What Exercises Should I Do To Recover From A Total Knee Replacement?

You have a brand-new knee, but you still can’t walk or go up and down the stairs without pain stiffness or tightness.

I’m going to tell you about 7 exercises that every surgeon and physical therapist would do to improve their ability to use their new knee and decrease pain and tightness after getting their knee replaced.

The first three exercises require you to use your cane. The next three requires you to be on your feet. and the last is the most important of them all!

1. Massage Roller – You can use your cane to loosen up your quadriceps. After a total knee replacement, you quadriceps tightens and needs to relax. By rolling it out, you’ll be able to bend your knee more comfortably.
2. Hamstring and Gastrocnemius Stretch – You can use your cane to stretch the back of your knee. Straightening your knee after a total knee replacement can be difficult due to the swelling. By elevating the limb and actively stretching out the muscles that bend the knee, your knee swelling decreases and straightens without an issue.
3. Active Assisted Knee Flexion – You can use your can to help bend your knee. Bending your knee after a total knee replacement is difficult because of the pain, stiffness, and tightness surrounding the knee. Using your arms and cane to bend the knee may be less challenging than attempting to bend the knee by itself.
4. Staggered Stance Sit to Stand – After a total knee replacement, many are afraid to put their weight through their recovering limb. To recover faster and strengthen your knee, you’ll have to apply more pressure through your limb. While sitting, stagger your feet so that your recovering limb is closer to you, while keeping both heels down. Stand without moving your feet and slowly return to your seat without plopping.
5. Heel Raises – Your quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles are your primary and secondary anti-gravity muscles. You were able to target your quadriceps muscles in the last exercises. This exercise will target your gastrocnemius muscles. After a total knee replacement, your anti-gravity muscles become weak. Raise up onto the balls of your feet and slowly return your heels down to the floor.
6. Standing Hip Flexor Stretch – Keeping your leg elevated and working towards keeping your knee straight after getting your knee replaced can cause everything in front of your hip down to your knee to tighten. By placing your foot onto a chair behind you, you’ll be able to loosen up your hip flexors and quadriceps, taking pressure off of your knee.
7. Recumbent Bike – The best exercise that you can do to help break-in your brand-new knee after getting a total knee replacement is easily the recumbent bike. Your goal for your new knee is to put as many miles on it as possible. Each revolution on the bike will help you achieve this goal. The bike will also help with straightening or bending your knee depending on how far or close you are to the pedals.

For a video demonstration of all the exercises covered, check out my video on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to our channel for more information!

Stay tuned!