Hip pain can make it difficult to do normal activities, including sexual activity. Hip pain has long been recognized as an obstacle to sexual intimacy, wrote EverydayHealth.com. In the 1970s, a survey found that one in four people with osteoarthritis of the hip believed the hip pain caused marital problems.
Hip replacement surgery is a procedure in which a painful hip joint is surgically removed and replaced with an artificial joint, often made from metal and plastic components, said WebMD.
AARP.org reported that as more baby boomers get joint replacement surgery, they’re finding an added benefit -- a better love life.
According to the New York Times (NY Times) there is new research which supports the idea that the surgery offers an unexpected bonus in the bedroom.
Among 147 patients who had joint replacement surgery in New York, most said arthritis had interfered with their sex lives. This research was recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, wrote NY Times.
After surgery, 81 percent of those patients who said their sex lives suffered as a result of a bad joint reported that the frequency of sexual activity increased.
Many reported an increase in libido and stamina, and an improvement in their ability to climax, said NY Times. The benefits were especially pronounced among patients whose complaint had been failing hips, as well as among women who reported the most sexual discomfort because of painful joints.
The findings were presented in March, 2013 by lead author José A. Rodriguez, M.D., director of the Center for Joint Preservation and Reconstruction at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said AARP.org.
Hip replacement surgery has risen 85 percent in the past decade, the NY Times reported. Doctors have performed more than 300,000 procedures in 2010. Much of the increase in hip replacement surgery has been fueled by active middle-age adults, age 45 to 65. In that age group, hip replacements have nearly tripled to 128,000 during the same period.
Dr. Claudette Lajam, an orthopedic surgeon at the Center for Musculoskeletal Care at NYU Langone Medical Center, told NY Times that so many of her patients have questions about intimacy after joint replacement that she added a page on her website devoted to sex.
After joint replacement and a period of recovery, pain can be greatly decreased and motion can be greatly improved, wrote Dr. Lajan. Most hip replacement patients can eventually resume their normal sexual activity after the first few months.
Sources:
"Claudette Lajam, M.D. - Sex after Joint Replacement." Claudette Lajam, M.D. - Welcome to Dr. Claudette Lajam. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
http://orthochick.squarespace.com/sex-after-joint-replacement
"Hip Replacement Surgery: What Happens, Recovery, Pain and More." WebMD - Better information. Better health. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/hip-replacement-surgery
Parker-Pope, Tara. "Better Sex After Hip Surgery - NYTimes.com." Health and Wellness - Well Blog - NYTimes.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/08/surprise-path-to-better-sex-hip-surgery/?nl=health
Sagon, Candy. "What Improves Sex? For Boomers, a New Hip or Knee ." AARP.org. AARP, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
blog.aarp.org/2013/04/10/what-improves-sex-for-boomers-a-new-hip-or-knee
Vann MPH, Madeline. "Hip Pain and Sex: Staying Intimate - Hip Health Center - EverydayHealth.com." Health Information, Resources, Tools & News Online - EverydayHealth.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2013.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/hip-pain/hip-pain-and-sex.aspx
Reviewed April 16, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith