Activities You Can Do After Joint Replacements

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Many people in the world have to deal with joint problems, especially knees and hips. At times, it might be very difficult to lead a normal life with having trouble even carrying out the most basic activity like walking.

But medical science has the solution and that is a replacement surgery. The problem of chronic knee and hip pain can be resolved with this surgical intervention. However, if you have doubts as to how this affects your life and what activities you can easily do after a joint replacement, read the following post till the end.  

How is life before a replacement?

Having knee and hip joint problems takes a huge toll on you emotionally, physically, and socially. The only solution to the excruciating and troublesome joint is a replacement.

Inflamed joints might impact your life negatively in several ways like   

  • Joint pain
  • Morning Stiffness
  • Tenderness and swelling
  • Walking issues
  • Difficulty in climbing stairs
  • Inability to enjoy post-retirement family time
  • Not being able to play with grandchildren
  • Poor mental health
  • Impacted quality of life

If you are planning this surgery, the first thing you should not forget is to find the best orthopedic surgeon nearby. Don’t consult any unprofessional locals. For the best results, book your consultation at the best knee replacement hospital in Delhi.

Life changes after a joint replacement

If you are someone who has already undergone a replacement for either a knee or hip joint, you must have had some serious trouble mobilising your legs on a daily basis. If it was the knee, you know how life is with painful and stiff immobile knee joints, and the same is true with hip inflammation as well.

But after a replacement, your knees and hip joints will feel almost like some miracle has happened and you have all new and fresh joints once again as you can walk and climb stairs and live your life like a normal person.  

Life changes after a replacement for the best:

  • No knee or hip joint inflammation
  • No more knee pain
  • Elimination of hip pain and tenderness
  • Trouble-free walking and climbing stairs
  • Enjoying life better
  • Spending a lot of time with grandchildren positively
  • Fit and healthy life because of better knee or hip mobility
  • Increased quality of life

Activities you can do post-replacement

After the replacement of hip or knee joints, you can continue to use your legs for everything a normal person needs like walking, climbing stairs, standing, sitting and all the low-impact activities.

Your doctor might raise objections to high-impact activities having high risks of damage or injury to the implanted parts. 

Yet, you can do the following activities after a knee or hip joint replacement.

Walking: This is the most basic physical movement without which life cannot exist. So, after a knee or hip replacement, you can walk easily without any trouble. The only thing is that you don’t walk absent-mindedly.

Swimming: Although you cannot go swimming right away after a replacement, you can easily swim after the recovery. Make sure you avoid jumping or entering into the pool suddenly with twisting movements. Otherwise, there is no problem in doing this low-impact exercise.

Dancing: Here also you need to pay attention to sudden and abrupt movements, or you might cause complications. Dance slowly with soft moves. This activity will not just lift your mental state but also allow for a way to work on the joint muscles enabling them to gain strength and mass increasing protection around the replaced joint.

Cycling: After a healthy recovery, get ready to cycle your mornings and evenings away every day. Replaced knees or hips can be used for paddling thereby adding strength to the muscles. There is no problem you will face with cycling after the surgery.

Yoga: Another great thing you can add to your daily morning routine is less intensive yogic postures. It is best if you can do yoga along with a certified instructor.    

Weightlifting: This can also be included in your exercise schedule. It will make your joint muscles stronger and healthier. But make sure you don’t use a lot of weight as it might get too much to bear for your replaced joints.

In addition, you can also go for activities meant for recreational purposes, i.e., golf, rowing, doubles tennis, and bowling.

Always make sure that you do all your exercises under a certified physiotherapist’s supervision for some time after the surgery. It is just to minimise the risk of knocking yourself down and sustaining long-lasting injuries. 

Some people might take a little more time to adjust to living with the replaced joints mentally. They might fear that if something goes wrong, they will end up breaking the implants. So, only a certified physiotherapist can ease such a person into an active life once again. 

Let’s conclude with tips for fast recovery and rehabilitation

Eat healthy. Ensure you eat light and have enough protein with calcium and vitamin D. If you can add vitamin C to your diet as well, it will help fight against the potentiality of infections around the operated joint as it contains anti-inflammatory properties.

Don’t over-exercise. It also counts if you wish to recover faster. Always keep your exercises to a normal and healthy level.

Drink enough water. Ensure you have adequate liquid post-replacement as it will help lubricate the replaced joints and you will have less chance of extending the recovery time.

Avoid alcohol and smoking. This will cause a delay in recovery and rehabilitation as such psychoactive substances demand more from your body for detox after consumption.

Get enough sleep. Sleep is known to restore the balance of your body by setting the natural healing cycle in action. So, ensuring the recommended sleep hours will expedite the wound healing process.

Stay away from sudden movements. It is so because this might complicate the matter after the replacement by causing damage to the implants.

Be mindful while walking up or down the stairs. A fall from stairs might break your replaced joint again.

Always consult the best doctor if you have issues going back to normal living. If you are looking for knee pain treatment in Delhi, always ensure a highly experienced orthopedic knee specialist.

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Written by omshivaay