Hip Replaced? There May Be More to Do for Strength and Balance

New hip needs more help for balance

A little while ago we met John, who had a hip replaced in October 2022. His leg strength was uneven and he had more fatigue than he expected.

In this YouTube session, we check back in to see what John has been up to since the first Bridging® session last December, and what else his leg and core muscles need help with.

See what we found, and how much better his balance is!

Goal: Increase activity and add more to working out

With improved movement in his leg after the hip surgery John has been outdoors doing Nordic walking to rebuild his stamina. In general, he feels his overall balance and endurance could be better.

John’s movement disruptors

Right hip replacement (4 mos. ago), right knee/meniscus repair (35 yrs. ago)

As you’ll see in the video, we used Bridging® to assess the basics of how his body’s micromovements work since the initial session. Then we looked at more specific core-leg relationships. When we finished, he felt more ease of movement along with more stable balance.

At The Bridging® Institute, we find that movement disruptors accumulate over the years leaving your body less able to bounce back. Life can easily become a vicious circle of exercise, maintenance, and fatigue.

Why does joint replacement take a couple of sessions to work through?

The first time we met John we were able to reset muscle coordination enough to:

• Restore differentiated movement between his leg and core (they were working as a single unit which is not efficient)
• Restore support to the leg from the core
• Enable muscle recruitment allowing matched strength between right and left legs

There are still more micromovements needed for a well-functioning hip!

Life happens in 3D, so we needed to see how John’s hip supported transitions in multiple directions. We checked them while he was standing, and then again while he was on his side and stomach.

• Sideways control: This movement is technically called adduction (in) and abduction (out). This is a key component to balance control when you’re walking.
• Rotational control: When the leg and core transition to effect rotation, they are working well together. This rotation is used to get out of bed, out of the car, or up off the ground. We check a movement that looks like ‘frog legs’ for this.
• Extending backwards: When walking, the extension of your leg behind you is key to speed. The hip needs to let the leg extend behind the body, and we prefer to check this on your side or stomach.

By following our unique problem-solving process, we are quickly able to hone in on which specific aspect of movement is not transitioning. Once the muscles are reset using the gentle Bridging® Technique’s movements and stretches, you feel more stable and move much more smoothly.

Putting bodies back together

Often it takes only 2-3 sessions to reset the upset from a surgery. You will be all set to get back into the workout routine that interests you without hurting yourself further!

Which movement disruptors are impacting your ability to stay active?

Our unique, engineering-based, problem-solving process looks at how each part of your body connects and transitions with the next part. Where there are glitches, we support and guide the movement, and add a subtle stretch to seal in the new muscle relationships.

Fill out our intake form and we’ll get back to you with insights on how Bridging® can help.