Posts tagged older adult

According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, there are over 200,000 hip replacements performed each year in the United States. The most common reason for hip replacement is osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis. “Hip School,” an exercise program for patients with osteoarthritis and hip replacement was developed in Germany in 1995 by orthopedic surgeon Thomas Horstmann and physiotherapist Georg Haupt. In the program, small groups of patients (10-15) exercise under the supervision of a physical therapist. Home exercises are also performed 3 to 4 times per week. The exercises focus on strength and balance exercises for 20 minutes, including:

• 1-leg balance, 15-30 seconds for 5 reps on each leg
• 1-leg balance with opposite leg movement for 1 to 3 sets of 15-25 reps
• Hip lift for 3 sets of 15-25 reps
• 2-leg calf raise with 2-second hold, 1 to 3 sets for 15 to 25 reps.
• Patients progress from a stable surface to Thera-Band Stability Trainers.

In a paper published in the Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, German researchers wanted to compare their Hip School participants with a non-exercising control group of hip patients. Each group was tested before and after 3 months using an oscillating platform (Posturomed®) to measure their static and dynamic balance. More >