Why seeing a Physio before your hip or knee replacement is essential
We’ve written before about the importance of making sure anyone that has a Total Hip or a Total Knee replacement approaching should be investing time and effort in Physio leading up to their joint replacement. You can read the full blog HERE.
We’ve all heard some pretty worrying stories about someone who’s had a joint replacement that hasn’t gone well… "I wish I had never got it done!" is something that NO-ONE wants to have to say after they’ve had a joint replacement. After all, it is meant to have helped them get back to the fun things in their life! This is why seeing a physio before your joint surgery is essential! Physio can help avoid this situation!
If you potentially need a joint replacement, Physio can be a really useful tool for giving you the ability to seriously postpone the need for surgery. Your Physio can take you through a strengthening and mobility regime. This can have some massive benefits!
1) Help calm down your pain
2) Increase your abilities to do things that used to be painful
- gardening
- playing with grandkids
- getting in and out of low chairs or cars
- WORK!
If you are able to do these tasks with more ease, you can have more time before you need your surgery. This can be ESPECIALLY helpful for people that are having a joint replacement in the Public Sector where wait times can be months, or even drifting past a year!
However if you have now reached a point where a surgery date is given, IT’S TIME TO SEE YOUR PHYSIO AGAIN!
Our guide will make your surgical journey MUCH easier
Swan Physio is excited to be working with one of the FANTASTIC Orthopaedic surgeon’s in Perth, Mr David Wysocki, to produce a guide that will make your surgical journey MUCH easier. Using Physio appropriately pre and post operatively will prepare you for what is to come post surgery, and can help increase the functional outcomes (meaning how much use you get out of your new knee)!
The booklet we are producing aims to;
- Provide clear explanations of why you need to be doing the exercises leading up to surgery
- Provide clear illustrations of exactly how to do each of the exercises
- Give you the understanding of not only what the process will be after your surgery, but take you through how to practice simple things like getting in and out of bed post op, which can make life a LOT easier
- Give you specific guidelines for your individual knee replacement
We recommend 1 visit with your Physio the fortnight before your surgery, and 1 visit a week before. Although this isn’t much, it allows the perfect time for you to get a head start on your pre-op exercises and get your muscles fired up so they are ready after your surgery. Your physio will work with your individual presentation to come up with the right routine for you in the lead up and the first week after surgery.
The great news is that even though we’re still getting the final touches on the booklet, and we hope to have it ready by the end of the year, you can still come in to SWAN PHYSIO before then and be taken through the program!