Rehabilitation After Knee Replacement Surgery

Rehabilitation after knee replacement surgery is essential for a successful and complete recovery. Based on your specific needs, your orthopedic specialist or physical therapist would devise a suitable plan of care for you, to hasten your recovery. The physical therapist would evaluate things such as mobility, heart and lung capacity, whether any special equipment is required, and posture.

Rehabilitation Programs to Improve Muscle Strength and Range of Motion

Some of the goals of physical therapy rehabilitation services would be to:

• Build strength in those muscles that support the knee
• Maximize range of motion
• Reduce rigidity
• Prepare you for discharge

You as a patient must work diligently both with your doctor and on your own so that you see a definitive improvement.

In addition to making you perform exercises, the specialist at the physical therapy rehabilitation center may incorporate modalities such as hydrotherapy, massage, cold compression therapy, and CPM (Continuous Passive Motion) into the recovery program. Some of the exercises that your doctor would suggest for you are:

• Ankle Pumps - This exercise involves flexing your ankle up and down with your leg straight. The exercise makes possible, the flow of blood to the extremities.

• Heel Slides - In this exercise, you have to flex both your knee and hip. After this, you restore your knee to the straight position.

• Leg Lifts - This exercise increases blood flow. You have to lift your leg to a particular height off the floor or bed, keeping your knee straight.

Your physical therapist would probably tell you to incorporate these and other exercises such as quadriceps sets, knee extensions, and knee flexion stretches into your home exercise program as instructed by him.

Help You Walk with Confidence

Advanced strengthening programs during rehabilitation may include adding weights as tolerated. Walking is another important aspect of the recovery program. The majority of patients would take their first steps following the replacement surgery with the help of a walker. If you have a strong upper body and good balance, you may be able to use crutches. Whether or not you are able to progress to a cane would be determined by two factors:

• Whether or not your surgeon feels it is okay to place the entire weight on your leg during the early weeks following the surgery
• Your ability to get your strength back

If you follow your program for rehabilitation after knee replacement surgery, you can expect a complete recovery in about a year or even sooner. You would gradually be able to walk with little or no pain and return to everyday activities with total independence.