Rehabilitation After Hip and Knee Replacement – Joint Replacement
Rehabilitation after a hip or knee replacement helps you regain mobility, strength and confidence when walking. It follows the protocol and timelines of your operating orthopaedic surgeon and starts as early as possible.
What a joint replacement is
In a joint replacement, a joint damaged by wear or injury, most often the hip or the knee, is replaced with an artificial one. The operation is considered when pain and limited movement strongly affect daily life and conservative treatment is not enough.
After surgery the joint is protected by certain restrictions, and the muscles around it are usually weaker. Rehabilitation is therefore needed to restore movement, strength and balance, while following your surgeon’s instructions, for example on which loads and movements are allowed.
In most people active rehabilitation brings considerable pain relief and better function. Full recovery takes weeks to months and depends on general health and on how consistently the exercises are done.
Why rehabilitation matters
- restoring the joint’s mobility
- rebuilding the strength of the surrounding muscles
- learning to walk safely with and without an aid
- controlling swelling and pain after surgery
- improving balance and lowering the risk of falls
- returning to everyday activities
What is normal after surgery
- swelling and warmth around the operated joint
- pain and stiffness in the first weeks
- limited range of movement
- weakness of the thigh and buttock muscles
- tiredness when walking and climbing stairs
- uneven loading of the two legs
How we can help
We work according to your surgeon’s protocol and timelines. We start with a thorough assessment and combine therapeutic exercise, manual therapy, therapeutic massage and methods such as electrotherapy, laser, magnet and Normatec compression to ease swelling and pain. Load and range of movement are increased step by step, and if warning signs appear, we will refer you to your surgeon. Home rehabilitation with 60-minute individual sessions is especially convenient after surgery.
When to see a doctor
Contact your operating surgeon or seek urgent help for fever, redness or discharge from the wound, calf pain and swelling (a possible clot), sudden chest pain or breathlessness, or rapidly worsening pain. Also seek medical advice if you suddenly cannot put weight on the leg or feel that the joint has “slipped out”.
This page is for information only and does not replace an assessment by a specialist.