For people whose knees lack sufficient cartilage to cushion the knee joint, life can be unbearably painful. The knees are weight-bearing joints, making it almost impossible to get relief from constant pain. Knee replacement surgery may be the ticket to a healthier, more active life, free from pain.
Knee replacement surgery can alleviate pain and provide significant relief; yet you’ll need to get active again to restore your strength and mobility, even to return to your everyday activities. By working with your orthopedic surgeon who completes your knee replacement surgery along with a physical therapist, you’ll be able to recover, start activities earlier, and even more on to more advanced exercises and activities once you’ve regained independence to move more than a few steps.
Simply put, you shouldn’t brush off physical rehab after knee replacement surgery, because it is a key part of recovery and building up strength in the leg muscles.
Some of the benefits of physical therapy after knee replacement surgery include:
- Restoring knee mobility
- Building up strength in the knee joint
- Easing pain and swelling
- Getting back to your everyday activities sooner
- Helping with circulation so you won’t risk blood clots
How to Regain Strength After a Knee Replacement
You’re likely nervous about the potential damage you could inflict on your knee after surgery, especially because it’s likely that your leg muscles are weak along with your lack of knee mobility. This is probably because you didn’t exercise much before your surgery due to your knee pain. While surgery corrected the knee problem, it takes time before you’ll be able to walk independently, walk up and down stairs, and do knee resistance exercises.
Your orthopedic surgeon can write a prescription for physical therapy based on your unique needs and overall health. Usually, orthopedists recommend low-impact exercises such as swimming to minimize stress on the knees, especially in the early postoperative phase, where the goal is to increase circulation to the legs and feet to prevent blood clots while strengthening the muscles and improving knee mobility. Read more about exercises during every phase of knee replacement recovery on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) website.
Contact Us for Help Recovering from Knee Replacement Surgery
Our skilled physical therapists can help you learn how to exercise safely and effectively after knee replacement surgery. Start slow and gradually build up to higher-intensity exercises to ensure you can stay as active as possible. Keep your new joint in good shape to prevent knee replacement failure and needing further, more extensive treatment in the future.
ProFysio has 5 locations throughout New Jersey to serve your needs. Contact us at (732) 812-5200 to book your appointment. We offer FREE physical therapy consultations!