Are you scheduled for a total knee replacement? You probably know that this procedure has a lengthy rehabilitation period, lasting up to a year. Rehab for knee replacement surgery might feel intimidating, but the experts at Balance Rehabilitation & Health Science are here to guide you through the process!
Joint replacements are one of the more common major surgeries in the United States, and the knee is the most frequently replaced joint out of all of them. One thing that holds for anyone undergoing the procedure is that dedication to your post-surgical rehabilitation is the key to good outcomes.
Our team of physical therapists will work with you after your surgery to restore strength and mobility in your affected leg. With time and hard work, you should see a big improvement in your overall quality of life.
Ready to learn more about what goes into rehab for knee replacement surgery here at Balance Rehabilitation & Health Science? Give us a call to schedule an initial consultation!
Total Knee Replacement Surgery: What To Expect
Most people undergoing a total knee replacement do so to address the damage done by an underlying bone disease, usually osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. The cartilage and other bone tissue are damaged in both conditions, leading to joint dysfunction, pain, and inflammation. A total knee replacement removes that damaged tissue and replaces it with a prosthesis.
Knee replacement is considered major surgery. The procedure usually takes 1-2 hours and may or may not require an overnight hospital stay–your orthopedic surgeon will let you know for sure. If you do stay in the hospital, you’ll likely be there for up to three days.
Even if your surgeon releases you on the day of your surgery, pain management will be crucial! Pain is a normal part of the healing process, and your doctor will likely prescribe you pain medication in the early days of your recovery. You may also work with an inpatient physical therapist to help make your first few days of recovery as comfortable as possible and to ensure you understand what to do at home, including range of motion exercises, elevation techniques, and using an assistive device (i.e., walker or cane) to get around at home.
After those first few days, however, it’s time to begin dedicated outpatient physical therapy–and that’s where Balance Rehabilitation & Health Science comes in. Our team of experts will guide you through the full rehabilitation process, from pain management and swelling control, to range of motion and gait activities in the first week to balance, coordination, and functional training several weeks out.
Rehab Timeline for Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Rehab for total knee replacement is a progressive process. We start gently and gradually build in intensity as your condition improves. While every patient is different, our rehab program does follow a general timeline:
- Recovery: In the first few weeks, you’ll need to focus on helping the surgical site heal. This includes monitoring the surgical wound, working to reduce swelling and managing pain, but it’s also important that you begin moving your affected joint. Why? Because movement is critical when it comes to good outcomes after a knee replacement, so it’s better to start as soon as possible.
- Restoring Mobility: After the first two weeks, you’ll begin working on strength and mobility in earnest. We generally start with more intense mobility exercises than what you were doing during the recovery phase, as we want to work to gradually increase your range of motion. Doing so will help you be prepared to build strength more effectively.
- Restoring Strength: After surgery, you’ll have experienced a decrease in strength and, for some, muscle mass, so we spend a lot of time restoring that strength to pre-surgical levels–or even higher! We’ll incorporate more intense exercises, such as resistance training or aerobic exercises, during this phase.
- Restoring Functionality: Once you’ve restored strength and mobility, you can focus on your overall functionality–those movements you need for everyday life. Our therapists tailor your training here based on your needs and goals. Got a favorite sport? Love to garden? Whatever it is, we’ll make sure you can safely return to it.
Rehab Techniques for Total Knee Replacement Surgery
At Balance Rehabilitation & Health Science, we pull from various physical therapy techniques to ensure you have a successful rehabilitation. These approaches can help manage pain, improve your range of motion, and restore your strength and muscle mass as you work through the four rehab stages:
- Manual Therapy: These hands-on techniques will help reduce your pain and improve your mobility, particularly in the early stages of your rehabilitation. Joint mobilization (in which we’ll guide your knee through its current range of motion) will help gradually increase mobility. Soft tissue manipulation (in which we massage your muscles, tendons, or ligaments) will promote blood circulation (which helps with healing) and reduce pain.
- Therapeutic Exercise: We’ll provide targeted, progressive exercise programs throughout rehabilitation. We’ll also guide you through the programs, ensuring you perform the movements correctly and offering any modifications or adjustments as needed. Exercises will work on mobility, flexibility, and strength.
- Balance, Coordination, and Gait Training: If your surgery has you struggling with balance or walking, we’ll provide specialized exercises to help you improve! As with our more general strength and mobility exercises, we’ll start with simple balance challenges and gradually increase the difficulty, focusing on your coordination and addressing real-life concerns, such as reducing falls or walking on uneven surfaces.
- Return-to-Activity Schedules: As part of your functional training, we’ll provide a customized schedule to let you know when you can safely return to your favorite activities (such as a particular sport or recreational activity). We can also provide movement modifications.
Call Us to Learn More About Our Rehab Programs!
Rehab for knee replacement surgery may be a long and challenging process, but the physical therapists at Balance Rehabilitation & Health Science will help you make the most of it! Our customized programs will help you achieve your specific rehabilitation goals.
Ready to get started? Make an appointment at our Goffstown, NH, or Windham, NH clinic today!
