What to expect in rehab after orthopedic surgery
This is not medical advice.
I have been reading some social media posts where people have upcoming surgeries, and they are very anxious. They are asking what kind of pain to expect, and what they should be doing about it.
Firstly, you have to follow the doctor’s directions and post op orders. There might be twenty different factors that lead to your success, that know one here knows about. This article cannot be a blanket statement about what to, or not to do.
I will relay some anecdotal stories about things that I have witnessed after surgery.
On average, I have witnessed that doctors are concerned about patients suddenly lying on the couch forever, not wanting to get up. There are risks after surgery from inactivity, including pneumonia and blood clots. So most doctors will encourage more activity to prevent this from happening. Some have even told the patient, ”do whatever you want.” The risk of dying from a hip fracture one year after the incident is significant. It’s all the problems like weakness and inactivity that snowball. So activity after surgery can be critical.
In my experience, most of us are impatient (ironic the spelling of the words patients and patience). Most people try to do too much after surgery, too soon. The body does not see surgery as beneficial, just trauma. It is going to act accordingly. Inflammation is how our body tries to heal itself, or deal with trauma. People will ask me why their leg still hurts three weeks after a total replacement. “Because someone cut your leg off three weeks ago.” Me saying that line out loud, depends on their sense of humor and our working relationship.
Slow down. Most people move way too fast, the impatient thing again. A slower muscle contraction has more time to recruit more fibers for the job. Better muscle contractions lead to more stable joints. Most injuries or pain occur with speed.
Some patients will feel much better soon after surgery. Maybe they had hip osteoarthritis that was so bad, and limping so much, that they get instant relief. Sometimes a shoulder that was hurting because it was so unstable, feels much better after “tightening” the ball in the socket.
I have witnessed a strange phenomenon. Some of the overweight and/or unfit patients having a total knee replacement, just breeze through rehab. Some of the most fit skiers and tennis players have a very rough go with rehab. That doesn’t make sense.
My theory is that the people with more body fat are able to survive the trauma (surgery) better than those who are skinny. Many of the athletes have no body fat around the knee or hip. Body fat percentages are not always a bad thing. I have seen many older people who’s health suffers from too little body fat. Too little body fat leads to decreased muscle mass, strength, bone density, endurance, and cushioning against falls or other illness. If you are heading into surgery and are very skinny, some extra calories might help you.
Icing should make inflammation feel better. If after a few weeks and the ice no longer feels good, ask rehab if it is still necessary. It’s your body part.
Surgical success may depend on you restoring full range of motion to a joint. Prevention is everything. Do not allow a joint to become stuck. Directions from the doctor and rehab should be very clear as to when, and how much to move that joint.
