When does physical therapy start after knee replacement

Q: What should I be doing 3 weeks after knee replacement?

By week 3. By the time youre back home or in a rehab facility, you should be able to move around more freely while experiencing reduced pain. Youll require fewer and less powerful pain medications. Your daily routine will include exercise your PT has given you.

Q: How long does it take to walk normally after knee replacement?

Usually, about three weeks after the surgery, youll be able to walk without crutches for about 10 minutes. Your physical therapist will push you to add more to your regimen. Generally, it takes about a year for everything to settle, the knee to regain its strength, and all normal activities to become possible again.

You’ve just had knee replacement surgery. Your doctor fixed what was wrong, but initially you’ll still feel a bit of pain and stiffness. Now that the surgical procedure is done, it’s your turn to make sure the surgery is a complete success. That means working to restore strength and mobility to your knee.

Table of Contents Show

At the Hospital
Exercises You Should Do
How long does pain and stiffness last after knee replacement?
What should I be doing 3 weeks after knee replacement?
How long does it take to walk normally after knee replacement?
How long does it take to bend knee after knee replacement?

At the Hospital

The process of rehabbing begins the day after surgery. You’ll be up on your feet, probably with the help of a cane, crutches, parallel bars, or a walker. You will meet with a physical therapist who will walk you through a series of exercises to improve movement and increase the blood flow to your legs and feet. That’s important because it prevents blood from clotting.

Your physical therapist will also show you how to get in and out of bed, and how to use the crutches or the walker. A nurse or occupational therapist will show you the best way to dress, bathe, and use the toilet.

Your knee will get stronger as you keep moving. Your therapist may ask you to walk up and down the hospital corridor or outside. They may assist you in climbing stairs. By the time you’re ready to go home, you should be able to bend your knee at a 90-degree angle, bathe and dress on your own, and only use walking aids sparingly.

Your doctor and physical therapist will lay out a series of exercises you should do when you are about to be discharged. Here are some exercise goals they likely will set for you:

Walk for short periods -- first inside your house, then outside -- to increase mobility.
Slowly climb stairs, do chores, and work on other everyday activities.
Continue to do the knee-strengthening exercises that you learned from the hospital’s physical therapist.

At Rehab

Once you leave the hospital, you might move into a rehab facility. At rehab, a team of nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists, among others, will put together a program based on your condition and health. In addition to making you stronger, the staff will help you manage any pain you might have. They’ll also show you how to care for yourself when you go home.

At Home

Some patients decide to rehab at home. For many, that might not be a bad idea. Studies show that patients who receive physical therapy at home do as well as those who go to an in-patient facility.

What exercises you do and how long you do them depends on your age and your overall health. The length of time you spend rehabbing your knee -- as an inpatient or outpatient -- will vary. Expect to work with a physical therapist for at least a few weeks after your surgery. Most patients can take care of themselves within 3 to 6 weeks.

Exercises You Should Do

What can you expect from exercising? For one thing, walking is important. Doctors recommend walking 20 to 30 minutes two or three times a day. The goal is not only to strengthen the knee, but to slow the development of scar tissue that can reduce your range of motion. Other exercises include:

Leg lifts: These involve straightening your knee on a bed and tightening your thigh muscles. You then lift your legs off the bed several inches and hold them in that position from 5 to 10 seconds and then lower them slowly.
Ankle pumps: Lie on your bed with your ankles hanging off the end. Next, move your foot back and forth. This will strengthen calf muscles and improve circulation in your legs.
Short-arc quads: Your quadriceps are a group of muscles that control your knee joint. You can exercise them by lying on your back with your legs extended. Put a pillow under your operated leg. Lift the heel of your operated leg off the bed. Hold for five seconds. Try to do one set of 10 repetitions three times a day.
Straight leg raises: Just lie on your back and raise one leg at a time, holding it in the air for 5 seconds. Do one set of 10 reps three times a day.

There are many other exercises that will build up strength in your leg. Your physical therapist can help you with them. In the end, the pain you once experienced will be greatly reduced. You’ll be able to do most things that you’ve done in the past before your knee became damaged.

