Preparing for a Knee Replacement the EASY Way
The best way to prepare for a total knee replacement surgery is to follow these three steps:
Step 1 – Take a pre-operative knee replacement class.
Step 2 – Schedule a pre-operative physical therapy evaluation.
Step 3 – Create a battle plan for your recovery.
Step 1 – Take a pre-operative knee replacement class.
Cleveland Clinic’s A Patient’s Guide To Total Joint Replacement and Complete Care is a great resource with comprehensive checklists from one of the leading joint replacement programs in the country.
A total knee replacement class will teach you everything you need to do before surgery, the day of surgery, and after surgery.
What if my surgeon doesn’t offer a class?
If your surgeon doesn’t offer a class then consider taking my class or find one online or in person.
Much of the material is the same regardless of surgeon or surgical procedure.
Step 2 – Schedule a pre-operative physical therapy evaluation.
Physical therapy is widely recommended after a joint replacement. Clients may also choose to start physical therapy before a joint replacement.
As a physical therapist myself, I can tell you that some of the most important parts of a pre-surgical physical therapy evaluation is the time spent answering questions, taking measurements, practicing with your walker, and preparing you for the best possible outcome.
What can I expect from a pre-surgical physical therapy evaluation?
Since your physical therapist has most likely worked with several hundred patients who have already had a hip or knee replacement you will be able to learn from all of that experience.
Your therapist has seen the good and the bad and will provide you with great advice for your before surgery.
Your therapist will also be able to help you fit your walker, cane, or crutches to your body and teach you how to use these devices with enough time for you to get some practice.
You will develop a pre-surgical strength and conditioning program that will not make your knee pain worse, but will help you improve the muscle health and improve your body’s ability to recover from surgery.
I recommend having a pre-operative physical therapy evaluation approximately 6-weeks prior to surgery. This will allow you enough time to learn everything you need and practice the exercises you have been shown.
Step 3 – Create A Battle Plan
Joint replacement surgery is major surgery. You should hope for the best while planning for the worst.
This means you want to start with a list of all the daily chores and responsibilities you perform in a day. Then decided who will be performing these activities while you are recovering.
In the best case scenario you should plan to be unavailable for 2 weeks, but this could be as long as 12 weeks depending on your body’s response to surgery.
Determine who will buy groceries, who will prepare meals, who will wash laundry, clean the bathrooms, take out the trash, feed the pets.
The less you have to worry about after surgery the better your recovery will go.
More Blog Posts …
8 Pickleball Mistakes to Avoid for Beginners
Updated June 03, 2022 One of the main factors that cause beginners to experience setbacks when learning pickleball is doing too much too fast. Throught his article I will discuss the most common 8 pickleball mistakes along with some exercises you can try to prevent...
How much does physical therapy cost after a total knee replacement?
Phyiscal therapy cost varies greatly across locations and service providers. In this article we will examine the cost of physical therapy services for three different patients. One patient has traditional Medicare part B insurance. The second patient has no health...
3 Pros & Cons of Bilateral Knee Replacement
Having a bilateral knee replacement on the same day vs different days depends largely on your surgeon's assessment of your condition and current clinical research. A 2020 study suggested that patients receiving a same day bilateral knee replacement were not more...
Best shoes to wear after knee replacement
Best shoes to wear after knee replacement surgery:This article is specifically written to help you choose the best shoes to wear after knee replacement surgery when you return home. This information is focused on house-shoes and day 1 to week 6 post op.Click here to...
NEW Orthotics After Knee Replacement
Do You Need New Orthotics After Knee Replacement Surgery? Often, patients who receive a total knee replacement will have previously been prescribed custom orthotics. Custom orthotics may help reduce stress at the knee joint in the months or years before knee surgery...
Pain on the Outside of Knee After Total Knee Replacement
Experiencing pain on the outside of knee is common among individuals who have had a total knee replacement. 1. Fibular Head (Outside of Knee) The long skinny bone that runs along the outside of your lower leg is called the Fibula. This bone is not directly involved...
Cupping Therapy After Total Knee Replacement
Although the risk of major medical complications attributed to cupping therapy is low, the efficacy of cupping therapy is poorly associated with post surgical care and total knee replacement scar tissue mobilization.Cupping Therapy Research As of March 21, 2022 a...
Do physical therapists make house calls?
Do physical therapists make house calls? Find the answer to this and questions like: How much does physical therapy cost? Will a physical therapist come to my office? What is MobilePT?
Return to Work After Knee Replacement Surgery
When can I return to work after knee replacement surgery? For most administrative jobs, a 6-week timeframe to return to work after knee replacement surgery is recommended. For occupations that require prolonged standing, walking, climbing or crawling a 12+ week...
3 Drills to CRUSH your POWER Pickleball Serve
Pickleball is a power sport. Developing a Power pickleball serve requires yuo to be both strong and fast. Power is defined as the amount of work divided by the change in time. In order to improve power, a pickleball player must possess three things: Table of Contents...