Knee Surgery Rehab

Knee surgery can be quite an interruption to your regular life. After surgery, your mobility will be limited as you heal. Thankfully, physical therapy can help speed up the process and get you back to walking and moving around with careful work and guidance. Knee surgery rehab and physical therapy are important parts of the recovery process.

Starting Right Away

To get the best results from knee surgery rehab, most doctors recommend starting physical therapy 1-2 weeks after surgery. This may seem too soon, but the sooner you begin working on your mobility and range of motion, the sooner you’ll be back to your normal activity level. When you begin rehabbing from the knee surgery, the Activity First Physical Therapy team will start with low-intensity exercises. The goal is to warm up the muscles surrounding the knee before doing any sort of strenuous exercises.

Strengthening Techniques

The knees bear a lot of weight in the body and are responsible for many different leg movements. As you’re building back your strength and endurance, your physical therapist will work with you to strengthen the leg muscles so they can support your healing knee. As your knee heals, the activities will increase in intensity. Remember, the goal is to get your knee back to normal, and strengthening those muscles will be a big part of the healing process!

Pain Management

As with any surgery, there will be pain during the rehab process. Besides building up your mobility, knee surgery rehab will help you manage your pain. Whether it’s with icing or stretching techniques, your therapists will help you work through the best methods. Always be honest about your pain and your pain tolerance, so they can work up a plan that’s right for you.

If you’re ready to start your physical therapy after your knee surgery, then give us a call! We’ll be happy to answer your questions and schedule your first appointment.