Tips for Recovering Faster from a Knee Replacement Surgery
If you’ve had to undergo knee surgery recently, the recovery process can seem like an ever-challenging process. However, getting back on your feet doesn’t have to be as hard as it might seem. Here are a few tips for a much quicker recovery period from your knee replacement surgery.
Keep Your Knee Straight
After total knee replacement, the goals are to achieve the best range of motion along with pain relief and improve function. One of the hardest motions to maintain and keep is full extension, or straightening the leg out fully. It is very important to keep your leg fully extended while at rest, usually with the aid of a bump or rolled towel under the ankle. While it feels better to have the knee bent, keeping it bent will inhibit you from gaining full extension of the leg. With therapy at first, and then on your own, you will take breaks from extension and work on flexion. It is also important to ice and elevate, but always keeping the leg straight when performing the ice and elevation
Practice Mobility in Your Knee
Following surgery, while you’re still recovering, your doctor will likely recommend exercises you can do to gain mobility in your knee joint. Although the activities you’ll be doing are dependent upon your condition and orthopedic doctor, here are a few you might find yourself doing: walking, swimming, swimming, training with a resistance band, bending, and stretching while standing or seated, butterfly stretching, and more. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that every exercise has to be approved by your doctor to ensure you won’t cause strain to your knee.
Undergo Physical Therapy Sessions
Aside from small exercises that can be done from the hospital or your home, your doctor might refer you to a physical therapist for approved activities. Under the supervision of a certified professional, your knee will be monitored while you exercise. This way, your medical team can ensure your knee is healing well, and you are gaining more mobility with your joint replacement. Usually, physical therapy sessions will be scheduled on a weekly basis, but you must let your doctor and physical specialist know whenever you feel uncomfortable or are in pain.
It is important to remember that although you’ve had a successful total knee replacement in Atlanta, you still need to take it slow to ensure a quick recovery. Hopefully, by following the tips above, you can work towards getting back on your feet, starting with taking it slow and gradually meeting with a physical therapist. Contact Piedmont Orthopedics | OrthoAtlanta today at 770-953-6929.