Why you need physical therapy after knee surgery

When you’ve been told you need to have knee surgery, such as total knee replacement, you might think that your treatment ends afterward. However, to improve the quality of your knee, ongoing treatment with a physical therapist is exactly what you need.

Physical therapists are licensed health care professionals who can work with you before and after your surgery to help improve the outcome of your surgery. One of the main goals of physical therapy after your surgery is to improve the condition of your muscle and soft tissue. This offers many benefits to your knee recovering from the operation.

Benefits of physical therapy after knee surgery

Improving the strength and flexibility of your muscles after an operation can help you recover in many ways, including:

• Quicker recovery — Your body stops using many of the muscles around the incision area in your knee to prevent causing further harm. This is actually counterproductive in many ways. Inactive muscles grow weaker, which makes it take longer for them to fully recover. Physical therapists can help keep these inactive muscles strong and flexible to improve the speed of your recovery.
• Less pain — Stronger and more flexible muscles offer improved support for the recovering joint. This helps reduce stress and pressure on the joint that could be causing you pain.
• Improved range of motion — Strong and flexible muscles can move more freely, which can help you improve your range of motion while recovering from surgery.
• Improved balance — Loss of balance can lead to a fall, which is a common cause of injury, especially in seniors. Physical therapy after knee surgery often includes balance exercises to help reduce your fall risk.

Visit SSOR today for physical therapy after knee surgery

Have you had knee surgery recently or are you scheduled to have one soon? Our team at SSOR is here to help. Our physical therapists can work closely with you to help you have a smoother recovery. Contact our team today for more information about physical therapy after knee surgery or to schedule an initial appointment.