Total knee replacement is a surgical method of restoring the functional aspect of the joints. The surgery, which involves replacing the knee joints with metal balls, reduces long-term pain in the knees that occur due to depreciation in bone health during old age. In order to regain physical balance and independence after total knee replacement, periodic orthopaedic rehabilitative care is necessary. This is the predominant type of rehabilitation programme that helps patients after total knee replacement recover and regain independence.
Orthopaedic rehabilitation programme is conducted by an interdisciplinary team, through a multidisciplinary treatment approach that involves occupational therapy. The interdisciplinary team consists of expert therapists who assess the patients’ mobility, physical ability, motor control, medical status, and psychological determination.
Physical Therapy: This is a set of pain relieving therapeutic processes that involve moving the limbs gently in order to release pressure from the centre of the joint towards its surrounding areas. Such movement results in balancing out the pain and gradually helping in regaining mobility. Mild massage is also provided to the patients to relax their skeletal-muscular system and ease its function. It involves physical toning of the muscles, which in turn relax the bones lying beneath them.
Postural Re-orientation: Due to loss of balance, therapies are conducted to help patients gradually sit and stand, maintaining a straight body posture. This form of balance training triggers mental and physical coordination, which helps patients regain postural independence.
Functional Re-orientation: After spending days in an immobile position, patients are counselled and taught to walk slowly, initially with the help of external support and later without it. Patients gradually re-learn the regular activities that they used to perform previously.
After these procedures are systematically followed and completed, a follow-up care is conducted to ensure successful results of the programme. This entails periodic check-up of the patients, counselling, exercising, and making them practise the regular activities that they were taught again, during the rehabilitative care process.
Orthopaedic rehabilitative care is important to treat patients who are gradually recovering, after undergoing a total knee replacement. Regular therapeutic procedures that involve exercises, natural medication, physical training, and intense sessions of counselling, bring patients back to their former selves by helping them regain physical balance and independence.