Both pre- and post- op physical therapy treatment are crucial for a smooth and fully recovery of a total knee replacement.
Preoperative Treatment
Preoperative treatment has been shown to reduce the recovery time of those undergoing a total knee replacement. Here are some things to expect:
- Knee flexion range of motion (ROM) improved at 3 months postop.
- Knee extensions ROM improved at 1 to 3 months postop.
- Fewer postop days required to reach 90 degrees of knee flexion.
* It’s important to remember that each person is different, so recovery time may differ from person to person.
Postoperative Treatment
After undergoing a total knee replacement, your doctor will give you guidelines of when to start physical therapy. Physical therapy will assess your ROM, strengthen your knee and surrounding muscles, and help get you back to a fully functioning knee again.
At the start of PT you will focus on Regaining ROM and increasing quad strength, in addition to improving lower body and core strength. You then will begin to focus on increasing weight-bearing, gait training, and reducing the use of an assistive device.
For most, a total knee replacement has an expected recovery time of 3-5 months. This depends on how the person responds to rehab exercises. Most people start to regain some of their normal function around the 5-7 week mark in regards to their walking normalizing and completing everyday tasks.
At LSTC we personalize each plan of care to your specific needs. We will get you back to living pain free and to a fully functional knee in no time! Give us a call at 703-450-4300 or CLICK HERE to get started today!
