Local Resources

People, organizations and companies who helped me recover, from hip surgery.

Physician
Curt Vos Nor Med Clinic Sherwood Park


Physiotherapy
Audrey Bjronstad Normed Physiotherapy Clinic Sherwood Park
Gord Ariza Physiotherapist and Acupuncturist
Sarah Pearce Physiotherapist

Flo Stomp FJS Rehabilitation Consulting Hydro Physiotherapy

Student Physiotherapy Clinic University of Alberta

Dr Dave Magee Assistant Dean Faculty Rehabilitation Medicine University of Alberta
Barb Norton Clinical Assistant Professor Physical Therapy
Sylvia Ciurysek Physiotherapist Teaching Assistant
Avaleigh Wanger Student
Janice Lo Student

( Clinic is closed as of this post)

Acupuncture
Dr Stephen Ung Medical Acupuncture

Personal Trainers
Grant MacEwan College
Fitness and Wellness Trainers
Katie Metez
Jeff Calkins
James Lingthrone

Melany James Target Your Energy Personal Trainers

Chiropractor
Derek Lampshire River Valley Health Chiropractor Active Release Edmonton

Nutrition
Grant Derkatz Health Works Nutrition Center Sherwood Park

The list also includes family, friends, and neighbors, who remain anonymous here. Without their inspiration and help the journey would be longer.

Magic Bullet

There aren't any quick, or magic fixes, when it comes to rehab, for hip surgery. You are on your own, for the first six weeks. Its difficult. Body needs rest. It's reacting to all the drugs. Sometimes not well. You are trying to do the basic exercises. Trying to move.

It is not an easy time. You are pretty vulnerable, then. Make sure your physician will take your phone calls. At best, you'll be sore, at worst have pain, hopefully, not allot of it.

I did. It was intense. I was unable to sleep. Sleep is critical, throughout rehab, vitally so in the first six weeks. You can not, will not, heal without it.

My pain baffled the medical experts, I consulted for help. I had a gallium scan, a bone scan. Two nuclear medicine tests for post operative infection. No infection was identified. Surgeon and physican were happy. Infection after hip surgery is a big problem. It can cause permanet disability.

Despite the tests, I still had pain. My surgeon told me, twice, he didn't know what was causing my pain. The last time, he said that was January 5, 2008, 13 months after surgery. He also said, he didn't know anyone who could help me. I didn't and don't believe him, on that.

To eliminate the pain I tried acupuncture, physiotherapy, water physio, no physio, yoga, and Qi Gong.

None of those therapies worked. Yet, they all did. It took 24 months. Although each one failed, individually, to solve the riddle. Collectively they did, over time, by providing a base, from which to proceed. With the exception of acupuncture, I practice the rest, regularly. No magic bullets!

My salvation is "SSS"- suck squeeze and squeeze, a core strengthening technique. There's a universe of information, on core strength. Google it. You get 1.5 million pages to review. That's Overwhelming.

Here's a primer for Suck Squeeze and Squeeze

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I highly recommend it to everyone. Hip surgery patients no matter where you are on the rehab time line, it will shorten the rehab process, dramatically. For anyone else suck,squeeze,and squeeze, can relieve back pain. Provide the base for better posture. Make it easier to do every day tasks.

24 MONTHS IN REHAB

I'm making a comeback.....

5 Considerations for Successful Re-Hab from Hip Surgery

Give yourself time. Rehab is a process.


Strengthen Core Muscles


Be Mindful of Posture


Rest


Eat Well