If you are scheduled to have ACL, MCL, arthroscopic, or knee replacement surgery – or if you recently had a procedure – consider setting a goal for yourself to heal and strengthen so you end up in better shape than you were before your injury.
Here are some tips from the experts:
-
- Make Your Physical Therapy Plan A Top PriorityMuscle tissue deteriorates rapidly when joints such as knees are injured. Before and after surgery, the joint will lose a surprising amount of strength and mobility. Be proactive, and make sure you have worked out a detailed plan for undertaking a full program of physical therapy. Then follow it to the letter. But don’t start too soon.
-
- Rest Early for the Best ResultsIt can be hard, especially for people who are used to being active, but one of the toughest challenges after certain surgeries, such as MCL repair, is making sure the knee stays immobile. When a surgery repairs a torn ligament, the initial goal in recovery is for damaged tissues to heal. Going to full knee motion rapidly can result in tearing of sutures and delay healing. Ask your doctor about methods for preventing undue knee activities, which can include appropriate use of compression braces. For the first week or two, make sure you have lined up help from friends or family to avoid daily tasks involving kneeling, bending down, or squatting.
-
- Start Cold Compression Therapy Right AwayInflammation comes with every surgery. Keeping inflammation down is vital to a full and rapid recovery. Doctors will often recommend a cold pack or other cold therapy that will reduce pain and swelling. Make sure you are using the best combination of deep, penetrating cold and getting the full support of top quality compression fabrics. The übertherm Knee Pain Relief Cold Compression Wrap receives consistent five star reviews from knee surgery patients. It can help greatly with your recovery.
- Recovery Takes TimeFinally, be patient with your knee and realize that getting back to stronger than before can take a while. Be alert for excessive pain when doing physical therapy. This is not a time to try to tough it out! Listen to your body, and your Physical Therapist, to make sure you are not rushing through an over-strenuous recovery program. Instead, set up a written daily schedule of PT, rest, cold compression therapy, and appropriate stretching.
With this disciplined approach, you will move right up the recovery curve. Before too long, you can be stronger than before.
Best of luck with your recovery from the team at übertherm
