Health Tip: Returning to Normal After Hip Replacement

After hip replacement, it's important to allow your hip to heal, returning gradually to normal activities.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions:

• Once you're out of the hospital, be sure to get regular exercise without overdoing it.
• Use any devices, such as a walker or crutches, that your doctor recommends.
• You should be able to begin driving (as long as your vehicle has an automatic transmission) within eight weeks, provided you are not taking narcotic medication.
• Support your hip while sleeping with a pillow between your knees if you sleep on your side, or with your knees slightly apart if you sleep on your back.
• Talk to your doctor about resuming sexual relations.
• Sit only in chairs with arms for the first three months, and nothing that is low or reclining.
• Avoid climbing stairs until your hip is well healed.