An artificial hip joint relieves many people of years of pain; for others, surgery comes suddenly, after a fall. In both cases, rehab decides how safely and strongly you stand on your feet again. At BodyLab in Zurich Altstetten, we support you after your hip surgery, from the first steps on crutches back to your everyday life.
Post-Op Rehab
Which procedures this rehab is designed for
Our primary focus is your rehab after a total hip arthroplasty (THA)—a brand-new artificial hip joint. We are also right by your side following a hip fracture, hip arthroscopy, or revision surgery. While every procedure comes with its own specific recovery plan, the core philosophy remains the same: get active as early as possible, stay as protected as necessary.
And if you're dealing with hip pain and want to avoid surgery, discover our empowering, non-surgical solutions on our pages dedicated to hip osteoarthritis and groin pain.
Crush Your Recovery: The 3 Phases of Your Hip Replacement Rehab
By the way, if your surgery is scheduled but hasn't taken place yet, starting your training now is a game-changer. The strength and muscle activation you build before the procedure are assets you won't have to rebuild from scratch afterward. Ask your surgeon or GP for a prescription for this essential preparation—known as prehabilitation—or get in touch with us directly. Let's make the most of the time you have before surgery.
Phase 1: Protect & Mobilize
During the first few weeks, we will get you moving again, staying within your pain-free range and following your post-treatment plan. To achieve this, we combine manual and active therapy during your sessions with your home program. From the very beginning, your gait training with crutches will be integrated into your daily routine: standing up safely, walking, and climbing stairs. We will carefully treat your scar in step with your wound healing. While movement itself is the primary force against swelling, lymphatic drainage is there to support you whenever necessary.
Phase 2: Strength and Performance
Now we build targeted strength, especially in your gluteal muscles: they stabilize your pelvis with every step and are key to a limp-free gait. In addition to active Physiotherapy, medical training therapy (MTT)—an instructional, equipment-based strength training program—is perfect for this, allowing you to work out right where you are treated: directly in the clinic.
Phase 3: Back to your daily routine and peak performance
In the end, your hips will carry you effortlessly through your entire day: longer walks, climbing stairs without a second thought, steady balance, and depending on your goals, hiking, cycling, or swimming. If you play sports regularly, we will target your training specifically to get you right back into the game. We measure your progress by comparing the strength of your hip and gluteal muscles side-to-side, as well as your gait and walking distance—always measured against your own baseline. These metrics, combined with our clinical expertise, determine the next steps in your journey.
Movement Rules for the First Few Weeks
Your follow-up treatment plan starts with simple, essential rules designed to protect what your surgeon has built. Exactly what these are depends on your procedure: after joint replacement, it's about dislocation prevention—avoiding specific positions until your new joint is fully stable and healed. After arthroscopic surgery, such as a labral repair, it usually involves limits on bending, rotating, and weight-bearing to allow the repaired structures to heal undisturbed. We will show you how to easily apply these rules to your daily life, so you always feel confident knowing exactly what you can do and what is still to come.
What About Osteopathy?
A hip that has been painful for a long time has forced your pelvis, lower back, and opposite side to compensate for years; after a fall, the impact often reverberates far beyond the hip itself. Neither of these issues simply disappears with surgery. This is where osteopathy can perfectly complement your rehab: it targets and treats the residual movement restrictions left behind, helping you move freely again.
Move with Confidence: Balance is Key to Hip Rehab
We integrate balance and reflex training into every hip rehab program. After long periods of favoring one side, these skills are often diminished even before surgery, and the procedure itself further disrupts proprioception—your joint's natural awareness of its position in space. Regaining this stability becomes a key focus after a fall or if you feel unsteady on your feet. For this, we offer a highly structured fall prevention program to get you back on solid ground.
Perfectly Coordinated with Your Clinic and Surgeon
Your hip rehab will align perfectly with your surgeon’s specific follow-up protocol; simply bring it along with your referral and surgical report to your first appointment. If we have any questions, we will coordinate directly with your doctor. You can find an overview of our post-surgical rehabilitation and our on-site training facilities directly on our overview page.
Your first appointment: how we start
To ensure your rehabilitation seamlessly follows your discharge from the clinic, it is best to get in touch with us before you leave; this allows us to schedule your first appointment directly. Otherwise, you will almost always find a short-notice appointment with us, and if you don't see a suitable one online, just call us: 044 545 03 03.
Bring what you have: the medical referral, the surgical report if available, and the post-treatment plan. We will review your documents, assess your initial condition with measurable metrics, and translate your surgeon's protocol into a plan that perfectly fits your lifestyle. This way, from hour one, you'll know exactly where you stand and what steps lie ahead.
And because those first few weeks require a consistent rhythm, it is best to schedule your follow-up appointments directly as a series with us—usually two per week for the first four to six weeks. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance, but finding a new slot quickly is not always as easy.
When to take charge and see a doctor
Post-surgical complications are rare. However, you should seek immediate medical evaluation if you experience any of these signs:
Fever accompanied by the operated area becoming warmer, redder, and more painful: a possible sign of infection.
One-sided swelling, tension, or tenderness in your calf or leg: a possible thrombosis, especially during periods of limited movement.
A sudden, significant loss of strength or sensation compared to previous days: this must be medically evaluated before your next therapy session.
Pain that increases day by day despite resting: your surgeon needs to examine this.
These signs are rare. If none of them apply to you, nothing stands in the way of your treatment with us.
Coverage Guaranteed
Physiotherapy is covered by your basic health insurance with a doctor's referral. In the event of an accident, your accident insurance or the accident coverage of your health insurance company will step in. For Medical Training Therapy (MTT), prior cost approval from your health insurance company is required, which we will clarify with you before we get started. You can book Osteopathy directly without a referral; most supplementary insurance policies for alternative and complementary medicine will contribute to the costs.
Whether it's physiotherapy or osteopathy: you are always welcome as a self-payer, with absolutely no compromise on the quality of your treatment or time. You can find the cost of your treatment under Rates and Cost Coverage.
Your dedicated team of specialists