• Arthritis
• Are You a Candidate for Hip Replacement? (Video)
• Are You a Candidate for Knee Replacement? (Video)

• Is Surgery Right for You?
  • What to Expect the Day of Surgery
  • What to Expect Following Surgery
  • Possible Complications of Surgery
  • What to Expect When You're Fully Recovered
  • Life After Joint Replacement

• Animation of Normal Knee
• Arthritis: The Leading Cause of Knee Pain
• Conventional Knee Replacement
• Animation of Knee Replacement
• Knee Replacement Surgery

• Hip Treatment Options
• Hip Replacement FAQ

• 10 Questions to Ask
• Standard Treatment Options
• You Don't Have to Live with Joint Pain
• What You Need to Know About Joint Replacement Surgery

• Map & Directions

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What You Need to Know About Joint Replacement Surgery

Life after Total Joint Replacement

The vast majority of individuals who have joint replacement surgery experience a dramatic reduction in joint pain and a significant improvement in their ability to participate in the activities of daily living. However, joint replacement surgery will not allow you to do more than you could before joint problems developed. Your physician will recommend the most appropriate level of activity following joint replacement surgery.

In the weeks following total joint replacement, certain limitations are placed on every patient’s activities. After joint replacement, a good rule of thumb is that acceptable physical activities should:

• Not cause pain, including pain felt later
• Not jar the joint, as happens with running or jumping
• Not place the joint in the extremes of its range of motion
• Be pleasurable

It’s Time to Take Back Your Life

You have taken the first step toward taking back your life from joint pain. This website will help you decide and prepare for joint replacement surgery.

Getting Moving Again
It may come as a surprise to you that total joint replacement patients are usually encouraged to get up and start moving around as soon as possible after surgery — as early as the day of surgery. When you are medically stable, the physical therapist will recommend certain exercises for the affected joint. Physical therapy is a key part of recovery. The more quickly a joint replacement patient gets moving again, the more likely he or she will regain independence. To ease the discomfort the activity will initially cause, pain medication is recommended prior to therapy. In addition, the physical therapist will discuss plans for rehabilitation following hospital discharge.