Can you roller skate after hip replacement? Roller skating is a fun and exciting roller sport hobby with tons of benefits.
Besides the social benefit of interacting with skaters from different backgrounds, roller skating also has many health benefits.
But here’s the kicker! Roller skating after a hip replacement can be a hurdle. The fear of falling and hurting yourself, dislocating the hip, or trauma from past hip injury experiences can hinder you.
The truth is that you can return to low-impact physical activities like roller skating after a knee replacement. But you need to be extra careful to avoid more injuries.
This guide covers more details about returning to roller skating after hip replacement; you don’t want to miss out. So, I urge you to keep reading to the end.
Let’s get started!
Can You Roller Skate After Hip Replacement?
First things first! Can you roller skate after hip replacement? You can roller skate 3-6 weeks after hip replacement since roller skating is a low-impact aerobic activity and doesn’t accelerate the wearing of the prosthesis. You can also roller skate after hip replacement when you no longer feel pain or don’t need a walker to walk comfortably.
What is Hip Replacement?
What is a hip replacement? Simply put, hip replacement is the removal of damaged sections of the hip joint and replacing them with artificial parts constructed of metal, ceramic, and very hard plastic.
Arthritis (Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis) and Osteonecrosis are the primary reasons to need a hip replacement. The artificial joint is known as a prosthesis. Its role is to reduce pain and improve hip joint function.
Why and When You Can Roller Skate After Hip Replacement
While you can roller skate after a hip replacement, you should only proceed with caution lest you hurt yourself more. Below are the conditions to meet if you want to roller skate after a hip replacement.
1. After a Physical Therapist and Physician Approval
Hip replacement is great for alleviating hip joint pains. But sometimes, the surgery doesn’t go as anticipated. You may be a victim of hip replacement risks, which can cause more damage.
This means you should only roller skate after a physical therapist and physician assesses your hip and gives the green light. Until then, you should keep off!
A physical therapist and physician will typically assess the following potential risks of hip replacement;
- Blood clots: clots may form in your leg veins after a hip replacement surgery. In worst cases, pieces of blood clots can travel to your heart, lungs, and brain. Roller skating in this condition may increase blood clots in the leg veins. You should only consider going back to skating if your Physical Therapist and Physician approve it.
- Infection: sometimes, the inner tissues have a hip infection after the surgery. Roller skating may also increase infection, causing it to spread to other parts of the leg and body. Your physician should confirm you don’t have a hip joint infection before you can wear your roller skates again.
- Fracture: fractures after surgery are common, and you may be a victim after a hip replacement. Some fractures are small and can heal on their own. But, others are large and need stabilization with wires and screws. A doctor should assess your hip after the hip replacement surgery to ascertain you don’t have any fractures. This is the only time you’re allowed to roller skate.
- Dislocation: hip dislocation is common within the first few weeks after a hip replacement surgery. You may need to undergo surgery again if you have a dislocated hip joint after the hip replacement surgery. The last thing you want to do is roller skate with a dislocated hip joint. This is why you should go for an evaluation and consider roller skating again after a doctor’s approval.
- Nerve damage: nerve damage cause more pain and numbness. Though it’s rare after a hip replacement surgery, it happens sometimes. Your doctor should confirm you don’t have a nerve damage injury before going back to roller skating.
2. Hip Replacement Surgeries Heal in 3-6 Weeks
Hip replacement surgeries should heal in three to six months. It will help if you avoid strenuous activities that injure your hip joint during this time.
But after the recovery period, you can put on your roller skate and hit your nearest local skate park for roller skating fun. Importantly, you should consider it after a doctor’s assessment and approval.
3. Roller Skating is a Low-impact Aerobic Activity
Roller skating is a low-impact aerobic activity, meaning it’s gentle on the joints but ruthless on calories. Roller skating primarily uses thigh muscles like quads and hamstrings, so the muscles do much of the work.
