| Hip replacement is one of the most
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| | take your feet down first.5. Avoid
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| successful medical technologies. Hundreds
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| | rotating with your weight on the new
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| of thousands of people have their hips
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| | joint. This is similar to point 3 above.
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| replaced every year, the vast majority
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| | Standing on your replaced hip and
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| with every expectation of many years of
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| | swinging your bodyweight around puts huge
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| pain-free function from their new
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| | leverages on the hip. Get used to moving
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| joint.But can you go on with your life
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| | your legs to get into a new position,
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| just the same after your hip is replaced?
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| | leading with the replaced one.6. Take
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| Not exactly. Even though your pain will
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| | care when sitting down. The correct
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| be gone, it is wise to remember that a
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| | technique will soon become automatic, but
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| new hip is not your old hip. You will
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| | sitting down can be a risk. When we sit,
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| find you can go back to do all the things
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| | our body weight forces our hips into a
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| you used to do, the walking, the
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| | new position. This is fine as long as it
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| activities, the hobbies and the jobs,
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| | does not happen too fast or go too far.
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| without pain. But it's useful to observe
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| | Sitting onto an unexpectedly deep sofa
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| a few thoughts about your new hip if you
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| | would be an example of an risky scenario.
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| are going to get the best long term use
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| | Know your chair heights so you don't get
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| from it.Your new hip is different. It is
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| | surprises, with 18 inches being a
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| steel alloy and plastic, the ball of the
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| | minimum. Chairs with arms are best as
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| hip being much smaller than your original
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| | they allow you to let yourself down in a
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| one. The steel thigh component is often
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| | controlled way.7. Avoid high impact
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| cemented into the shaft of the femur. The
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| | activities. I know you want to do things
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| metal and plastic parts bend in different
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| | you haven't been able to, but there is a
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| ways to the bone into which they are
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| | price to be paid for having an artificial
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| inserted, setting up stresses across the
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| | joint, if you want it to last. What you
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| junctions. The artificial materials do
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| | can do with it and what you should do are
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| not have the ability to become inflamed
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| | two quite different things.Avoid sports
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| and then heal like our own tissues, so if
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| | and activities such as running and
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| they become altered then they will either
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| | jumping, carrying heavy weights,
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| stay that way or worsen.You want to
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| | repetitive heavy work, football, rugby,
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| ensure a long, pain-free life for your
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| | soccer, squash, downhill skiing and
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| hip replacement. Revision surgery, where
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| | anything else which requires extreme
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| the hip is redone, is not the same as the
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| | joint stresses. You really want your
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| original surgery in many ways. Apart from
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| | joint to last more than twenty years.
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| the fact that it is another operation to
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| | Invest the care in it and it
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| undergo with its attendant risks,
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| | will.Suitable activities could include
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| revision surgery is harder to perform and
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| | walking, cycling, swimming, bowls,
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| the satisfaction scores of patients
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| | cross-country skiing, amongst others.
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| afterwards are lower than with first time
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| | Take advice if you are unsure.For more
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| surgery. First time is best.There are
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| | detail about what goes on in the
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| things you can do to keep your new joint
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| | interfaces between the metal, bone and
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| in good shape for as long as possible:1.
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| | cement, see The 5 facts of implant
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| Observe the post-operative advice. The
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| | fixation.8. Avoid crossing your legs when
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| team who take you through the procedure
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| | you sit. This puts the hip into a more
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| are experts at getting the best results.
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| | vulnerable position and should certainly
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| If they ask you to do this or to avoid
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| | be avoided during the first three months
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| that, then observe their recommendations.
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| | after surgery. Many people do cross their
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| There are always good reasons behind
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| | legs later on without ill effects but it
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| treatment programs, along with many years
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| | remains a risk to some extent.7. Avoid
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| of experience. Use this knowledge.2.
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| | bending over rapidly. This can cause
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| Observe the weight-bearing instructions.
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| | impingement on the socket like leaning
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| Every operation is different and there
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| | forward too far, and risks dislocation.
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| may be different instructions for you
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| | Using a long handled reacher and a long
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| depending on how the surgery went and
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| | shoe horn can be sensible.8. If you get
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| what the surgeon hopes to achieve.
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| | an infection, tell your doctor straight
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| Sticking to the recommended weight
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| | away. Infection is the single biggest
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| through your joint is very important. You
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| | risk for successful joint replacements.
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| may well find you can put much greater
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| | Infections such as teeth, urinary or
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| weight, even your whole bodyweight, on
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| | chest can spread to an artificial joint
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| the new hip. However, what you can do and
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| | via the bloodstream, either in illness or
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| what is wise are two different things, so
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| | during a procedure. Consult your doctor
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| pay attention to the instruction and
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| | or dentist and get the problem sorted
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| carry it out until told otherwise.3.
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| | early on. This applies no matter how old
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| Avoid getting your thigh too close to
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| | your replacement is.9. Enjoy yourself!
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| your chest. The angle between the chest
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| | Despite these restrictions, the positive
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| and the thigh should not be less than 90
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| | aspects of joint replacement vastly
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| degrees. If your new hip bends too much,
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| | outweigh the negative ones, so go on,
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| the neck of the thigh component can
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| | enjoy all the things you've wanted to do,
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| impinge against the plastic socket
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| | without the pain.Even though these
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| component, levering the hip out of the
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| | precautions are mostly more important
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| socket. This is called dislocation and is
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| | during the initial 6 to 12 weeks after
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| potentially a significant problem as it
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| | surgery, they remain sensible guidance
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| can then recur. When you reach down to
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| | over the long term.Jonathan Blood Smyth
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| your shoes, let your knee fall outwards
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| | is Superintendent Physiotherapist in an
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| so you reach down between your legs, and
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| | NHS Hospital in the South-West of the UK.
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| do it slowly until you feel secure.4.
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| | He has over 15 years experience of
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| Watch putting your feet up. You may feel
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| | managing orthopaedic conditions and
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| you want to put your feet up for a rest
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| | looking after joint replacements. He
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| or to reduce swelling. This is fine as
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| | specializes in the management of chronic
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| long as you don't lean forward for
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| | pain conditions and is the author of the
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| something. If you want to lean forward,
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| | "Secrets of Pacing for Chronic Pain.
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