Ways to Help a Total Knee Replacement

Recuperating from a total knee replacement is the hardest part of going through the entire process. It is not easy. Besides being very painful, it can be frustrating. It takes a lot of hard work and persistence. Having recently undergone this surgery, I have found a few ways that have helped speed up my recuperation. They may work for you.

Instead of doing the minimum amount of exercises needed, do a little more. It does not matter if it is only one more set of repetitions, or one more minute of counting. Just do it. Soon, you will be amazed by the results. I find it works well for me to do knee and leg exercises in the morning, late afternoon, and evening. It is easy to do while I am watching my beloved hockey. :)

Get up and walk around every hour. Not only does this help your circulation, it will also help your muscles. I like getting up every hour on the hour for a walk around the kitchen and living room. This also helps the muscles from getting stiff. At first, I did this with crutches. Then, as I was ready, it was without walking aides.

Another way that helps with my total knee replacement recuperation is using a raised toilet seat. In fact, this makes it amazingly easy to use the toilet. At first I thought this aid was unnecessary, but after having realized that a basic raised toilet seat is only about $20 - I tried it. If you can buy and use one of these, do it. It is highly recommended by me anyways. And, it will be recommended by your hospital discharge team prior to letting you go home. At least mine was.

It is common knowledge that setting goals is important for most things in life. Recuperating from a total knee replacement is no different. You will know what you can do one day, or earlier in the day. The next time you do your exercises, set a goal to do more. For instance, find a hash mark on the kitchen linoleum. While you reached one line in the morning, reach the next line in the evening. Every little bit helps.

I have found that icing is important during my recuperation process. After every exercise bout, I ice for 20 minutes. Sometimes, when I notice excessive swelling (and there will be a lot of knee and leg swelling), I just sit on the sofa and with an ice pack for an hour. Besides decreasing the swelling, icing is a great pain medicine. It is a natural pain medicine, to be exact. My doctor told me, actually, that icing is the best pain med around. I can see why. Always keep an ice cube tray or two full of ice during your total knee replacement recuperation. My physical therapist recommended having frozen bags of peas and carrots on hand. I tried them for a bit, but found them to melt too quickly.

Taking a pain med an hour before my physical therapy helps with the session. This was recommended to me, and I can see why. It helps me get more out of my work out (and it is a workout).

Massaging my knee and its surrounding muscles helps with my mobility. Plus, it eases the pain and stiffness. It may work for you as well.

Recuperating from a total knee replacement requires determination, persistence, and hard work. It does pay off, though. It is just great to see muscles working that have not worked for awhile. Each hurdle is thrilling and the end result comes into sight.

Good luck!