Knee replacement recovery

The two things that matter most early

Getting the knee fully straight, and getting the bend back. Both are considerably easier in the first weeks than later, because scar tissue becomes progressively less willing to give. A knee that cannot straighten fully changes how you walk and produces problems elsewhere, so it is chased hard early even though it is uncomfortable.

After that, quadriceps strength, which is invariably poor after knee replacement and is what determines whether you can manage stairs, get out of a low chair and walk without a limp.

What is normal and what is not

Swelling and warmth around the knee for weeks, sometimes months, is normal. Discomfort during exercise is expected. Difficulty sleeping in the early weeks is very common. What is not normal, and needs contacting your surgical team the same day, is a hot, red, increasingly painful knee with fever, calf pain and swelling, or a sudden loss of movement you previously had.

Working to your surgeon's protocol

Where your consultant has issued a protocol we follow it, and with your permission we will write to them about your progress. Where you do not have one, we build the programme around the operation you had.

Packages

Because this runs over a course rather than one or two appointments, it is available as a package paid in advance. Four sessions are £240, eight are £460 and twelve are £670.

Most people continue to improve for a year or more after knee replacement, so being a few months in and not finished is entirely normal.