Have you had knee joint replacement surgery? Do you require assistance in walking or going about your day-to-day tasks? It’s not just you. Physical therapy is a vital element of rehabilitation, which is necessary to restore mobility and enhance your quality of life after surgery. Physical therapy after knee surgery has been shown to help those with knee joint replacement surgery, including regaining strength, enhancing flexibility, and reducing pain and discomfort.
What’s Total Knee Replacement?
Total knee replacement, or TKR, is a surgical procedure that replaces the knee joint’s damaged or worn-out surfaces with new, synthetic ones. General anesthesia is utilized for the treatment, which typically lasts two hours. Following the surgery, the patient will stay in the hospital for 3-5 days.
Improved knee function and pain relief are the two main objectives of TKR surgery. Most patients had amazing outcomes following surgery, including significantly reduced pain and enhanced knee function. After TKR surgery, physical therapy is a crucial aspect of the healing process since it helps patients regain their strength and range of motion in the injured joint.
What Should You Expect Following A Total Knee Replacement
You may experience some soreness, swelling, or stiffness following knee surgery. You should speak with your healthcare physician if the knee pain worsens or you have trouble walking.
Assistive devices, including a walker or crutches, may be advised by your doctor to support the knee and lessen the pain as you heal. They might also advise applying ice to the joint, taking medication, or applying cold and heat. Naturally, they will also recommend physical therapy!
How Can Physical Therapy After Knee Surgery Help?
The knee joint’s mobility, strength, and range of motion can all be significantly improved with physical therapy. Physical therapists will work with you to build a personalized rehabilitation plan that’ll assist you in regaining the independence and functionality you lost as a result of surgery.
After a knee joint replacement surgery, physical therapists can assist patients in regaining function and mobility because they are specialists in the body’s rehabilitation. Your physical therapist will create an individual therapy plan as you prepare for and recover from surgery to help you move as effectively and safely as possible. You will experience less pain and improve your quality of life thanks to physical therapy after knee surgery.
What Advantages Can Physical Therapy After Knee Surgery Offer?
1. Improved Knee Strength
There is no time to waste because the therapy starts right away after surgery. Physical therapy usually begins the next day after surgery to help with the healing process. Physical therapy after knee surgery is necessary because the knee can hardly move, support weight, or even work. Strengthening your muscles and the region surrounding the knee should continue for several weeks. After that, you should go back to low-impact activities.
2. Regain Mobility
The total knee replacement recovery process takes a few months and begins on the first day after surgery. The scar and skin tissue will be able to move more freely after working with a physical therapist. A physical therapy exercise regimen can preserve and reestablish the knee’s range of motion and functional mobility. Start with a fitness routine advised by your physical therapist to quicken up the healing process.
3. Prevents the Development of Scar Tissues
After surgery or an injury, scar tissues develop naturally but can also tighten the area and cause pain. Physical therapy after knee surgery can help in regaining range of motion and flexibility, which helps avoid forming scar tissue in the knee. A physical therapist can demonstrate the best techniques and stretches to recover from surgery.
4. Personal Freedom
With the help of physical therapy, a person can heal and regain the independence to enjoy activities or carry out simple tasks. Through the healing process, the feeling of hope returns instead of crippling pain with each stride or motion. Tennis matches, hikes, and trips with the family won’t be as difficult, painful, or uncomfortable. It’s an accomplishment to be proud of to be able to use the knee and have a full range of motion once more.
What are the Common Treatments and Exercises After a Knee Replacement Surgery?
Following an initial evaluation, the physical therapist will construct a personalized treatment plan depending on your abilities and needs. Treatment programs typically involve a comparable set of exercises, even though the specific activities and recuperation times may differ.
Range of motion: Your physical therapist will use stationary bikes and other tools and supportive exercises that move the joints in a focused, precise manner to increase the range of motion in the new joint.
