Your complete rehabilitation after a total knee replacement depends on regular exercise to help your knee regain its power and mobility and gradually return to normal activities. During your early recovery, your orthopedic surgeon and physical trainer may advise that you stroll for 30 minutes, two to three times per day, for 20 to 30 minutes, or even longer.

Exercises to Help Strengthen Your Knees

As soon as you are ready, begin the routines. They can be started right after the operation in the recuperation area. These movements may initially feel awkward, but they will speed up your recovery and lessen your postoperative discomfort. The activities listed below can help you improve circulation in your ankles and feet, which is crucial for avoiding blood clots. Additionally, they’ll aid in muscle augmentation and enhance knee mobility:

• Quadricep exercises: Start by tightening the thigh muscle, attempt to straighten your knee, and hold for 5-10 seconds. Spend two minutes doing this routine roughly ten times, then take a minute off. Keep going until your leg starts to feel tired.
• Leg lifts: As with the quadriceps exercise above, tighten your leg muscles while lying on your back with your knee completely erect. Leg raised a few inches. For 5 to 10 seconds, hold. Reduce slowly. Continue until your leg is worn out. This workout should last three minutes.
• Ankle exercises: Raise and lower your foot repeatedly by tensing your leg and shin muscles. In the recuperation area, do this exercise for 2 to 3 minutes, 2 to 3 times an hour. Perform this exercise during each ad break if you are viewing TV. Continue doing this exercise until all ankle or lower leg swelling has gone down and you are entirely healed.

Try to walk as efficiently and consistently as you can. Do not rush. Adjust your pace and stride duration to walk in an even rhythm. As your muscle strength and stamina increase, you might walk longer distances and progressively place more weight on your limb. You can start using a single crutch or cane when you can walk and stand for more than a few minutes, and your leg is firm enough not to use your walker or crutches to support any weight (typically about 2 to 3 weeks after your operation). Hold the aid in the limb opposite the side of your operation. Do not walk with a limp or turn your treated leg away. 

Following exercise or action, you might experience joint discomfort or swelling. You can relieve this by elevating your limb and covering the ice with a towel. If you choose to apply ice, you should apply it for 20 minutes, remove it for 20, and then continue the process for another 2 hours.

Dearborn & Associates can Help You Recover After Knee Surgery.

If you’ve had knee surgery recently, the staff at Dearborn & Associates can help you recover. Recovery can be daunting, but Dr. Danielle Dearborn can work with you to ensure you recover correctly. Call us at (510) 818-7200 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Dearborn today!