Ten Reasons Why One Should Opt for Rehabilitation After Knee Replacement

1. Rehabilitation service providers employ expertly trained individuals to properly care for all the individuals under their supervision. This is in contrast to home where friends and family members are often unprepared to give the care that is needed by the patient.
2. People who have undergone knee replacement surgery must not put any weight on their legs until the recuperating period has passed. Until then, though, their every need must be attended to.
3. Knee replacement is a significant surgery with many opportunities of complications arising later on. Hence the patient must be under constant supervision to check for fluid retention, inflammation, reddening or skin irritation near the region of the surgery.
4. After knee replacement surgery, significant therapy is needed to ease the pain of the surgery itself as well as train the muscles of the leg that bear the weight. Often muscles can stiffen due to the trauma of the surgery and must be conditioned.
5. After the surgery, simple activities like standing must be re-learnt by the body. This requires the assistance of mechanical aids like walkers or crutches, which typically cannot be facilitated in a home environment.
6. Any joint replacement surgery must be followed by a range of motion therapy that emphasizes the flexibility of the newly reconstructed joint. Flexibility takes time to return. The angle to which the knee can be bent is increased under the supervision of a trained therapist.
7. Simple constrained exercises like the use of traction must be done to rebuild muscle tone and strength. This, however, must be done under constant supervision of a trained physiotherapist.
8. After completion of the surgery, the patient must be retrained in the skills to climb stairs, move on-ramps, dress or use the toilet. These activities do require therapy and assistance in the beginning before self-sufficiency is achieved.
9. Regaining proper technique is as important as regaining the ability to walk. Starting to walk improperly after surgery can have across-the-board outcomes in the future. As such, it is imperative to assume proper gait when you learn to walk.
10. A special diet is often necessary for the optimum recovery following a knee replacement. A trained dietitian at a rehabilitation facility teaches the patients about the importance of healthy and proper foods.