Top 5 Mistakes To Avoid After Total Knee Replacement

📩 Contact us: [talkingwithdocs@gmail.com] A total knee replacement can dramatically reduce pain and improve quality of life—but what you do before and after surgery can have a major impact on your recovery. In this episode of Talking With Docs, Dr. Brad Weening and Dr. Paul Zalzal break down 5 common mistakes people make after total knee replacement and explain how avoiding them may help you recover more comfortably, regain your range of motion, and get back to everyday activities. Knee replacement is a major operation, and recovery involves much more than simply waiting for the knee to heal. Swelling, pain control, physiotherapy, activity levels, and even what you arrange before surgery can all play an important role. You’ll learn: • Why failing to control swelling can increase pain and make it harder to bend and straighten your knee • How ice, elevation, compression, and other strategies may help manage post-operative swelling • Why prehab before surgery may help prepare your body for recovery • Why both bending AND fully straightening your knee are important after surgery • What arthrogenic muscle inhibition (AMI) is and why knee swelling can make your quadriceps harder to activate • Why doing too little after surgery can slow your progress • Why doing too much, too soon can also create problems • When people commonly return to work after knee replacement • Why physically demanding jobs involving stairs and heavy lifting may require a longer recovery • Why appropriate pain management can make physiotherapy and movement easier • Why pain medication should be used according to the plan provided by your healthcare team • Why having a recovery plan BEFORE surgery may be one of the most important things you can do • How to prepare for transportation, meals, physiotherapy appointments, groceries, stairs, sleeping arrangements, and help at home One important point the doctors discuss is arthrogenic muscle inhibition, or AMI. Research has shown that swelling inside the knee can reduce the nervous system’s ability to fully activate the quadriceps. This is one reason controlling swelling and working on quadriceps activation can be so important during recovery. They also discuss returning to work after knee replacement. While recovery varies significantly from person to person, physically demanding jobs involving frequent stair climbing, lifting, and prolonged activity may require considerably more recovery time than less physically demanding work. Total knee replacement can be an incredibly successful operation, but you are an important part of that success. Have you had a total knee replacement? What was the biggest challenge during your recovery? Let us know in the comments. 🎧 Listen on Your Favourite Platforms: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3OFxEji... Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast... YouTube Music: • TWD Podcast 👕 Shop Our MERCH: https://www.spreadshirt.ca/shop/user/... ❤️ Support Oakville Hospital: https://donate.oakvillehospitalfounda... 📱 Follow Us: TikTok:   / talkingwithdocs   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkingwith... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... 🛑 DISCLAIMER: This content is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Recovery after total knee replacement varies from person to person. Recommendations regarding swelling management, physiotherapy, activity, pain medication, return to work, driving, and other aspects of recovery should be individualized based on your surgery, health, medications, and circumstances. Always follow the instructions provided by your surgeon, physiotherapist, pharmacist, and healthcare team. Full disclaimer at talkingwithdocs.com. #kneereplacement #totalkneereplacement #kneesurgery #kneerecovery #jointreplacement #physicaltherapy #physiotherapy #kneepain #orthopedics #surgeryrecovery #healthyaging #mobility #healthtips #doctors #talkingwithdocs