Health Tip: Returning to Normal After Hip Replacement

(HealthDay News) -- After hip replacement, it's important to allow your hip to heal, returning gradually to normal activities.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these suggestions:

• Once you're out of the hospital, be sure to get regular exercise without overdoing it.
• Use any devices, such as a walker or crutches, that your doctor recommends.
• You should be able to begin driving (as long as your vehicle has an automatic transmission) within eight weeks, provided you are not taking narcotic medication.
• Support your hip while sleeping with a pillow between your knees if you sleep on your side, or with your knees slightly apart if you sleep on your back.
• Talk to your doctor about resuming sexual relations.
• Sit only in chairs with arms for the first three months, and nothing that is low or reclining.
• Avoid climbing stairs until your hip is well healed.