I have a wonderful new challenge. My new client is only in her mid-forties, but she has had total hip replacement due to a horrible bicycle accident. She has a resting heart rate of 54, so she's athletic. My challenge is to find stretches for her abductors and adductors. Her back is also bad (we're doing work on a stability ball for that).
Hmmmm.....well to be perfectly honest I am not well schooled on this subject, but it is my understanding that you don't want to really increase flexibility with hip replacements because the hip socket is already at risk of being too loose even if the range of motion is limited...just work within the range of motion set by her doctor or physical therapist and start strengthening the hip.
static strength first partial range of motion next then more dynamic movements (within reason) swimming is excellent for hip replacement work so is biking and both of these can be made strength exercises with the use of increased external resistance also a resistance band attached to the waist while walking is a natural way to strengthen the hip functionally(walk to the front back side)
but the most important is to get the guidelines outlined by her doctor, this might also drum up some more business for you because doctors love seeing a trainer who is professional enough to work with a clients health care team on a program
other than that just follow the guidelines in the ACE manual pg 360
lift knee no farther that hip level 90 degrees toes straight ahead no adduction past midline need abduction and lateral movement and strengthening (use band to side step or static side plank IMO)
maybe look into a CEC on hip replacement
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If a person wants something that they have never had, they have to do something that they have never done. - Shawn Fears, CPT
