Does post-operative rehabilitation treat hip fracture?

Hip fracture treatment may involve surgery to realign and stabilise the bone, followed by a carefully paced rehabilitation plan. A physiotherapist may work on getting in and out of bed, walking with the permitted aid, bending the hip safely, and rebuilding leg and trunk strength. The programme changes as the bone and surrounding tissues recover. Weight-bearing instructions are specific to the repair, so do not increase walking or exercises because pain has eased.

Follow the surgeon’s weight-bearing and wound-care instructions, attend therapy sessions, and practise only the exercises prescribed for your stage. Use the walking frame, crutches or other aid as taught. Keep pathways clear at home and arrange help with bathing, stairs and meals while mobility is limited. Keep follow-up appointments so healing, strength and walking safety can be reassessed.

Contact the surgical team promptly for increasing wound redness, drainage, fever, worsening pain, or a sudden loss of function. Seek urgent help for new chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting, or a swollen painful calf. A fall or new inability to bear the permitted weight also needs prompt medical assessment.

Ask when you may put weight through the operated leg, which movements to avoid, how to manage pain during exercises, and what level of help is expected at home. Ask how progress will be checked and when walking aids may be reduced.