal orthopedic hip bolster is designed for people who have undergone hip arthroplasty.
Item grips
Object grabbers (or reachers, from the word “reach”) are versatile equipment that helps you reach things that would otherwise be out of reach. They are a handle with a gripping structure at one end and a trigger at the other.
What to pay attention to when choosing:
- Models with a rotating head are available. The 180° rotation angle makes it easier to grasp the object.
- Comfortable handle (should be ergonomic) and ease of use of the trigger.
- Grasping tips include rubber tips with a grooved interior for better grip, magnetic tips for picking up small metal objects, and suction tips for better grip or gripping slippery objects.
Using an orthopedic cushion after hip surgery
There are special leg pillows that allow you to lie on your back so as not to displace the operated limb beyond the midline and relieve stress on ligaments that have not yet strengthened and regenerated after surgery.
Remedy for joints SUSTAFAST
Orthopedic rollers are used not only after joint replacement procedures. They are used by professional athletes, people suffering from spinal diseases, varicose veins and edema. Placing a foam roller under your ankle or between your thighs promotes good circulation and relieves muscle tension.
In addition to an orthopedic pillow between the legs after hip surgery, a person will need spinal correction and support. When replacing a joint on one side, many patients complain that the joint on the other side begins to hurt over time, although this was not the case before the operation. This is due to overload of the spine. Pain may be in the knees and lower back. A reclinator is a device that relieves muscle tension and corrects the spine, helps you sit up straight and relieves stress on the hip joint.
A reclinator can help to some extent when it is necessary to operate on another joint, since it is painful to feel the difference in the legs: one leg is shorter and the other is longer.
Additional toilet seat
What to pay attention to when purchasing:
- Height. You can choose a stationary unit with a certain required height or consider a design with the ability to adjust the height.
- Sustainability. The seat should not move or slide during use. For fixation, special latches, brackets or bolts are used.
- Weight, strength, presence of handrails. The seat should be light enough to be removed or easily disinfected and should be able to support your weight. Modern molded plastic combines lightness and strength. In addition, the seat can be equipped with handrails, which can be removable or built into the structure. The best material for handrails is aluminum.
Description of product properties
- relieves muscle spasms and spasms by increasing blood circulation;
- relaxation of the muscles surrounding the spine;
- Unloading of the ligamentous apparatus, which is not yet accustomed to the artificial prosthesis.
For the convenience of the pillow, Velcro is provided for attaching it to the leg - such devices are convenient when you need to turn over to the other side.
The store will help you find a model that suits you, and give you the opportunity to try it out and get advice on how to care for it.
Dressing aids
Everyday dressing aids allow users to get dressed painlessly and safely without any assistance from a caregiver. Recommended after hip replacement.
Devices for putting on socks
Devices for putting on trousers, stockings and tights (compression underwear)
Devices for putting on shoes
Multifunctional devices
Types of products
The following models of orthopedic pillows are suitable for people who have undergone joint replacement surgery:
- Cube Designed for lying down, which is recommended in the first 3 months after surgery. The legs are extended and placed into the cutouts in the pad near the shin. The distance between the notches does not allow the legs to separate. Ask your doctor about the opening angle and choose an appropriate pillow.
- The pillow has the shape of a semicircle. Suitable for sleeping on your back. It is placed under the knees or shins. There are models consisting of several rollers of different heights connected to each other. The shortest of them is placed under the knees, the tallest - under the heels. For sleeping on your side, use a bolster. To do this, he enters between the thighs so that the angle of their separation is at least 45 degrees.
- Transformer. The model has 2 indentations for the knees and is used when a person sleeps on his side. The roller is attached to the top of your leg with Velcro, so you don't have to stand up after turning over.
- Latex is a natural material with antiseptic properties. It is used to prevent bedsores and other skin problems. The material is durable and flexible. Does not change its shape after prolonged use.
- Polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam. More rigid compared to latex made from synthetic materials. Cheaper.
- Memorix. Substances that change its properties are added to polyurethane foam material. In this case, the pillow “remembers” its shape and retains it for some time after a person changes position. Such properties
- they allow you to toss and turn less and fall asleep faster, because the blood vessels do not narrow, and the pain gradually subsides.
Styrofoam balls. The service life of the product is up to 10 years with proper care and handling. The material is soft and does not change shape under the weight of the body.
For patients with hip joints, it is better to use materials that remember the shape of the body.
- Orthopedic pillows and headrests are selected according to size:
- Long pillows are placed from the feet to the hips, which eliminates the incorrect position of the feet during sleep and the incorrect position of the legs. There are models that are used along the entire length - one part of the pillow is intended for the head, which is convenient to turn over to the other side.
Short. They are designed for a specific area of the body - the pelvis, knees and shins.
Handrails
They are relatively cheap, easy to install, and one of the easiest ways to ensure patient safety.
For individual selection, it is better to consider the following categories:
Wall handrails
They are fixed to the wall of the bathroom or toilet, differ in length, shape and material of manufacture. May have additional support. Some models are foldable.
Handrails that attach to the edge of the bathtub
Simple handrails and handrails with multiple areas for a more comfortable grip. May have additional support on the floor.
Handrails for the toilet room
Fixed next to or on the toilet.
