Around a million knee replacement surgeries are done every year across the U.S. to help alleviate pain and bring better mobility to patients. But the surgical repair is just the first step of the recovery process. After 51 years of driving truck, Terry Skinner is no stranger to orthopedic pain — specifically in his knees.
Joint Replacement for Knee Pain
“I went to Dr. Bryce Braaksma, I got the right one done three years ago in December, and he told me, ‘Do not wait too long, let me have something to work with on the left one.’ But when I had pain getting in and out of the truck, that's when I did it,” said Skinner.
Not only is this his second knee replacement, but it’s his second time going through the physical therapy rehab for the new joint.
“The overarching goal of physical therapy is to get someone as close as possible to where they were functioning prior to when they started having pain. So whether they were walking, biking, playing pickleball, golfing, whatever they were doing, that's what we're going to try and get them back to, trying to get back to pain-free living,” said Luke Laycock, DPT with Avera Therapy.
“Rehab has been wonderful. Luke and his team here, they don't pressure you, but they push you, and at the end of every session they compliment you on the job he did. He's been wonderful,” said Skinner.
The Importance of Physical Therapy
Starting a rehab journey can be daunting because of the physical challenges of a new joint, but Terry says the mental hurdles and quick transition from surgery to rehabbing were also challenging.
“He made me come in two days after I had it done and start physical therapy,” said Skinner.
“They're going to come in rather stiff and with pain after surgery and that's just inevitable and very common after any replacement. It's just having him be more comfortable with movement that he knows he can do, just maybe he hasn't done yet immediately after surgery,” said Laycock.
There are a wide variety of exercises and machines at a therapist’s disposal to tailor care to each specific patient and their recovery timeline. The key factor is strength building and flexibility in the new joint.
“So it's there to help slowly improve motion, both directions, flexion and extension, to slowly improve the strength, and slowly get the demand required for that joint. Early on, for range of motion at least, we're trying to get to about 90 degrees of knee flexion or knee bend by two weeks before they go back to the surgical team. That just shows that they're making good steady improvement since the surgery. After that, the goal is to get to about 120 degrees, so a little more bend, and that would put them able to do anything functionally in their life,” said Laycock.
Do Your Rehab Homework
Work in the gym under Luke’s careful observation and guidance is one thing, but owning your health is also crucial for recovery.
“Just work with it. Just do your exercises at home. That's the biggest thing is the exercises at home. You don't have to go gung-ho. You can do it once a day, but try to keep up on it. Yeah!” laughed Skinner.
While Terry may have wrapped up his recovery, Luke couldn’t be more proud to see him cross the finish line.
“I like being in ortho and especially an orthopedic therapist just because I like to see the change session over session that people come in with. You can see that change, you can tell that they're dedicated to what they've been doing and that they're seeing the progress,” said Laycock.
Every patient’s rehab journey will be a little different in exercises and in length. Learn more about orthopedic care and knee replacement at Avera
