Korean Medicine Care Before and After Total Hip Replacement
Table of Contents
For hip replacement, preparation and recovery determine the outcome
Total hip replacement (THR) is the definitive solution for severe joint destruction, but pre-operative preparation (prehabilitation) and post-operative rehabilitation are as important as the surgery itself. Korean medicine treatment plays a complementary role to conventional medicine throughout this entire process.
Pre-operative optimization (prehabilitation)
The better the patient's physical condition before surgery, the faster the post-operative recovery.
- Maintaining strength: Preserve the muscles around the hip as much as possible until surgery. Acupuncture controls pain so that low-intensity strengthening exercises can continue.
- Nutritional status: Herbal prescriptions such as Sipjeondaebo-tang replenish qi and blood and correct anemia and nutritional deficiencies.
- Pain management: Acupuncture and pharmacopuncture manage pain during the waiting period and help maintain activity levels.
- Psychological preparation: Acupuncture at points such as Shenmen (HT7) eases pre-surgical anxiety, and the rehabilitation process is explained in advance.
Acute post-operative care (weeks 1–4)
Immediately after surgery, the priorities are swelling control, pain management, and early ambulation.
- Acupuncture: Stimulating acupoints around the surgical area reduces swelling and relieves pain. As an adjunct, it can reduce the amount of analgesics required.
- Herbal medicine: Blood-activating prescriptions such as Dangguisusan (Danggui-su-san) help clear surgical-site stasis and promote tissue healing.
- Moxibustion: Applied at distal acupoints away from the surgical site to support whole-body circulation.
Post-operative recovery (weeks 4 to 3 months)
This phase focuses on regaining gait ability and rebuilding muscle strength.
- Chuna manipulation: Corrects altered gait patterns and pelvic alignment after surgery.
- Strengthening: Combine acupuncture with gluteal and quadriceps strengthening exercises.
- Coordinated care: Coordinate orthopedic follow-ups with Korean medicine treatment.
Synergy between conventional and Korean medicine
Pre- and post-operative Korean medicine care does not replace conventional medicine; it complements it. The decision to operate, its timing, and surgical approach belong to the orthopedic surgeon, while Korean medicine focuses on optimizing perioperative condition, managing pain, and promoting rehabilitation.