10 Things You Should Know About Joint Replacement

Grandparents.com—July 21, 2015

Grandparents.com provides the top ten items an individual needs to know about joint replacement, including pre-surgery advice, pain management, and rehabilitation.

Hospital for Special Surgery's Michael M. Alexiades, MD, states that doctors will administer local injections immediately after the 1- to 1 1/2-hour surgery to minimize swelling and decrease the pain response. "The day of surgery to the day after, pain level is at a 3 out of 10," says Dr. Alexiades. "Once the pain blockers wear off, pain usually increases the second or third day after surgery—it may get to a 6 or 7."

The timeline for knee rehab looks something like this, says Dr. Alexiades: Just a few hours after surgery, hospital staff help you take a few steps on your own. "The first day, we don't expect them to take long walks, but we want to show them they can get up and put weight on the knee," says Dr. Alexiades. On day two, physical therapists in the hospital start working with your range of motion, and most patients are cleared to go home and start rehab work there within two to four days.

This story originally appeared at wwww.grandparents.com.