Strength: The physical therapist will recommend strengthening activities for the hamstrings, hip muscles, and quadriceps because the muscles around the knee tend to lose strength after surgery. Your therapist may also utilize NMES or neuromuscular electrical stimulation to strengthen the quadriceps muscles.
Balance: Physical therapists make use of BAPS boards (flat discs which include a hemisphere fastened to the bottom) and single-leg standing exercises to assist patients in regaining their normal balance because decreased knee strength and range of motion can significantly negatively impact balance.
Gait Training: This can help you regain your normal gait without the assistance of an assistive device since most knee replacement patients begin physical therapy using a cane or walker.
Scar Tissue Management: Following surgery, the scar on the front of your knee often feels tight and may restrict movement. Physical therapy uses strategies including scar tissue mobilization and massage to guarantee that the skin and the scar surrounding it move normally.
Activity-specific and Functional Training: The physical therapist will provide typical activities before surgery, like crossing a busy street or using an escalator, once you can walk without pain.
How Long Should Physical Therapy Be After Knee Surgery?
Everybody recovers at a different pace. Pre-existing medical issues and other variables might cause longer healing following knee replacement surgery. While physical therapy after knee surgery typically lasts 4-8 weeks, your treatment time may be longer or shorter. It is vital to note that many patients may not feel fully recovered and mobile when the therapy is completed. Most physical therapists give their patients a range of exercises to perform at home so they may keep improving their rehabilitation.
What Risks Are Associated With Skipping Physical Therapy?
The following could happen if the physical treatment program is not followed:
Delayed Recovery
Physical therapy after knee surgery mobilizes your muscles and joints and promotes blood flow, speeding healing. Blood circulation is crucial for the healing process.
Becoming Prone to Another Knee Injury
A knee injury often results from improper movements. You’ll be instructed on how to move the new joint properly to avoid further injury.
Increased Likelihood of Revision Surgery
Any secondary injury to the knee brought on by inappropriate mobility may require revision surgery. Physical therapy helps by preventing revision surgery through joint and muscle strengthening.
Can You Avoid Knee Injuries?
By working with a physical therapist, those with knee pain might be able to put off having surgery. You can work with them to increase the strength and flexibility of the muscles that move and support the knee. In some circumstances, this kind of training might even help you avoid surgery entirely.
Regularly engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent knee osteoarthritis from worsening.
What Kind of Physical Therapist Would You Need After Knee Surgery?
Physical therapists are equipped to treat patients before and after TKR surgery because of their training and expertise. It is best to look for:
A physical therapist who has expertise treating patients with muscle or orthopedic, joint, and bone issues,
A physical therapist who has done a fellowship or residency in orthopedic or geriatric physical therapy might be something you want to consider. With their advanced training, expertise, and abilities, these physical therapists might be able to aid with your condition.
Takeaway
Physical therapy after knee surgery helps avoid scar tissue development. It aids in a quicker recovery by strengthening the muscles around the surgically repaired knee joint. It makes it easier to increase joint mobility, function, and flexibility. Following a physical therapy program and dedicated rehabilitation, you can recover from your total knee replacement surgery within 6-12 months.
Even after your recovery time is complete, you must continue seeing your physical therapist and surgeon regularly to prevent any post-operative issues.
Why Choose Us at Precision Sports for Physical Therapy After Knee Injury?
Our excellent physical therapists and healthcare professionals at Precision Sports Physical Therapy thoroughly work with the patients before and after surgery to increase blood circulation, mobility, and strength, lessen swelling and pain, and reduce scarring. We commit ourselves to helping you resume an active, independent lifestyle as soon as possible.
We will be with you through rehabilitation, constantly listening to and valuing your comments. Our empowerment, compassion, teamwork, and integrity principles will guide our communication with you. Our team here at Precision Sports Physical Therapy has years of experience helping our patience in reducing or managing pain, regaining function, enhancing flexibility and balance, and learning to avoid further accidents or disabilities. To live your best life, we believe that education is also essential. Our objectives include helping you with your current condition and educating you on how to have a better lifestyle.
