Hip Replacement

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Four weeks ago, I underwent surgery for bilateral hip replacement. I’ve practised yoga for nearly 40 years, and have been teaching for about 30 years.

I had osteoarthritis in both hips for many years, and eventually pain and exhaustion from this condition, propelled me towards the surgical solution.

Yoga was an invaluable aid in dealing with symptoms over an 18 year period, and now, even though I am limited in my asana practice for awhile, I still can do pranayama, pawanmuktasana (joint-freeing exercises), and relaxation. During my recovery and rehabilitation, yoga philosophy has been a steady companion, and helped my mind stay in equilibrium.

For anyone fearful about having hip replacement surgery, I say that for myself, life is better as I am completely free of pain and gradually taking up my normal activities again. If anyone is interested in my pre-op and post-op record , you can see it on my blog: eveyoga.wordpress.com

One of the blog entries even has a video of me walking 18 days after the surgery without any aids.

Namaste

#2

hi eveyoga,

i am glad to read you are pain free now. and that yoga helped you.

is it possible that your practice of 40 years had anything to do with your osteoarthritis?

i am asking since i have heard of other people who have practiced as long as you have also have developed hip problems.

thanks,
wim

#3

Hi Wim,

You’ve asked a very good question: has yoga contributed in some way for my need for hip surgery?

The honest answer is I don’t know. But, I don’t think so.

I believe that heredity plays a strong part with osteoarthritis, although that was probably not an influence on me.

When I was first diagnosed with osteoarthritis, I was 48 yrs. old. All my life I’d been physically active. I had played tennis, cycled, jogged and was at that time training for mini-triathalons. The training made me sore in my left hip and I didn’t heed the signals until I was really in pain.

I have always been a very flexible person and probably could have done more core strengthening work as part of my fitness regime, but, unfortunately, I only learned about that after the fact.

Once diagnosed, I changed my lifestyle in many ways that I believe helped slow down the degeneration of cartilage in my hips, including modifying the way I practised yoga - for instance, adding more of the reflective practices, like pranayama and yoga nidra.

Personally, I believe a disease is a wake-up call. How one responds to it can be the next evolutionary step in our humanity…and our divinity.

Namaste

#4

Hello Eve and welcome to the community here.

I am always delighted to hear that an allopathic course of healing has been effective. I believe the post-op period is a delicate one for a variety of reasons which extend into several layers of our consciousness (koshas). So your reply, in the face of that, was very kind, gentle, and thoughtful - a testament to your practice over the years, no doubt.

It is very valuable to read that the deeper principles of yoga supported you in the path you selected. Hopefully others will note the robust Yoga, as you briefly outline it, without falling into a sense that surgical remedies should be taken lightly.

There is no doubt in my mind that dis-ease is a form of communication from the spirit through the soul to the mind. Here’s to answering the call and inviting that dialogue as early in the process as possible.

gordon

#5

Having practised yoga for 12 years I am understandably unhappy to have developed osteoarthritis of one hip. Symptoms relating to this disease have been present for 3 years now and there is no doubt about the diagnosis: it has been confirmed by X Rays, MR scan, and surgeons’ opinions. It causes significant inability to walk and to lift things so it interferes with normal activities of life and it looks as if I need a Total Hip Replacement probably using a ceramic prosthesis with large-diameter head. I continue to practise my yoga with with significant stiffness, discomfort and restriction of range of movement because the hip capsule and other tissues have become tight and there’s a lot of internal pulling. Yoga-stretching seems to help, but only for an hour, then it’s back to the same tight discomfort all over again. I’m trying to obtain information about people who have had Total Hip Replacements and who want to carry on doing yoga: I personally know of nobody who does yoga with a T.H.R. but I would feel mightily encouraged (to get on with hip replacement) were I to hear that there are hundreds or thousands of folk out there who can do yoga with total hip replacement. Are there? The only site I’ve come across is of a 92 year old lady in America who practises yoga apparently having had a hip replacement. Or is it sadly the case that once you’ve had a total hip replacement your days of doing yoga are over?