Three issues caused by not doing post-knee surgery therapy

Post-Knee Surgery Physical Therapy

Having surgery to fix or completely replace the knee joint is rapidly becoming more popular. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons reports that the total number of knee replacements per year is projected to reach about 1.3 million by 2030. If you’ve recently had a knee replacement surgery, you might be considering skipping physical therapy. However, this decision could be a mistake because not doing physical therapy after knee surgery can lead to several issues. 

  1. Increased joint stiffness

One issue that not participating in physical therapy after knee surgery can cause is increased joint stiffness. When you have surgery on your knee, doctors will have to make incisions, and they may also have to detach or cut muscles, tendons and ligaments. As damage to these structures heals, they can develop scar tissue or adhesions on them. In turn, these adhesions can make it harder for muscles, tendons and ligaments to move normally, and this decreased movement can lead to greater joint stiffness after your surgery. This is especially true if you aren’t using physical therapy to help treat the adhesions and joint stiffness. 

  1. Increased pain

Not doing physical therapy after your knee surgery can also increase pain. One reason for this is that not having a physical therapist to motivate you could lead to you not moving much. This lack of movement can lead to many issues. For example, it can lead to increased joint stiffness as discussed above. This can be an issue because stiffer joints also tend to be more painful. Also, no physical therapy means that the blood flow to your knee can be lower, so your knee won’t be getting as much oxygen and nutrients. As a result, the healing of your knee could take much longer, which means you’re likely to be in pain for longer as well. 

  1. Increased recovery time

So, let’s recap what happens if you don’t do physical therapy after knee surgery. Your knee is likely to be stiffer, and the scar tissue buildup can keep it that way even after the pain of your surgery is gone. Also, your recovery can be more painful. In short, the combination of issues you’ll face by avoiding physical therapy can make you take much longer to recover from your surgery. 

Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help you find post-knee surgery rehab

Excel Sports & Physical Therapy is proud to offer physical therapy that can help you recover from knee surgery. Our team offers free screenings, and these are intended to help us learn about your needs. After your screening, we’ll build you a personalized recovery plan, which may include therapy methods like: 

Are you ready to set up your post-knee surgery therapy with us? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.