PT Back to a Kicking Life After Knee Replacement
It’s not surprising that the knee is one of the most easily and commonly injured joints in the body. This complex network of bones, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons does an enormous amount of work every day. Whether it’s just walking, climbing up and down stairs, getting in and out of vehicles, helping you pick up large objects (so your back doesn’t have to), or playing any number of sports, the knee is there for it—until it isn’t. The Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reports that more than 700,000 people undergo knee replacement surgery in the U.S. every year, either due to painful injuries or osteoarthritis that won’t respond to any other kind of treatment. Fortunately, physical therapy for knee replacement post-surgery is a great way to get back to life with the new knee equipment in place.
Physical Therapy for Knee Replacement
For many people, like our client Bill, knee replacement comes after a lifetime of activity.
“About three months ago, I had a complete knee replacement,” explains Bill. “After a lifetime of being very active—running, skiing, and biking, it’s no surprise. I spent 10 years getting hyaluronic acid shots directly into my knees. These shots helped to forestall the inevitable surgery. But in the end, I outlived my knee joint.”
This meant that surgeons removed the damaged components of the knee and replaced them with a prosthetic device that mimics typical knee functions. But like any major surgery, there’s a lot of recovery time involved, and Bill knew that to get back up and kicking, he would need to see a physical therapist.
Getting Back to Life After Surgery
Bill explains that even before his knee replacement surgery, things were difficult. “Prior to the surgery, I had been limping and restricting my activities, so my leg muscles atrophied far more than I anticipated. Hopefully, this physical therapy will bring me back to full strength.”
Our holistic physical therapist, Aurora, has been working with Bill since the beginning of his PT journey, laughing with him about how he believes pizza is a 7-days-a-week food choice.
“I have been working with Aurora since I began. She is very attentive and knowledgeable.”
She has been coaching him and teaching him exercises that can get him back to strong, confident stair climbing, getting up and down, and walking, so he can move into more challenging activities he wants to do. This includes lots of exercises to build strength, flexibility, and good alignment in his core, glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. This also encompasses stretches to assist his new knee in bending and straightening normally.
“I love stretching. You just get to lie there for a long time,” laughs Bill. But as our team has observed, Bill really puts in the time at home on all his exercises and is serious about getting full mobility back.
Physical Therapy for Knee Replacement Success
Working with a physical therapist after knee replacement surgery is important to getting back to full mobility as soon as possible, and Bill is excited about the progress he’s making.
“I'm a little over three months out from the surgery and I can do just about any normal daily activity,” says Bill. “Skiing may have to wait, but I’ve been taking my dog for long walks. The recent snowfalls have made that a little challenging at times, but it is also very helpful for recovery.”
It’s also important to remember that anybody who undergoes knee replacement has their own individual healing process and that it’s important to listen to your body and work with your physical therapist as a team. Bill can attest to this fact too: “I have learned to pace myself. The pace of recovery is different for everyone. I tend to try to rush it, but you have to let your body be your guide.”
Well said, Bill!
March Functional Movement Challenge
As part of Bill’s recovery, one of the crucial exercises he’s been doing has become our March Functional Movement Challenge: step-ups!
Step-ups are functional activities often used throughout the day to get us from one place to another by navigating stairs, curbs, and other obstacles. After knee or hip joint replacement, it is important to strengthen the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings to help us safely lift the body up a step and lower it down to the next step with good control and alignment. Working on this activity before a joint replacement can also help postpone the need for a joint replacement by improving stair navigation body mechanics and decreasing pain.
Here’s how the challenge works:
For people who need to take it easy, see how many tapping steps you can do in 30 seconds.
For everyone, see how many step-ups you can do in 30 seconds.
For our athletes out there, how many reverse step-ups can you do in 30 seconds?
“I had a knee replacement in December and step-ups are an important part of my recovery,” says Bill.
(Small Note: Make sure to step-up to the challenge next time you’re in our Flemington office! And make sure to check Facebook or Instagram to see who else has stepped into the challenge!)
Physical Therapy in Flemington After Knee Replacement
“Just think of all the things we do every day that involve stepping up and down,” explains Bill. “Stairs, getting into a car, and stepping off a curb, and so on.” Whether you are dealing with a knee injury, facing a future knee replacement surgery, or recovering after surgery and want to return to full mobility,
