Housework Guidelines After Total Hip Replacement Surgery
Now, I would recommend that you figure out how to clean your house without getting down on your hands and knees, says Dr. Bergin.
Deep squatting can cause you to dislocate your total hip replacement, and most people who have total knee replacements are never able to get full flexion back in their new knee.
But mopping, sweeping and dusting are all fine. Try to find implements to help you reach difficult, low and high places.
You should find more efficient ways of doing the chores that people with healthy hip and knee joints would think nothing of getting into a deep squat to do.
For instance, a deep squat is often done when one wants to reach towards the back of a low cabinet to pull out a pot.
People do deep squats to clean things close to the floor such as baseboards. Even very brief tasks, such as catching a spider low to the floor, should not be done with a deep squat by a person with a hip replacement.
The proper way to reach things close to the floor is to keep an arch in the lower back , bend at the legs and simply reach to catch the spider or pick up the dirty socks, etc.
Extension tools are on the market to grasp items that youre unable to reach.
As for a sustained reach, such as wiping baseboards again, there are products that will extend to make the reach, eliminating the need to squat or uncomfortably maintain a bent trunk position.
The various tools that can eliminate straining to reach are safer and better for the aging body, says Dr. Bergin.
What Is The Average Length Of Hospital Stay
The length of hospital stay after knee replacement varies from just one day to five or more days. There is no standard formula each person and each recovery is different. Typically, a routine knee replacement requires two to three days in the hospital there is little to be gained by trying to accelerate this process. People need time to heal.
How Much Pain Can I Expect
With modern surgery, pain can be controlled very well. Even though modern pain medicines are very effective, some aching and soreness in the knee may persist for many months. This is part of a normal recovery, as long as you notice steady improvement.
Each patient will recover differently even two knees replaced in the same patient on the same date will recover differently. For example, effective pain control may be a problem for patients who take narcotics regularly before surgery. In these patients, pain relief can be hard to attain since the body desensitizes itself to narcotics.
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Can I Put Any Lotion On The Scar
While the staples are still in, it is best not to apply anything to the incision, and to keep the wound clean and dry. Once the staples are out, you can use vitamin E cream to massage and loosen up the scar. Most patients find this beneficial, and some feel that it makes the scar less visible. Massaging the knee area with an anti-inflammatory or cortisone cream can also help reduce skin inflammation and tenderness after knee surgery.
When A Patient Says I Just Cant Kneel
Lets look at another study looking for answers, here we have doctors at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom publishing in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation, April 2019
- The researchers here conducted telephone interviews with 56 patients who had extreme difficulty kneeling at 7-10years after knee replacement.
- Patients were asked about reasons for difficulty kneeling, how it impacted their lives, and experiences of healthcare services.
Results:
- Most people had difficulty kneeling because of pain or discomfort in the replaced knee.
- Many patients described how this limitation affected their daily lives, including housework, gardening, religious practices, leisure activities, and getting up after a fall.
- Patients often adapted to these limitations by finding alternatives to kneeling, assistance from others, or home adaptations.
- Many patients had accepted that they could not kneel, however some still expressed frustration.
- Few patients had consulted with healthcare professionals about kneeling difficulties, and unmet needs included the provision of information about kneeling and post-operative physiotherapy.
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What If I Need Narcotics Three Months After Surgery Or If I Have Been Taking Them Before Surgery
In such cases, the doctor who was filling the prescriptions prior to surgery may resume dispensing the medication. Very rarely, referral to a pain specialist is necessary for patients who are dependent on long-term narcotics. These medications are carefully monitored and tracked in the pharmacy databases, and specialized pain doctors are better trained and equipped to monitor their long-term use.
If you were taking narcotics regularly before surgery, pain control is usually more difficult and complicated since the body is desensitized to the pain control medicines we use after surgery. In such cases, let your doctor know what you are taking before surgery so that we can adjust pain medicines accordingly.
There are no hard rules. Your medical team is there to help you they understand that every person is different and that pain is very individual.
I Sort Of Manage To Get Up And Down When I Need To So Why Should I Bother Practising This
This might all sound a bit like hard work, especially if you are more or less managing to get up and down for the moment. It will take a few minutes of practice .
The benefit of learning this process is that you can always be confident that you know a clear step-by-step way to get up and down. Theres less risk of feeling unsteady or losing your balance, especially if you arent feeling so good, or are rushing one day. You will be able to take it one step at a time and feel confident and in control all the way.
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How Long Will I Be Off My Feet After Knee Replacement
You can put full weight on the replaced knee right after surgery. The therapist will get you up and walking the day after surgery. You will need the assistance of a walker or crutches, but putting weight on the knee and twisting is safe. Most patients are reasonably independent after four weeks, although individual recovery times will vary.
