RE: Re: Swaying

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/9/2004 12:14:45 PM Central Standard Time, sagebush2020@... writes:

I'm only 39 days out of sliceville, so I guess I'll continue to use two means of support until further notice. I still have trouble putting all my weight on the "new" leg.

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Wise to use the double support until you can even out your gait. I found that after a few years of walking abnormally, I had very little idea how to walk normally, and am just beginning to do so. For awhile, it was as if I couldn't both walk and chew gum.....had to think about my walking, which is automatic for everyone else.

y

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the suggestions…… I watch my

Mom’s swaying gait following her THR and I assure myself that my gait will

return to what it USED to be prior to the onset of the hip pain!!

I have advanced to a cane, and do very

well with that……without any swaying at all. I do concentrate on walking with a

balanced gait.

My right hip/muscles don’t feel as strong

yet, and I can see that it would be very easy to limit the weight on the right

leg, as it IS still weaker than the other leg.

Thanks, y……it IS the limiting of the

weight and the timing of the gait…. My PT told me that the exercises we were

doing would greatly strengthen the leg….and that with 4 weeks of continued walking

with the cane would strengthen the hip and muscles….as I gained more confidence

and used it more.

And I DO perform my exercises at home,

without fail!!!

Thanks for the insight…… the culprits of

swaying would be the ‘limiting the weight’ and the ‘timing of the gait’!!

That’s what I will concentrate on!!!

Carol

http://www.bayouscotties.com

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 7/10/2004 2:36:39 AM Central Standard Time, wcgang@... writes:

it IS the limiting of the weight and the timing of the gait…. My PT told me that the exercises we were doing would greatly strengthen the leg….and that with 4 weeks of continued walking with the cane would strengthen the hip and muscles….as I gained more confidence and used it more.

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In particular, I've noticed many problems in post op hip patients who have weakness in their hip abductor group. This is a tough one to try to explain by email, but it would mean that if you try to stand on your operated leg, your hip sort of collapses sideways. I've never been quite sure if tht had to do with weakness prior to surgery, or to something that happened during the surgery (although in a couple of cases, I know it was the 2nd). The exercise that needs to be done to strengthen that is also hard to describe, but involves pushing your operated leg diagonally to the side and back against resistance.....from theraband or whatever. Or lying on your side with this leg up, but on a pillow to keep from contraindicated position, and lifting it off the pillow upward and backward.

On second thought, that description above is probably not one you can easily follow without some guidance, so maybe I should say, "don't try this at home". Usually, I've had to carefully instruct patients how to do this one.... Probably, if this is part of your problem, your PT has already got you doing this stuff. But it's a hard problem to beat, and is one of the main reasons for limping/swaying, not having a stable gait, IMHO.

y

[Guest guest]

Ahhhhh, I am already doing the exercise

you describe, lying on side and lifting operated leg up and back….do have

an ankle weight on for this….do it at rehab with my PT! He

works with me on strengthening the operated leg’s muscles…….and

has me working at home. I know it’ll strengthen and I’ll

walk normally…. Just want to be SURE I avoid the “swaying pitfall”

that my Mom has!!

Thanks!!!!!!

Carol

http://www.bayouscotties.com