Total knee replacement surgery has steadily grown in popularity since it was introduced in 1968. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), more than 680,000 total knee replacements were performed in 2014. This number has only continued to grow since then. There are certain steps that have become common in post-knee surgery recovery plans, and one of the most important of these is physical therapy. However, some people might decide not to do physical therapy after knee surgery. If you do, it can lead to two serious consequences.
- Less joint support
One consequence of not doing physical therapy after knee surgery can be a lower level of joint support. Before knee surgery, patients may be living with a lot of pain. Understandably, the pain makes people reluctant to move, and this lack of movement can weaken leg muscles that support the knee joint.
If you avoid physical therapy after your surgery, it’s likely that these muscles will remain weak. In turn, weak muscles aren’t able to provide as much support to your knee. The lack of support can make it harder to get moving again after surgery, and it can also slow down the speed of your healing. Most worryingly, decreased knee support can lead to more pain after surgery.
- Implants wear out faster
The weak muscles that result from avoiding post-knee surgery physical therapy can also have a negative effect on your implant. A total knee replacement is designed to replace the ends of the tibia and the femur with specially designed implants. In some patients, the kneecap might be replaced, too. One source claims that most of these implants are designed to last at least 25 years.
Weak muscles from not doing physical therapy can reduce the life of your implants. The lack of support can put more pressure on the implants, and this can cause them to wear out more rapidly. Also, weak supporting muscles can allow the knee to become misaligned. In turn, misalignment can lead to uneven wearing of the implant surfaces. Ultimately, weak supporting muscles could lead to such severe wearing that you must have another surgery to replace the worn-out implant.
Find post-knee surgery physical therapy at Whatcom Physical Therapy
At Whatcom Physical Therapy, we want to encourage people to come to physical therapy after knee surgery. One way we do so is by offering free screenings to help patients detect pre- and post-surgical knee issues. We also provide personalized post-surgical rehab plans, and these plans may include beneficial therapy techniques such as:
We even offer pre-surgical therapy that can help build up knee muscles and decrease pain before surgery.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment to start your post-surgical rehab.
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