12 Mar Knee Replacement- how physio helps
Knee replacements are relatively common operations to alleviate the symptoms of severe osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
During the surgery the articular surfaces of the knee joint are replaced with artificial surfaces, normally made from a metal alloy and plastic.
After surgery, you will normally be in hospital for a few days to recover and should see a physiotherapist while you are there to start you on the path to recovery. This will include an exercise programme and getting you back up and on your feet. Once you are home, it is important to continue with your physiotherapy in order to have the best result possible.
Knee replacement surgery can take quite some time to recover from, and it is important to remember that healing takes time. Your body isn’t used to being rejigged with power tools and will have the same response that it will when you are injured as it cannot differentiate between surgery and injury. This includes pain and inflammatory markers increasing and the muscles trying to protect the area by becoming weak and tight. The first few weeks of recovery are normally aimed at restoring normal movement and walking patterns with gradual reduction of crutch use.
Once these movements are improving, your physiotherapist will continue to work with you to strengthen your muscles and build them back up again as well as improving functional activity. This may take several months to get back to normal.
While it is very important to work with your physiotherapist after your surgery quite often it can be beneficial to see a physiotherapist prior to your surgery. Your physiotherapist can show you some of the common exercises that may be used post surgically or even to start building up strength before your surgery and aid your recovery.
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