How to Shorten Recovery Time After Hip or Knee Surgery

Hip or knee surgery is one of the most common surgical procedures. In fact, if you are an athlete, senior or anyone that has spent a lifetime working on their feet or doing any strenuous activity, your doctor may have mentioned these types of surgeries. But while these types of surgery are common, the recovery time can be long and painful. Most of the time, you are required to stay off your feet and to not put too much pressure on your hips until you have fully recovered. Yet, there are some quicker ways to recover and to alleviate the pain, so that you can get back on your feet again. Here is how to shorten recovery time after hip or knee surgery.

First and foremost, recovery in today’s world of modern medicine starts with the actual surgery. How fast your recovery time really depends on how invasive your surgery is. When it comes to knee surgery and hip replacement surgery, there are a lot of options that can make your procedure a lot less impactful. For instance, you can ask your surgeon or doctor about taking the anterior approach if you need a partial or total hip replacement. This approach doesn’t require the surgeons to detach important muscles or ligaments, which can make the surgery much easier to recover from.

After your surgery, it is critical that you pay attention to all of your surgeon or nurse’s post-surgical advice. If you don’t pay attention, you could miss a very important piece of information. Also, it is critical that you keep your bandage and cast on for the recommended amount of time. Your bandage will keep your knee or hip immobile, which will speed up the recovery process. In the first few days after surgery, you may want to completely stay off your feet.

Next, you want to follow up with your doctor on a monthly basis. A surgery could take multiple years to fully heal if you don’t pay attention to the little things that could be telling you something is wrong. A surgeon will be able to ask all the appropriate questions according to how far along you are in your recovery. If anything is wrong, you want to have the issue remedied immediately, because it could prolong your recovery time, which could painful and frustrating – not to mention, it could also be eating away at your finances.

Lastly, if you underwent a double hip replacement surgery or an intensive knee procedure, you want to make appointments with a physical therapist within the first few days after surgery. Usually, your main physician or surgeon will be able to recommend you to a good physical therapist – there may even be someone you can see in the hospital or clinic where you had your surgery. Working with a rehabilitative therapist will allow you to build your strength up and it will get you walking and stretching your muscles. In the end, the sooner you get on your feet after surgery, the faster your will recover.