Transferring Into And Out Of A Shower Stall:
If possible, always enter the shower before turning on the water.Running water is not only distracting but makes the shower floor more slippery.
Place an absorbent floor mat on the floor just outside the shower to step on when exiting the shower.
Showering might require some manual assistance from a caregiver to complete the task, but even if no assistance is required, always have someone within hearing distance when showering.The mixture of decreased balance, pain meds, and soapy water is always a dangerous situation.
A shower chair and a shower hose are a great help in cleaning below the waist.
Entering the shower stall:
- Approach the shower entry using the walker and positioning the body sideward to the shower entry with the unoperated extremity closest to the shower lip.
- Move the walker clockwise or counterclockwise until the back of the walker is facing the shower entry.
- Keeping one hand on the walker and the other hand inside the shower on the wall or grab bar, lift the unoperated foot up and over the lip of the shower stall and place it flat and firm on the shower floor.
- Bring the other hand inside the shower placing it on the shower wall or grab bar and bring the operated foot into the shower.
- Turn on the water and shower.
Exiting the shower stall:
Transferring into and out of a tub shower:
Tub showers are much more difficult to enter and exit than a shower stall because:
Entering a tub shower:
Exiting the tub shower:
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Faqs For Knee Replacement
What happens after I schedule surgery?
Dr. Hickman’s medical assistant will schedule your surgery with the facility you and Dr. Hickman have selected. The M.A. will then authorize this procedure with your health insurance company. Please understand that authorization is not a guarantee of payment and it is always a good idea to check with your insurance company also regarding deductibles, copays, and coinsurance responsibilities. You also should have selected a preoperative appointment in our office. This usually takes place 1-2 weeks prior to your surgery date.
How do I prepare for surgery?
Have nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your surgery. You should also wash your surgical site with an antibiotic soap . You do not need to shave over your surgical site, this will be taken care of in the operating room.
What time will my surgery be?
Your surgery time will be set by the hospital or surgical center. They will contact you on the last working day before the surgery. They usually call after 1 pm. Questions or concerns regarding the time of your surgery should be addressed to the hospital.
Should I stop my medications prior to surgery?
How do I care for my wound?
Do I need a motion machine after Knee Replacement surgery?
Studies show a motion machine does not improve motion or function after surgery. We currently do not recommend using one at home.
How will my wound look after surgery?
Do I need TED hose ?
Do I need an ice machine after Surgery?
Why Is The Outside Of My Knee Numb
This is normal after all knee surgery. The incision cuts small nerve fibers that run from inside to outside of the knee, so the skin to the outside of the cut always feels numb after knee surgery. Usually, this sensation will resolve over time and is not a major problem for patients. Most patients will not notice that the outside of the scar feels numb.
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How Long Will I Have Swelling And Warmth In The Surgical Site
Swelling and warmth around the scar are common after a knee replacement operation. The ankle may also swell on the operated leg. This represents the normal process of healing and can last for several weeks to months, depending on factors such as circulation, body weight, diabetes, and other variables.
Obesity, diabetes, poor circulation, poor muscles, varicose veins, high activity, heart disease, and swelling before surgery will usually result in a longer period of swelling and heat in the operated leg. Elevating your leg at night and wearing compression stockings during the day will help.
Deep aches and swelling in the knee can persist for a long time because bone, a living tissue, continues to re-model and adapt around the metal implants. This increased metabolic activity can lead to lingering soreness and swelling after heavy activity, all of which will disappear with time.
Make Changes At Your Home
If you live with a joint family, it will be easier for you as there will be many people around you to take care of, but if you have a small family or you live alone, you need to make some changes at your home after your knee replacement surgery.
- Remove anything that can hurt you, like any sharp and pointed furniture or showpiece.
- A carpeted room is much better as it will prevent you from injury.
- Have some chairs and tables in your rooms to support you in walking or standing up and lying down.
- Pair of crutches, walkers, or any other equipment to help you walk should be near your bed.
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How To Shower After A Total Knee Replacement:
Set the showering supplies within reach:
- Set the Soap , shampoo, conditioner, long handled sponge to wash the back and lower extremities, and wash cloth within easy reach.
- Set the shower hose in a location where you can reach it while sitting and standing in a shower. A shower hose mounted on a vertical slide bar is perfect.
- Place towels to dry after showering within easy reach so that you can either dry off after getting out of the shower while standing or sitting.
- Place and organize clothing you anticipate wearing after showering by the bed or chair within easy reach of where you will sit to dress.
If the patient has a choice, always choose to shower in a shower stall rather than showering in a tub.
