Each year over a million Americans undergo hip or knee joint replacement surgery.  Most of these individuals will participate in Physical Therapy post operatively to maximize function.  Here are a few things to know about the post operative recovery:

The first 6 weeks

• This generally is the most painful and difficult part of post operative recovery though this varies from one individual to the next.  For active individuals, this phase can be frustrating as activity modification is still necessary for controlling pain, swelling and healing. 

• Initial steps in recovery focus on balancing rest, ice, pain management techniques with guided gentle exercise so that consistent forward progress is made. 

• Recovery overall is a slow, steady process (most surgeons and research will say up to one year.)  It is likely that prior to surgery you had some muscle weakness, joint stiffness and some degree of limited function (otherwise you would not have considered the surgery).  Surgery gives you a new joint but doesn’t change these deficits.   

• Generally range of motion recovers a little each week as does strength & endurance.  Along with these gains generally comes improvement in function, stairs are easier, walking is better, etc. 

Why should this be guided by PT?

• Physical therapists are trained to assess human movement from the simple to complex.  An exam to identify limitations and potential faulty habitual movement patterns is essential in creating an effective, individualized exercise routine. 

• Exercise type, intensity & activity level will vary throughout recovery.  Exercises done early on become unnecessary as you recover, but exactly when this occurs varies widely among individuals. Guided recovery helps to get the most out of the exercise you’re doing at home to keep you moving forward.  

• Some things can’t be done on your own.  Joint mobilizations are often needed to restore mobility and are difficult to perform independently.  Physical therapy incorporates home exercises as well as exercise in the clinic, hands on techniques to improve joint & soft tissue mobility, scar management, gait retraining and retraining functional tasks like sit to stand and stairs.  

Once you’ve completed formal PT

• Keep up with the exercises prescribed to continue making gains in specific areas.  Although complete recovery can take a year, formal PT does not last that long.

• Keep active to maintain joint health with consistent low impact exercise.  This could include a number of things like walking, water based exercise, cycling, yoga or pilates. 

Joint replacement recovery can be a challenging period of time but most individuals emerge from the process with improved function and lower pain levels, making it worth the investment.