Features of application
Selected by height based on doctor's recommendations. The main requirement is the distance between the knees. The degree of rigidity depends on the patient’s preferences, depending on the material with which the product is filled.
You will have to use a pillow for a long time after hip surgery. Judging by the reviews on the forums, we can confidently say that most patients use them constantly, because without a roller they experience discomfort and fatigue in the morning. In this regard, you should immediately choose a high-quality model, test it in the store in all positions where a person likes to sleep, and clarify the features of caring for the product.
Remedy for joints SUSTAFAST
Shower benches
What to pay attention to when purchasing:
- The bench should be light but durable. The best material is aluminum.
- The bench should be height adjustable.
- Check the legs or clamps on the side of the bathtub for anti-slip properties and degree of stability. Many legs have suction cups that add a layer of safety.
Types of benches
Stationary benches
Benches, chairs, armchairs are installed directly in the bathtub/shower. A person does not get tired while taking water procedures, and the risk of slipping on a wet surface is reduced.
Transformer benches
Specially designed to allow a person to easily move to and from the shower or bath. The design is based on simple mechanics and helps a person move without putting pressure on the hip. Benches can be placed for the entire rehabilitation period or removed if necessary.
The following types are most convenient:
Non-retractable swivel chair : located inside the bathtub, the seat and backrest rotate to the required degree. There are models that are fixed on the sides of the bathtub, and models that have legs for installation in the bathtub.
Retractable chair chair: the inner pair of legs are fixed in the bathtub/shower, the outer pair of legs are placed on the floor outside the bathtub/shower. The seat slides comfortably, moving a person in or out of the bath.
Recovery after hip replacement
Relatively recently, many patients suffering from arthrosis of the hip joint (coxarthrosis), or having suffered a fracture of the femoral neck, were doomed to complete disability due to the loss of the ability to move independently. Fortunately, the introduction of the latest technologies in medicine has allowed patients to avoid this fate and live their former full lives.
One of these technologies is total hip arthroplasty (THA), when the entire hip joint (head, femoral neck, cartilaginous surface of the acetabulum) is replaced with a synthetic prosthesis.
But in order for the synthetic joint to work as well as the “native” one, it is important not only to carry out the operation at a high level. Competent postoperative recovery or rehabilitation after endoprosthetics is necessary
And this depends not only on the doctor, but also on the patient.
Problems
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THA itself is a rather technically complex and traumatic operation. The skin and muscles are dissected, and the osteochondral tissue of the worn joint is removed. Then the leg of the prosthesis is fixed in the femoral canal. Severe surgical trauma is accompanied by pain and the release of biologically active substances from tissues into the blood.
It goes without saying that people go for endoprosthetics, to put it mildly, not because of a good life. Such an operation requires strict indications. Such indications include destruction of articular structures due to coxarthrosis or femoral neck fracture. With coxarthrosis, as a result of long-term motor disorders, atrophic changes in the muscles of the lower limb and back develop, and the functioning of the pelvic organs is disrupted. The load on the spine increases, which leads to the development of lumbosacral osteochondrosis and radiculitis.
In addition, the operation itself and postoperative bed rest lead to disruption of intestinal peristalsis (contractions) up to the development of atonic intestinal obstruction. We should not forget that in old age the ability to regenerate and heal tissues damaged during surgery is significantly reduced. The immune system is weakened, resulting in favorable conditions for the introduction of infection.
Thus, postoperative problems after hip replacement come down to the following:
- The patient is concerned about postoperative pain
- Existing muscle atrophy worsens
- Cardiopulmonary failure worsens
- Intestinal function is disrupted
- There is a high risk of cerebral strokes due to surges in blood pressure
- Blood clotting disorders can lead to thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities and to an extremely serious condition - pulmonary embolism
- A postoperative wound can serve as an entry point for infection.
Measures to restore motor functions and prevent postoperative complications are comprehensive. It goes without saying that the main emphasis is on physical therapy (PT), which is designed to ensure optimal functioning of the newly acquired joint and the entire lower limb. In addition to exercise therapy, other therapeutic measures are carried out using medications of various groups, as well as physiotherapeutic procedures.
Another important point is the prevention of thrombotic complications, which often develop in elderly patients after operations. At the same time, parietal blood clots form in the veins of the lower extremities, which, breaking off, are carried by the blood flow into the pulmonary artery and clog it. Blockage of the main trunk of the pulmonary artery can cause instant death.
To prevent this from happening, in such patients, in the first few days after surgery, their legs are bandaged with an elastic bandage and anti-clotting agents (Fraxiparine, Clexane) are injected subcutaneously. To eliminate postoperative intestinal atony, injections of Proserin and Ubretid are prescribed. Antibiotics (Ceftriaxone, Metrogyl) must be prescribed.
Principles of exercise therapy
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There is a misconception that exercise therapy after hip replacement can be carried out only in the late postoperative period, and in the first days strict rest is needed. This erroneous tactic can lead to contractures (persistent limitations in range of motion) and thrombotic complications. Therefore, some of the simplest loads are carried out already on the first day after the operation, upon recovery from anesthesia. In the implementation of exercise therapy, the principle of phasing must be observed, when the exercises themselves are done in several phases.
