“Is physical therapy necessary after hip replacement?”

After hip replacement surgery physical therapy is necessary. There are hip.precautions you must follow until the joint fully heals which takes ~ 3 months. The length of time therapy is needed varies.

Absolutely

First, any hip (or knee) pain/tightness/weakness only comes from strain of muscles/fasciae outside the joint, not the joint itself, only because the joint has no pain sensation. It takes 1-2 hours of manual therapy (Touch-and-Hold Method) to resolve the strained tissue to recover. There is no need for surgery, unless the joint is destructed no longer working as a hinge. Surgery not only does not treat the injury but also add another injury (trauma) to the hip. You should avoid surgery if all possible. After surgery, physical therapy is usually prescribed for stretching/strengthening. Such therapy can irritate and worsen the original (untreated) soft tissue injury as well as the new injury caused by surgery. The whole course is painful and lengthy. The treatment should be focused on soft tissue release via light touch, the same way the original injury without surgery is to be treated. It usually takes 2-3 hours to recover. Soft tissue injury (jammed-up muscles/fasciae) can only be released (untangled) internally by the body itself via light touch, but not by any external means (medication, heat/cold, electrotherapy, massage, manipulation, stretching, strengthening, etc.). It is detailed in my book "NO MORE PAIN  All Pain Considered  -  A Breakthrough". Please visit my website: NoMorePainClinic.com.         

Absolutely. Aggressive physical therapy to restore hip joint function and ambulation training is important part of the post total hip replacement rehabilitation management.

Yes

Yes. The surgeon will cut through muscles that will need to be strengthened. Also, a lot of time is spent correcting muscle imbalances and limping from having pain prior to surgery.