Yoga for post-hip replacement surgery students

Yoga for post-hip replacement surgery students

Please recommend resources for yoga for post-hip replacement surgery students. I am not speaking of 6 months after surgery. I am speaking of upwards of 1-2 years.

Answer from Justine

I have taught workshops on knee and hip replacements – but it was before we were recording them on film, darn it! There are two types of approaches for hip replacements – posterior and anterior. The posterior approach cuts through a lot of muscle and tendons, and the scar tissue is what provides stability to the joint after healing, which takes at least 6 months. The anterior approach is less invasive, and used to be done solely on younger people and athletes…..but is getting far more common, which is a good thing. The best way to know the difference is to ask where their scar is – either on the glutes between the hip and sitting bone for posterior, or next to the tensor fascia latae on the lateral hip for anterior. Each has different contraindications….but the most important time for contraindications is in the first 6 months to one year post surgery. The easiest way to be safe is ask your students what your doctor or PT said you can NOT do 🙂  The good news is, 1-2 years post surgery the scar tissue is set in and the risks of dislocation are very minimal. The main thing is to work within the parameters of pain for your student, i.e. no ‘uh-oh’ pain – if it feels wrong, come out immediately.

Academy Resources

Yoga Vista Academy does have the manuals for our different workshops for sale, in case it is of interest to you I am giving you the links to them – one is all of my Yoga Therapy workshop manuals in one hand out (including the info on joint replacement): /product/gentle-yoga-therapy-teacher-training-manual-1st-edition/ The next is the CEU weekend workshop manuals that includes the one with knee and hip replacements called ‘Gentle Yoga Therapy for Joint Health’ – /product/teachers-advanced-gentle-senior-and-chair-yoga-training-manual-volume-5/

I realize these are expensive and may have more information in them than you are interested in. I am in the middle of moving, we are finally unpacking in our new home in Hawaii!! But, in the course of volcano eruptions, hurricanes and the general climate of the rain forest – my desktop computer crashed and is dead. I know I have a sheet with contraindications for each approach of hip replacements….as I get the data retrieved from my desktop I will see if I can find it and send a copy to you. (Sherry had it in her files!!)

Final take away – if your students are 1-2 years or greater away from hip replacement, fear not – they will be hard to hurt. Trust your intuition….and watch their face,that they are not making pained expressions or pushing too far. 🙂