Knee Rehabilitation at Home – How to do

After knee surgery, it is important to follow instructions from your health care provider about rehabilitation (rehab). It is important to design a program that is safe and effective for you. Your health care provider and rehabilitation therapist will work with you to meet your specific abilities and needs.

What are the benefits?

Knee rehab can help to:

• Strengthen your knee.
• Improve the flexibility and movement (range of motion) of your knee joint.
• Reduce swelling.
• Improve blood flow and prevent blood clots.

How to do exercises at home

• Continue exercises at home that your health care provider or physical therapist instructed you to do in the hospital.
• Before you exercise:
  • Take pain medicines, if told by your health care provider. Do not take the medicine if it makes you feel dizzy or sleepy.
  • Do a warm-up activity, such as gentle walking or riding a stationary bike, as told by your health care provider. Doing that warms up your muscles and helps to prevent injury.
• While doing exercises:
  • When standing, make sure you are near something sturdy that you can hold onto for balance, such as a heavy chair or the wall.
  • Do exercises exactly as told by your health care provider and adjust them as directed.
  • As you are recovering, choose an exercise pace that is comfortable for you, and gradually work up to your goal.
  • Do not force your knee to bend.
• Do not exercise in a pool (aquatic therapy) until your incision is healed and your health care provider says that you can.

Follow these instructions at home:

Activity

• Do not use your knee to support (bear) your body weight until your health care provider says that you can. Follow weight-bearing restrictions as told. Use crutches or a walker as told by your health care provider.
• Do not twist or kneel on your injured knee.
• Ask your health care provider what activities are safe for you during recovery, and ask what activities you need to avoid.
• Avoid sitting for a long time without moving. Get up to take short walks every 1–2 hours. Ask for help if you feel weak or unsteady.

Managing pain, stiffness, and swelling

• Put ice on affected areas after you exercise, or as needed. Icing can help to relieve joint pain and swelling.
  • Put ice in a plastic bag or use the icing device (cold flow pad or cold therapy unit) that you were given. Follow instructions from your health care provider about how to use the icing device.
  • Place a towel between your skin and the bag or device.
  • Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times a day.
• If directed, apply heat to affected areas before you exercise, or as needed. Heat can reduce the stiffness of your muscles and joints. Use the heat source that your health care provider recommends, such as a moist heat pack or a heating pad.
  • Place a towel between your skin and the heat source.
  • Leave the heat on for 20–30 minutes.
  • Remove the heat if your skin turns bright red. This is especially important if you are unable to feel pain, heat, or cold. You may have a greater risk of getting burned.
• Wear compression stockings as told by your health care provider. These stockings help to prevent blood clots and reduce swelling in your legs.
• Raise (elevate) your legs while sitting or lying down. Do not place your knee on top of pillows to elevate it. Keep your legs straight to prevent your knee from getting stuck in a bent position (contracture).

Preventing falls

• Keep your home well-lit and clutter-free, especially in walkways and stairways. Keep floors dry and use non-skid mats.
• Remove tripping hazards from floors, such as throw rugs and cords.
• Install grab bars in bathrooms, and put night-lights in your bedroom and bathroom.
• Wear closed-toe shoes that fit well and support your feet. Wear shoes that have rubber soles or low heels.
• Talk with your health care provider about the over-the-counter and prescription medicines that you are taking. Some medicines can cause dizziness or changes in blood pressure, which increase your risk of falling.

General recommendations

• Teach your family about your condition and how they can participate in your recovery. Include them during a physical therapy session.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider and physical therapist. This is important.

Questions to ask your health care provider

• What exercises are safe for me to do?
• How often should I do the exercises?
• How can I manage the pain during exercise?
• What other activities are safe for me to do?

Contact a health care provider if:

• You have questions about how to do exercises correctly.
• You have increased difficulty bending your knee.
• You have knee pain that does not go away after you rest and take pain medicines.
• Your prosthesis feels loose.
• You are not able to do exercises.

Get help right away if:

• You fall.
• Your incision from surgery breaks open.

Summary

• Knee rehab can help to strengthen your knee and improve the flexibility and movement (range of motion) of your knee joint.