Hip Arthroscopy - Day 3, PT Session 1

I saw the physical therapist for the first time.  Within minutes of starting, she had me almost in tears from the pain.  Off to a great start!  She backed off the rest of the exercises, thankfully, and I was able to get through the rest of the session without any further near crying episodes.

She said that folks who have surgery on Friday and then PT on Monday start off with a little bit of a disadvantage.   The dr. likes to get people in the very next day to PT so that they can start working on range of motion and flexibility. Those who wait a few days after have already started to have some limited ROM, so the first session is typically a little harder.

I asked her about the psoas pain and she said that it will take a while to be fully healed - like on the order of two months or so.  My goal for most of the exercises is to not engage the psoas, which is easier said than done.

I was given a series of exercises to do at home - heel slides, hamstring stretches, hip bridges, ankle raises, hip extensions and shifting weight onto my op leg.   I need to run through this progression twice a day.

Heel slides

Hip bridges

Hip extensions

We set up the rest of the therapy schedule for May.  As soon as my stitches are out (which should be at Friday's check-in with the orthopedic surgeon), the rest of my PT will be in the therapy pool.  So that's pretty neat.