| When you finally decide to go ahead with a knee | | | | 2. Post-Acute Phase: This phase kicks in from roughly |
| replacement, you can get bombarded with a lot of | | | | week seven to week twelve. Here is where you |
| information from friends, family, and hopefully the | | | | begin to get a better handle on how to control the |
| surgeon. When it comes to friends and family, most | | | | swelling and you also have learned as well how |
| of the information you will get are opinions though | | | | temperamental the knee can be. In other words as |
| they mean well you get very little fact. The time it | | | | you become more active the knee will fool you. You |
| took for their knee to heal can vary and unless they | | | | will be tempted to do more then the knee is ready |
| had the knee operated on within the last 4-6 months | | | | to handle physically. if you take on more then the |
| the information you get may be inaccurate. | | | | knee is prepared for, the next day you will pay the |
| Your surgeon may or may have not discussed with | | | | price in increased pain and swelling. The use of pain |
| you some of the experiences you will encounter | | | | medication though not as frequent is still advised. You |
| when, it comes to the actual amount of time it will | | | | should at this point be up on a single point cane and |
| take for the knee itself to be completely healed. | | | | away from the walker which with the new found |
| During the healing process your knee will go through | | | | freedom add to the subtle ability to overwork the |
| what I consider three phases from a rehabilitation | | | | leg. |
| standpoint. The phases are the acute phase, the | | | | 3. Long Term Healing Phase: This is the phase that |
| post-acute phase, and the long term healing phase. | | | | most orthopedic surgeons will tell you will take close |
| These are phases that I have discovered are | | | | to a year for the knee to be totally healed. You will |
| important for a patient to understand. The time I feel | | | | be able to however to do most anything within |
| to discuss them with the patient is not only prior to | | | | reason at this point unless it involves a high-impact |
| surgery but, again after surgery as there will be | | | | activity like constant running and jumping. Pain, |
| information during the pre-operative briefing that will | | | | swelling, and muscle spasms at this point have |
| not be retained. | | | | completely subsided. You will have obtained all the |
| In general the phases mentioned above tend to play | | | | range of motion of the knee that you will get. Your |
| out for the patient in the following way: | | | | strength gains however can always be improved in |
| 1. Acute Phase: This is without question the most | | | | the muscles surrounding the knee. Your walking |
| painful. It lasts from the day of surgery out to week | | | | pattern has now been established and the knee can |
| six.. This time can vary from patient to patient but | | | | and will endure most anything you ask it too. |
| by week five there is a noticeable decrease in pain. | | | | There will always be some differences among |
| The knee will go through the swelling phase and | | | | patients when it comes to set time frames with pain |
| "throbbing phase" when it comes to pain. It is vital | | | | and recovery. Having a total knee replacement is |
| that your understanding and compliance with pain | | | | considered a major surgery and the advances made |
| control measures are followed. The use of ice before | | | | in surgery have shorten the time frame by weeks if |
| and after rehabilitation are recommended along with | | | | not by months with some. |
| foot elevation to keep the swelling to a minimum. | | | | The key to joint replacement recovery is patience. |
| Sleepless nights are generally in store in not un-heard | | | | By having some patience you develop a stronger |
| of due to pain. The best measure found to relieve | | | | more pain free recovery instead of pushing yourself |
| the pain you will encounter during sleep is to move or | | | | to the edge of suffering from chronic pain and overall |
| pump the knee back and forth five to ten times as | | | | physical breakdown. |
| the knee gets stiff and the spasms occur. | | | | |