Hip Replacement Journey: Measuring What I can Still Do

Today’s Hip Pain and Disability Assessment:

Today, my left-hip pain is minimal, 1 out of 10. And for me, that’s a recurring theme. Yesterday was a complete rest day with no resistance training, cardio or long walks. My hip often feels better when its workload has been reduced.  I’m going to hold back on walking today but try to swim a few laps after my upper body resistance training, so I expect my pain will remain low.

Going forward, I plan to record pain together with the previous day's activity, walking distance, resistance training, sitting time, start-up stiffness, gait changes, pain-medication use, sleep, and recovery. A pain score becomes more meaningful when the surrounding circumstances are documented.

People with arthritis should understand the term “Start-up Stiffness”.  In general, pain (and disability) can intensify for a short time upon standing up, after lying down and/or sitting down for a while.  Once the joint starts moving, pain and disability usually improves some. It’s a very important indicator on the severity of osteoarthritis.

Functional Assessment:

I recently complete an at home functional assessment to gage my current functional ability. I do these assessments annually, but because of the surgery I plan to get a baseline in now, one right before surgery, and then as soon as I get medical clearance to repeat them (hopefully at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months posts post op).  Testing before surgery provides objective measurements and the results will allow me to evaluate how my function changes immediately before surgery, during early rehabilitation, and throughout my return to walking, resistance training, and other physical activities.

Here is a snapshot of my current results:

Functional test	My result	What it evaluates	Interpretation
Timed Up and Go	7.0 seconds	Standing, walking, turning, and sitting	Well below the CDC's 12-second fall-risk screening threshold. This reflects efficient basic mobility
Five-Times Sit-to-Stand	9.38 seconds	Lower-body strength, power, balance, and coordination	Faster than the average 11.0 seconds for a 65 year old man.
Floor transfer	5.0 seconds	Moving from the floor to standing	This was a bit challenging because my hip is rather deformed and created a load imbalance.
Single-leg balance right	More than 60 seconds	Balance and postural control	I have been working on my balance for years and can generally stand well beyond the 60 sec max for the assessment
Single-leg balance left	More than 60 seconds	Balance and postural control on the affected side
20-meter walk normal pace	12 seconds	Usual walking speed and mobility	Equivalent to approximately 1.67 meters per second and a strong short-distance walking pace. Standardized conditions will be important for future comparisons.
20-meter walk fast pace	8 seconds	Maximum safe walking speed	Equivalent to approximately 2.50 meters per second and shows a substantial ability to increase speed when asked.

Functional baseline grid continued

Functional test	My result	What it evaluates	Interpretation
Grip strength right	122.8 pounds	Upper-body strength and total-body physical reserve	High compared with published age-based reference value of 81 pounds for a man my age. I use an dynamometer type monitor I bought off Amazon.
Grip strength left	121.0 pounds	Upper-body strength, symmetry, and physical reserve	Nearly identical to the right-hand result, demonstrating excellent bilateral symmetry at the time of testing.

Calculated walking speeds: normal pace 1.67 meters per second and fast pace 2.50 meters per second.

What the Results Mean

Despite my severe arthritic hip, these results show that I entered this stage of my hip journey with substantial functional reserve. I demonstrated efficient chair-rise performance and basic mobility, reached the testing ceiling for single-leg balance, completed a rapid floor transfer, walked quickly over a short distance, and recorded high and symmetrical grip strength.

It’s important to understand that I have been working hard to maintain my functionality for many years now, and I have not allowed my hip to hold me back, regardless of incredible pain at times.

This is a baseline rather than a final judgment. Lets see how the surgery will impact me.

How I Will Track Recovery

I plan to repeat these tests before surgery and at defined points during recovery. I will use the same chair height, footwear, walking distance, test sequence, and general conditions whenever practical.

The postoperative measurements may initially decline. Those results will document the physical challenge of surgery and early recovery. Over time, I will look at how quickly I regain my baseline, whether my movement quality improves, how far I can walk comfortably, and whether I can eventually exceed my preoperative function.

My goal is to use the operation as an opportunity to build a stronger, more capable, and more independent body.

Better Metabolism - Stronger Body - More Independent You

ABOVE ALL - NEVER SETTLE

Medical and Safety Disclaimer

This article documents my personal experience and is provided for general education. It is not medical advice and should not replace individualized evaluation or treatment by a physician, physical therapist, or other qualified healthcare professional. Functional testing can involve fall, pain, and injury risks. Testing should be modified, supervised, or avoided when appropriate for an individual's medical condition, symptoms, surgical restrictions, balance, or mobility.

References

1. Hutchings A, et al. The Longitudinal Examination of Arthritis Pain study. Arthritis and Rheumatism. 2007. PubMed PMID 17937461.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. STEADI Timed Up and Go Assessment. An older adult who takes 12 seconds or longer is considered at risk for falling under this screening protocol.

3. Jepsen DB, et al. Predicting falls in older adults: an umbrella review of instruments assessing gait, balance, and functional mobility. BMC Geriatrics. 2022;22:615. PubMed PMID 35879666.

4. Bohannon RW. Reference values for the five-repetition sit-to-stand test: a descriptive meta-analysis of data from elders. Perceptual and Motor Skills. 2006;103(1):215-222. PubMed PMID 17037663.

5. Springer BA, et al. Normative values for the unipedal stance test with eyes open and closed. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy. 2007;30(1):8-15. PubMed PMID 19839175.

6. Mehmet H, Robinson SR, Yang AWH. Assessment of gait speed in older adults. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy. 2020;43(1):42-52. PubMed PMID 30720555.

7. Wang YC, et al. Hand-grip strength: normative reference values and equations for individuals 18 to 85 years of age residing in the United States. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy. 2018;48(9):685-693. PubMed PMID 29792107.