A partial or complete hip replacement is usually the last option offered to patients. A litany of less invasive treatments and solutions are offered by New Jersey orthopedic surgeons before a hip replacement is even considered. That said, there are times when the situation calls for it. Thankfully, technology has advanced considerably and these procedures are not nearly as traumatic or uncomfortable as they once were. Additionally, there are a number of things that you can do to help extend the life of your artificial hip.
Extending Your Hip’s Life:
- No High Impact Activities: Avoid high impact activities at all costs! The likelihood of a sports injury (or hip re-injury) increases nearly ten-fold with an artificial hip. This includes activities such as running, jumping and bounding.
- Maintain a Healthy Body Weight: The more weight you are carrying around, the greater the amount of pressure you are putting on your hip. This is problematic even with a healthy natural hipbone. But with an artificial hip, the pressure can simply be too much and will cause significant deterioration over a few years. Keeping your weight down is vital to keeping your artificial hip healthy.
- Work for Strong Legs: The muscles in your legs act as shock absorbers for the hip. Keeping these muscles healthy, strong and flexible allows them to keep your artificial hip protected from wear and tear.
Practice these techniques and your artificial hip should rarely give you problems and your time with an orthopedic specialist should be limited.