A shower stall frequently has a non-skid tile floor and may not need a separate non-skid mat for the shower floor.All showers within a tub should use a non-skid mat. Not only are the tub floors slick, they also are not flat and level. A towel placed on the floor of the tub will reduce the slipperiness of the tub, but a non-skid mat would be much safer.
Use Your Medical Devices
After having knee replacement surgery, you can expect to have supportive devices, like wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, canes, or knee braces to help aid your recovery. And, no matter how strong you feel, you should always follow Dr. Tadjes guidelines on their use. Not only do these devices provide greater stability when youre on your feet, but they also help give your new joint additional support as it heals.
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What More Should I Know About Blood Clots
Any surgery increases the risk of blood clot formation. Some patients are genetically predisposed to clot formation and are at a higher risk. If you have ever had clots in the past, please be sure to let your doctor know.
Clots can cause serious problems such as heart or vascular disease, or a stroke. A lung injury can occur if the clot migrates to your lungs from the leg. A large enough clot migrating to the heart or lungs can be fatal.
Anti-coagulation therapy is recommended after all knee replacement operations to reduce the likelihood of developing a clot. Even if a clot develops in the leg, if you are on a blood-thinner, the risk of the clot enlarging and migrating to the lungs is reduced. Exercises, spinal anesthetics, early mobilization, intermittent foot pumps, and blood-thinning medications are all aimed at reducing the risk of blood-clot formation after surgery.
Prolotherapy And Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
We are going to briefly address two treatment options that we offer here at Caring Medical. These are non-surgical, injections. These treatments may help the patient who has difficulty kneeling by restoring stability in a loose and wobbly knee following knee replacement.
Prolotherapy is an injection technique utilizing simple sugar or dextrose which causes a small controlled inflammation at weakened tissue. This triggers the immune system to initiate repair of the injured tendons and ligaments. Blood supply dramatically increases at the injured area. The body is alerted that healing needs to take place and reparative cells are sent to the treated area of the knee that needs healing. The body also lays down new collagen in the treated areas, thereby strengthening the weakened structures. Once the tendons and ligaments are strengthened, the knee, even one that has been replaced, stabilizes.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy is the use of a patients blood platelets and healing factors to stimulate repair of a tendon it is considered when tendon damage is more severe.
When the patients have already had a joint replacement, we will do a physical examination of the knee to assess how we may be able to help.
- Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy fix soft tissue, it cannot fix hardware failure,
- Prolotherapy
- and Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy works by stabilizing the knee by strengthening the natural muscle and bone attachments, ligaments, and tendons.
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How Long Should I Take Pain Pills
Most patients use the narcotics that are sent home with them for anywhere from one to three months. Over time, they taper off and begin anti-inflammatory medicines and other non-addictive medicines for pain by three months.
Narcotic drugs taken over a long time creates a tolerance that makes them less and less effective. That is why it is preferable to taper off narcotic drugs after three months, unless there are compelling reasons to continue use. This is a general observation some patients will require narcotic medications for a longer period of time.
Here Are The Complete Guidelines Specifically For Housework Following A Hip Replacement Surgery From An Orthopedic Surgeon
After a joint replacement, you can return to almost any reasonable activity of daily living, begins Barbara Bergin, MD, board certified orthopedic surgeon at and co-founder of Texas Orthopedics, Sports & Rehabilitation Associates.
So housework would be included in those activities.
However, a very noteworthy component of housework activity needs to be mentioned.
And that is proper biomechanics.
Housework, like lifting weights at a gym, can be done with improper biomechanics, leading to an injury most notably the so-called throwing out of the back.
Lugging around heavy items is not required to throw out ones back or cause a low back strain.
Furthermore, the back isnt the only body part thats at risk for injury or strain from performing household tasks. The knee and hip joint, too, can end up in trouble.
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The Unexplained Noises My Knee Is Making
This is something we typically hear in a post-knee replacement patient who is having some challenges.
I started to become concerned when I noticed a clunking and clicking sound coming from my knee. Like metal on metal. My doctor told me that this was no concern, some people who get knee replacements have these old car, sounds coming from their knee. Not to worry. My doctor did advise me that the sounds if they continued could be caused by weakened muscles and tendons in my knees and I should consider an exercise program to tighten them up.
I did ask if the knee implant was coming loose. My doctor said, if it were, I would not be able to walk up and down stairs or even put weight on that foot. I would have a lot of swelling and I would feel like my knee may give out. I looked at the doctor and said, BUT I DO HAVE THOSE SYMPTOMS, Yes you do, the doctor said, but it is not from implant loosening. You probably just need to strengthen that knee up.