As Martha Stewart continues her recovery from recent surgery to replace her left hip, periodic and progressive physical therapy will play a key role in her successful rehabilitation, says the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA).

"Following hip replacement surgery, physical therapy is routinely used, either in a home health, outpatient, or a rehabilitation setting," says physical therapist Elliot Greenberg, PT, DPT, who has been working with Stewart since her surgery in June. Greenberg, a physical therapist at Lewisboro (Cross River, NY) Physical Therapy, warns that residual weakness could inhibit full recovery, which can cause walking abnormalities and balance impairment, if not properly addressed after surgery.

As she revealed on her national daytime program, "Martha," on September 10, Stewart, 66, underwent hip replacement surgery this past summer and was back at work a remarkable 5 days later. On Monday's program, she credited her speedy recovery to her orthopedic…