The hip joint only provides a fulcrum for leg movement. You should roller skate stress-free after a hip replacement since moderate roller skating shouldn’t accelerate the wearing out of the prosthesis.
4. When You no longer Feel Pain
Roller skating is fun and thrilling. The body releases dopamine while skating, which makes roller skaters feel good as it relaxes the body.
The problem is that roller skating can ruin the fun when in pain because of a hip replacement. This is why you only want to go skating when you are no longer in pain.
The good news is that you should be pain-free after 3-6 weeks of surgery. You should be back skating in under two months like you never left.
5. When You Don’t Need a Walker Anymore
Walking comfortably after a hip replacement can be daunting, which is why doctors recommend walkers. Needing the walker should be a warning sign that you aren’t ready yet.
Roller skating uses a lot of balance and body coordination. If you need a walker to walk, it means your body isn’t ready for roller skating yet.
It would be best to wait a little longer until you can walk comfortably without needing a walker. This shouldn’t take longer than eight weeks.
Benefits of Roller Skating After Hip Replacement
Exercising after hip replacement surgery is crucial for quick recovery. The good news is that roller skating is a low-impact aerobic exercise with tons of health benefits.
While roller skating may be risky for inexperienced skaters, it shouldn’t be a big deal for intermediates and experienced skaters.
So, it should be an excellent exercise for your body after the hip replacement. Below are the benefits of roller skating after hip replacement.
- Improves the cardiovascular system.
- Improves muscle tone and endurance.
- Psychological satisfaction.
- Enhances flexibility, coordination, and balance.
How to Roller Skate after Hip Replacement
One way to roller skate after hip replacement is when you have a doctor’s approval. That way, you’re sure you can roller skate without risking so much.
Below is how to carry out yourself if you decide to roller skate after hip replacement!
1. Resist the Urge to Roller Skate
Roller skating is fun, and resisting the urge to skate more can be daunting. I get it, but you should consider minimizing how long you skate and the distance you cover.
Skating for long can quickly wear out the prosthesis in no time, hurting your new hip joint.
You may undergo a second surgery if things go out of hand. I believe you don’t want it to come to that, which is why moderate roller skating is the best choice.
2. Roller Skate on Smooth Surfaces
The most crucial consideration when roller skating is surface type. While some surfaces are smooth, otters are rough and hard to skate on.
There are plenty of surfaces for roller skating, such as concrete and asphalt. Whichever surface you use to roller skate, ensure it’s smooth and free of obstacles like rocks, pebbles, and twigs.
Importantly, it should be dry. Wet surfaces are slippery and may cause falls. The last experience you want is to suffer a fall injury while skating because it can hurt your new hip joint.
3. Avoided Crowded Places
Skateparks and rinks are fantastic places for roller skating. Many skaters throng these places, making them the best for interacting with fellow skaters.
But sometimes they can be full. The last place you want to roller skate after a hip replacement is a crowded rink or skate park. You risk hurting yourself more from collision injuries.
4. Shun Doing Roller Skating Tricks
Roller skating tricks like jumps and spins are fun and thrilling. But you should shun them after a hip replacement since they can trigger hip joint pains.
5. Use the Recommended Roller Skating Posture
If you’ve been skating for a while, you know why you should use the recommended posture. But even if you don’t, the recommended posture transfers body weight to the toe balls.
This way, your weight isn’t concentrated around your back, pelvic area, and legs since it can cause more injury to your hip joint.
What is the recommended posture for roller skating? You should slightly bend your knees. Your knees should be above your toes and shoulders over your hips.
Can You Roller Skate After Hip Replacement? | Wrapping Up
Can you roller skate after a hip replacement? You can no doubt roller skate after a hip replacement. But you should consider doing it after getting approval from your physician.
Roller skating after hip replacement is possible since roller skating is a low-impact activity. So, it won’t accelerate the wearing out of the prosthesis.
That’s it, mate. I hope you found this guide helpful!
