Gurgaon’s Leading Physiotherapist Dr Saed Varis shares how good physiotherapy can relieve intense pain, especially after a Knee Replacement Surgery
One of the major concerns for patients undergoing knee replacement surgery is: Will I be able to handle the pain post-surgery? The reality about knee replacement surgery is that people undergoing this procedure will face varying degrees of pain post their surgery. However, a person could follow some essential ways to manage postoperative symptoms and ease their recovery.
How to manage pain post-knee surgery?
Knee replacement pain is a major postoperative concern for patients who are about to have a replacement operation. Each patient wants to know about their postoperative life, how much pain or discomfort they would have, and how many medicines they will have to consume after undergoing a knee replacement surgery.
Educating yourself about pain could significantly reduce fears or myths and help you manage your expectations. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), common knee replacement pain management medicines or procedures will be inclusive of:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Injections of local anaesthesia straight away into the joint during the procedure
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
- Steroids
Ice and elevation of the leg will play an important role in reducing swelling and pain during recovery time. Thus, people should utilize a cloth-wrapped ice pack on the swollen part for 20 minutes every 3 to 4 hours when possible. Gentle physical exercises post-knee replacement might also reduce inflammation and the risk of blood clots.
Delhi and Gurgaon’s top physiotherapist for knee surgery Dr Saed Varis shares how physical therapy could help you to get recover from post-knee surgery.
Physical therapy and other vital exercises
Post-orthopaedic surgery pain management also includes performing physical therapies or knee exercises. These could speed up the recovery rate and reduce postoperative pain. The majority of people can start knee movement within hours after the surgery.
A physical therapist at the Impact Doctors Hub will guide you through some specific exercises that assist to strengthen the knee and restore its health. They might suggest performing essential exercises for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, 2 to 3 times daily, as well as walking for approximately 30 minutes two or three times a day. Certain examples of postoperative exercises include:
- Quadriceps sets: Tighten your thigh muscle and try to straighten the impacted knee. Stay in this position for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Straight leg raises: Try to tighten your thigh muscle with the operated knee completely straightened on the bed. Lift your leg a few inches off the bed and hold the position for 5 to 10 seconds.
- Ankle pumps: Move your foot up and down using the calf and shin muscles.
- Knee straightening exercises: Keep a small rolled-up towel just above your heel, tighten the thigh, and look to straighten the knee completely so that the back of the knee touches the surface.
Home treatments after the knee replacement
Post your surgery, you can continue wearing compression stockings that could reduce the risk of forming a blood clot and might prevent aching in the leg. Another home remedy is elevating the operated leg above the level of your heart periodically during the day. Some topical creams and patches might also reduce knee pain and make it comfortable for you to sleep at night. Patients generally utilize these ingredients in the operated part to ease the pain.
Final Words
Knee replacement surgery impacts each patient differently. A few people face some pain, inflammation, and bruising post the procedure. Discuss your level of pain with your orthopaedic doctor, knee replacement surgeon, or physiotherapist, and report any abrupt changes. Using medicines, ice packs, elevation, and physical therapies can reduce discomfort and speed up recovery. Specifically, post your surgery a highly skilled physiotherapist like Dr Saed Varis can assure successful pain relief after your surgery.
HOD, CK Birla Hospital (Physiotherapy), India’s Leading Physiotherapist
Dr Saed Varis is an eminent physiotherapist in India with vast experience in treating post-operative orthopaedic conditions like TKR, THR, ACLR, HTO, etc. He has vast experience treating conditions like PA shoulder (Frozen Shoulder), Bankart Lesion, Knee Pain, Bursitis, Tennis Elbow, Golfers Elbow, Wrist Pain, Ankle Pain, Ligament Injuries, and many other musculoskeletal conditions.
Gurgaon’s Top Physiotherapist Dr Saed Varis, says, because of ageing, or due to a serious injury, certain individuals might start suffering from joint issues that restrict them from performing daily activities. One of the most common among them is knee osteoarthritis, which is an outcome of old age. Other knee diseases caused due to inflammation and injury are rheumatoid arthritis and post-traumatic arthritis, respectively. Serious knee diseases make normal activities such as walking, sitting, climbing stairs, lifting heavy objects, or standing for a prolonged duration of time very difficult. If medicines cannot show significant improvement in the knees, then the patients are suggested to go for a total knee replacement surgery (TKR).