90 Days After Hip Replacement, He Walked Nearly 380,000 Steps on a Pilgrimage Across Spain

For Rich Ford, undergoing hip replacement surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Florida was about more than just replacing a damaged joint.

“It was about getting my life back,” he says. And then some. Not only did Rich get back to his daily active life, but he was also able to take advantage of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk a sacred pilgrimage in Spain – the famed Camino de Santiago.

The 56-year-old Brazilian, now a South Florida resident, had always been active, walking and running four miles a day. But near the end of 2024, he could no longer do it without pain. So, he went to see a specialist who recommended spinal surgery as the best treatment option. Not feeling comfortable with that, Rich tried physical therapy and then a steroid injection in his back. Both provided little relief. He went on to have eight consultations with a chiropractor and eight with an acupuncturist, all of which were unsuccessful as well.

Nothing Rich tried seemed to ease the pain. He had a gut feeling that it was not originating in his back.

Finally, in March of 2025, Rich went to see an osteopathic doctor who suspected the pain was the result of a problem with his hip. An MRI scan showed Rich had severe loss of cartilage in his left hip, along with bone damage and a labral tear (damage to the ring of cartilage that lines the hip socket). The best treatment would be a hip replacement, but Rich would have to wait three to four months.

Rich was looking for a way to walk without discomfort so he could get back to his active lifestyle. (Photo Courtesy: Rich Ford)

Rich was anxious for relief as he could no longer walk without pain. A friend of his from Brazil recommended he see Carlos Higuera Rueda, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at Cleveland Clinic in Florida. He called and was able to get an appointment for the next week.

“It was phenomenal to get a consultation that quickly,” Rich says. 

Dr. Higuera Rueda recommended hip arthroplasty, a procedure to replace the natural hip joint with an artificial implant. Thirty days later Rich underwent the procedure at Cleveland Clinic Coral Springs Family Health and Surgery Center. 

“Cleveland Clinic was extremely good about explaining the surgery and all the details,” Rich said. He went in for the total hip replacement early the morning of April 16, 2025, and was amazed to be released to go home by noon.

“It was surreal how fast it was,” he says.

He was advised to walk multiple times a day during his recovery, which he did. Within a week he was able to walk without assistance and about two months later he had been doing so well Dr. Higuera Reuda said he could have his next follow-up in a year.

In early July, about three months after his hip replacement, Rich was offered an opportunity to participate in a group excursion with a friend to walk the famous 195-mile Camino de Santiago pilgrimage from León, Spain to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. It was an opportunity he could not pass up. 

So, on July 14, 2025, just 90 days after his total hip replacement, Rich headed to Spain and joined the pilgrimage, walking nearly 380,000 steps over the course of 12 days across rugged and varied terrain. 

Rich regained full mobility and was able to make his journey across the Spanish countryside. (Photo Courtesy: Rich Ford)

“I experienced zero discomfort, full mobility, and a deep sense of gratitude for the ability to reclaim an active, adventurous life,” Rich says. 

He plans to do it again but for now he remains active, biking 13 miles a day, every day and preparing to get back to playing pickleball.

He says he is grateful to Cleveland Clinic in Florida for making it possible to achieve this accomplishment. He has since begun relying on Cleveland Clinic for most of his healthcare needs.

“I had a flawless experience,” Rich says.