Total Joint Replacements

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Joint Replacement

What You Need To Know Before and After a Joint Replacement

As people are living longer and more active lifestyles, joint pain and disability are on the rise. In the United States, 23% of adults suffer from arthritis. That is 54 million people!¹ Osteoarthritis, or arthritis in the joint, is the most common form of this painful disease. While many people suffering from osteoarthritis may try different forms of treatment, joint replacements are ultimately the final stage in treating arthritis.

Luckily our knowledge and technology continue to advance, resulting in better surgeries and faster outcomes. But recovery doesn't start with surgery. In order to have the best results possible, recovery needs to begin weeks, or even months beforehand.¹ ²

Pre-hab

The long road to recovery from arthritis begins with pre-habilitation which we call "pre-hab".² Our Physical Therapists at Action Physical Therapy are highly skilled in offering pre-hab services. This part of your recovery typically begins 6 weeks before surgery.

During this time our Physical Therapists will work with you to decrease your pain and stiffness while creating a plan to get you back to doing what you love.

Treatment during this time can include:

  • Manual therapy from our Certified Manual Therapists who will know exactly how to move your joint and surrounding soft tissues to decrease your pain while improving your mobility.
  • Education on how to walk and move better.
  • Education on what to know after surgery, such as how to use your assistive device, how to get in and out of bed, etc.
  • Exercise to help strengthen your surrounding muscles, making you stronger and more balanced.
  • Pain relieving modalities, such as use of ice, heat, and our Class IV laser that reduces pain and swelling.

Pre-hab may be a new concept for you, but the research on having Physical Therapy prior to surgery is growing rapidly.² ³ Being able to go through weeks of pre-hab prior to surgery decreases your pain and allows you to have the most strength and mobility possible, which then improves your post-operative recovery.² ³

Post-operative Rehabilitation

Once you have the joint replacement surgery, post-operative rehabilitation can start right away. The sooner that you can get your joint moving the better and faster your recovery will be.⁴ ⁵

In fact, you will typically begin Physical Therapy right after surgery with the same Physical Therapist you had during pre-hab. This continuity of care really helps to improve your outcomes and can make you feel more at ease as you have an established relationship and a plan of care already created with your Physical Therapist.

In addition to returning to your previous Physical Therapist, we can once again use our Class IV laser. You will most likely be using a lot of ice at home to manage your pain and swelling, but in the clinic we can also utilize this laser to help shorten your recovery time.

Once again, skilled manual therapy will be used, this time to assist in decreasing pain and swelling, and then to work on your range of motion.

Exercise will also begin to help strengthen the replaced joint and the surrounding muscles to help you get back to full use of your arm or leg.

Most importantly Physical Therapists will work with you to help you become more functional and return to whatever it is that you love to do!

Types of Joint Replacements

With the advancements in our healthcare, there are now many different joints in our body that can be replaced. Some of the more common ones are the knee, hip, and shoulder.

Knee
Hip
Shoulder

Then once you have surgery you can begin with individualized recovery, focusing on getting you back to doing what you love.

If you are experiencing pain and limitations due to arthritis in any of your joints, please reach out to us today. One of our Physical Therapists can discuss your treatment options and get you on the right path to recovery!

SOURCES:

  1. How CDC Improves Quality of Life for People With Arthritis
  2. Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation for Major Joint Replacement Surgery
  3. Pre-hab for Surgery
  4. Rapid mobilization decreases length-of-stay in joint replacement patients.
  5. Early High-Intensity Rehabilitation Following Total Knee Arthroplasty Improves Outcomes
  6. Physical Therapist Management of Total Knee Arthroplasty
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