The knee is the most commonly replaced joint in the body. Total knee replacement surgery is needed when there is damage from bone diseases or a fracture that doesn’t heal properly, or when knee pain or alignment problems cause difficulty walking or performing daily activities. The rehabilitation process after surgery is crucial for maximizing mobility restoring functionality. Physical therapy after knee replacement surgery will ensure that you gain the full benefits of the surgery.

Benefits of physical therapy after knee replacement

Regaining strength and range-of-motion after knee replacement surgery is crucial to recovery. Gentle exercises will help you bear weight on your new knee joint, and performing range-of-motion exercises prevents scar tissue from limiting the new joint’s flexibility. Other benefits of physical therapy after knee replacement include:

Enhanced mobility
Improved blood circulation
Reduced or eliminated pain
Improved muscle function
Improved balance
Strengthened core

For the first two weeks after surgery, your recovery goal will focus on healing the incision, decreasing swelling, and managing pain, but afterward you can begin physical therapy, which usually lasts between four and eight weeks.

Physical therapy treatments after knee replacement

After an initial evaluation, your physical therapist will create a customized treatment program based on your needs and abilities. While the specific exercises and recovery time may vary, treatment plans generally include a similar slate of exercises.

Range of motion: To improve your new joint’s range of motion, the physical therapist will employ equipment such as stationary bikes in addition to assistive exercises that move your joints in a specific, targeted way.

Strength: The muscles around your knee tend to decrease in strength following surgery, so your physical therapist will prescribe strengthening exercises for your quadriceps, hamstrings, and hip muscles. The therapist might also use neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to contract your quadriceps muscle in order to build strength.

Balance: Decreased strength and range-of-motion in your knee can also severely affect your balance, which is why physical therapists use BAPS boards (flat discs with a hemisphere screwed to the bottom) and single-leg standing exercises to help regain normal balance.

Gait training: As most knee replacement patients start physical therapy using a walker or cane, gait training exercises can help you restore your normal gait without the use of an assistive device.

Scar tissue management: The scar on the front of the knee after surgery tends to feel tight and can limit mobility. Physical therapists use techniques such as scar tissue massage and mobilization to ensure the scar and skin around it move normally.

Functional and activity-specific training: When you can walk freely without pain, your physical therapist will introduce activities that were common before surgery, such as crossing a busy street or getting on and off an escalator. Therapists can also help you with specific physical activities necessary for your job or hobbies, including climbing a ladder or swinging a golf club.

Length of physical therapy for knee replacement

Everyone heals at different rates. Pre-existing health conditions and other factors can lead to longer recovery times from knee replacement surgery. While the average length of physical therapy for knee replacement is four to eight weeks, the duration of your therapy could be shorter or longer. It’s also important to remember that many patients do not feel completely healed and mobilized when therapy comes to an end. Most physical therapists teach their patients a variety of at-home exercises so they can continue making further gains in recovery.

Physical therapy after knee replacement surgery in San Diego

If you are scheduled for knee replacement surgery and you’re looking for physical therapists who specialize in joint replacement recovery, come see us! Bella Vista Health Center in San Diego offers customized therapy plans and a team of compassionate medical professionals who will strive to get you back to independent living. For more information about our orthopedic rehabilitation options or to schedule a tour of our 5-Star Skilled Nursing Facility, call us at (619) 644-1000.

How long does pain and stiffness last after knee replacement?

A total knee replacement patient is typically looking at a one year recovery period for things to fully settle down. I should stress that doesn't mean you'll be living with constant pain for a year. But the occasional twinge or moment of discomfort could well last 12 months. Occasionally it could be two years.

What should I be doing 3 weeks after knee replacement?

By week 3. By the time you're back home or in a rehab facility, you should be able to move around more freely while experiencing reduced pain. You'll require fewer and less powerful pain medications. Your daily routine will include exercise your PT has given you.

How long does it take to walk normally after knee replacement?

Usually, about three weeks after the surgery, you'll be able to walk without crutches for about 10 minutes. Your physical therapist will push you to add more to your regimen. Generally, it takes about a year for everything to settle, the knee to regain its strength, and all normal activities to become possible again.

How long does it take to bend knee after knee replacement?

Within 7 to 10 days after your knee replacement, you should be able to get your knee entirely straight/full extension (Fig. 1) (no space between the back of your knee and the table) and you should be able to bend/flex your knee to at least 90 degrees (Fig. 2). 90 degrees is the same thing as a right angle.