Post Hip Replacement Rehabilitation, Brighton
Having surgery is scary. We never know exactly what the outcome is going to be, and the uncertainty alone can feel overwhelming. But sometimes there is no alternative — and when that’s the case, what you do before and after your surgery matters enormously.
I know this from personal experience. I had a hip replacement in 2017, and I cannot imagine my life if I hadn’t had it.
My Story..
By the time I had my surgery I just needed to be out of pain. But months after my operation I was experiencing significant groin pain and not getting any answers. It was only through my own research and a growing understanding of how the body works that I started to understand why it was happening and what needed to change. When you give the body what it needs, it responds — almost like a sponge. My hip movement is now excellent, I’m back to doing everything I was doing before and more, and that outcome is the reason I do what I do today.
Before Surgery — Why Preparation Matters
If you know you’re heading toward hip replacement surgery, working on your strength beforehand makes a real difference to your outcome. If your hip has been painful for a long time, your body will have been compensating for years before the pain even became severe. Pre-hab isn’t just about building strength in the hip — it’s about understanding those compensations and giving the whole system the best possible starting point for recovery.
After Surgery — Why Rehabilitation Needs to Go Further
Many people feel significantly better once the initial recovery is complete and assume the job is done. But the body doesn’t automatically return to its original movement patterns just because the joint has been replaced, and the compensations that built up over years are still there. Months or even years down the line, some people start to notice new discomfort in the groin, the knee, or the lower back for exactly this reason. Whole-body rehabilitation addresses not just the replaced joint but the movement patterns the body has been missing — so the new joint can work the way it was designed to.
How I Approach It..
I work with Gary Ward’s AIM method — Anatomy in Motion — finding what’s missing and putting it back. Whether you’re preparing for surgery or recovering from it, the work is the same — restore better movement, build strength in the right places, and give the body back what it needs.
What a Session Looks Like..
Sessions are hands-on and practical, with a specific exercise programme, fully videoed, taking around 20 minutes a day at home. No gym required.
Who Is This For?
Anyone preparing for a hip replacement, anyone recovering from one, and anyone who had their surgery some time ago and is noticing new discomfort or a feeling that their movement still isn’t quite right.
Based in Brighton
I work with clients in Brighton and the surrounding area. A Missing Piece Assessment is the place to start.
Book your Missing Piece Assessment today and find out what your body needs to recover well.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I had my hip replacement some time ago and feel fine — do I still need rehabilitation?
Possibly. The body doesn’t automatically return to its original movement patterns just because the joint has been replaced, and if something doesn’t feel quite right or you’re noticing new discomfort elsewhere, it’s worth having a whole-body movement assessment to find out what the system still needs.
What is pre-hab and why does it matter?
Prehab is the work you do before surgery to give your body the best possible starting point for recovery. The stronger and better moving you are going in, the better the environment your body has to recover into. I offer prehab sessions specifically for this and speak from personal experience — I had a hip replacement myself in 2017.
I’ve been told my rehabilitation is complete — but something still doesn’t feel right.
It’s not uncommon. Standard post-operative rehabilitation does its job well but doesn’t always address the whole-body movement patterns that were driving the problem before surgery. A whole-body movement assessment can identify what the system is still missing and build a programme to address it.
Can I do this work if I’ve had both hips replaced?
Yes. The approach is the same regardless of whether one or both hips have been replaced — we look at how the whole system is loading and moving and what needs to be restored.
How is your approach different from standard physiotherapy after hip replacement?
Standard physiotherapy is excellent at managing the immediate post-operative recovery. What I do is complementary to that and comes into its own once the initial recovery is complete. I trained with Gait Happens and work with Gary Ward’s AIM method, looking at the whole movement system — and having had a hip replacement myself, I understand the experience first hand and the challenges, both physical and mental that need to be overcome.