Physiotherapy and rehabilitation in East Melbourne
Physiotherapy for hip osteoarthritis
SOS Clinic provides physiotherapy for hip osteoarthritis in East Melbourne. Exercise and education are the first treatments, whether you want to delay surgery or prepare for it.
What is hip osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis affects the whole joint, including the cartilage, the bone and the tissues around it. In the hip it usually causes pain in the groin, sometimes spreading to the thigh or knee. Other common signs are stiffness after rest and difficulty putting on shoes and socks or getting in and out of a car. Read more about hip osteoarthritis.
Can physiotherapy help?
Exercise and education are recommended as first-line treatment for hip osteoarthritis in Australian and international guidelines. They can reduce pain and improve function, and they come before any decision about surgery.
What happens at the first appointment?
Your physiotherapist asks about your pain, sleep and the activities you find hard. They check hip movement, strength and walking, look at any X-rays you bring and explain what they show. You leave with a starting program and a plan for building activity.
What might my program include?
- Strengthening for the hip, thigh and trunk muscles
- Movement exercises to keep the hip as mobile as possible
- Walking, cycling or water-based exercise, built up gradually
- Advice on pacing, footwear and a walking stick where it helps
How long does it take?
Most programs run for six to twelve weeks of regular exercise, with progress reviewed along the way. Keeping the exercises going after that helps hold the gains.
What if I need a hip replacement?
When pain and stiffness keep limiting daily life despite exercise and other treatment, a hip replacement may be discussed. Professor Phong Tran performs anterior hip replacement and consults at the clinic. If surgery goes ahead, prehab before the operation and rehabilitation afterwards both take place in the same rooms.
Hip physiotherapy at SOS Clinic
Associate Professor Amir Takla and Imogen Clark are the physiotherapists at SOS Clinic. They work in the same rooms as Professor Phong Tran at 166 Gipps Street, East Melbourne, so care can move between physiotherapy and a surgical opinion without starting again.
More on hip physiotherapy
- Hip physiotherapy
- Physiotherapy for FAI
- Physiotherapy for hip bursitis and gluteal tendon pain
- Rehabilitation after hip arthroscopy
Evidence and further reading
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Guideline for the management of knee and hip osteoarthritis. 2nd ed. East Melbourne: RACGP; 2018.
Arrange physiotherapy at SOS Clinic
Visit Specialist Orthopaedic Surgery Clinic at St Francis Building, Ground Floor, 166 Gipps Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002. Bring any relevant scans and a list of the activities you would like to return to.
Book an appointment or call (03) 9928 6161.
This information is general. Follow the advice and precautions provided by your own surgeon and physiotherapist.