Joint replacement surgery removes damaged or diseased parts of a joint and replaces them with new, man-made parts.
Replacing a joint can reduce pain and help you move and feel better. Hip and knees are replaced most often. Other joints can be replaced such as, shoulders, fingers, ankles and elbows.
A joint may need to be replaced when it has been damaged from:
Arthritis
Years of use
Degenerative Meniscal problems
Disease
With knee or hip surgery, you will probably need to stay in the hospital for a few days. If you are elderly or have additional disabilities, you may then need to spend several weeks in an intermediate-care facility before going home. You and your team of doctors will determine how long you stay in the hospital.
After hip or knee replacement, you will often stand or begin walking the day of surgery. At first, you will walk with a walker or crutches. You may have some temporary pain in the new joint because your muscles are weak from not being used. Also, your body is healing. The pain can be helped with medicines and should end in a few weeks or months.
Physiotherapy can begin the day after surgery to help strengthen the muscles around the new joint and help you regain motion in the joint. If you have your shoulder joint replaced, you can usually begin exercising the same day of your surgery! A Physio will help you with gentle, range-of-motion exercises. Before you leave the hospital, your therapist will show you how to use a pulley device to help bend and extend your arm.
At Comfort Health we have a brilliant team of Physiotherapists ready to help you before and after joint replacement.
If you feel like you could benefit from a treatment from one of our practitioners – Click Here and book in for Physiotherapy today.