After having surgery on your knee, it is important to understand your limitations in mobility until you have completely healed. Simple activities such as walking, running and even driving must be limited or avoided to reduce the risk of injuring yourself further and possibly causing an infection. Your doctor or physical therapist will give you instructions on pace yourself for the weeks following your surgery. If you experience severe pain or bleeding, contact your doctor or hospital for immediate care.
Walking
You should use your crutches or a walker at all times. Assisted walking devices help keep pressure from your knee, which can't have any stress until your doctor approves of you walking without assistance. As you begin physical therapy, your doctor will have you perform brief bending exercises to keep your knee active. The exercises involves putting small weights on your ankle, followed by lifting your leg up. As the ease of the exercise increases, the physical therapist will increase the weight. The exercises can be painful as you are basically learning gain use of your knee again. Part of therapy includes slowly walking up and down stairs while holding on to the banister to prevent falling.
Strengthening and Mobility Exercises
Limited exercise will help your knee heal faster, and should be performed with a physical therapist present to prevent injury. Within the first few days after surgery you will begin knee-strengthening exercises and range of motion exercises. The goal of exercise is to build strength in your knee until you are able to bend your knee at a 90 degree angle with ease and little to no pain. As your knee becomes stronger, your physical therapist will increase your exercises and may include swimming in your exercise regimen after your incision has healed.
Flexibility
Stretching is important to keep to your knee active, as it is healing and cannot be immobilized. If the knee is not moved continuously it will stiffen and blood clots could form. During this time, you may be prescribed blood thinner medication to assist in blood clot prevention.
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