Latest / The Total Knee Success Podcast: Your Essential Resource for Navigating Total Knee Replacement / Episode 83: Five Things That Make the First Two Weeks After Knee Replacement Easier (The Items Patients Tell Me They Used the Most)

Transcript

Episode 83: Five Things That Make the First Two Weeks After Knee Replacement Easier (The Items Patients Tell Me They Used the Most) · The Total Knee Success Podcast: Your Essential Resource for Navigating Total Knee Replacement

• 0:00
  Independence after surgery is not about proving
• 0:02
  you can do everything without help. It's about
• 0:04
  having the right support available so you can
• 0:07
  move more safely and with less frustration. Are
• 0:11
  you ready to get back to what you love after
• 0:13
  knee replacement? The Total Knee Success podcast
• 0:16
  is your trusted guide with practical tips, evidence
• 0:19
  -based strategies, and no fluff. It's not personal
• 0:23
  medical advice, just solid education to help
• 0:25
  you manage pain. regain mobility, and get back
• 0:28
  to living the life you love. Let's dive in. Welcome
• 0:34
  back to the Total Knee Success podcast. I'm Michelle.
• 0:38
  Over the last several episodes we've been focusing
• 0:40
  on what to do before surgery. We talked about
• 0:43
  stiffness and range of motion, quadricep strength
• 0:45
  and activation, stamina, walking, and what you
• 0:48
  can practice ahead of time so that the first
• 0:50
  couple of weeks after surgery feel more familiar.
• 0:53
  Today, we're taking the next step and shifting
• 0:56
  our focus to what happens after surgery. Specifically,
• 0:59
  today we're going to talk about five things patients
• 1:02
  consistently tell me they used during those first
• 1:05
  two weeks after knee replacement. By the end
• 1:08
  of this episode, you'll have a clearer understanding
• 1:10
  of which tools can help make those early days
• 1:13
  feel more manageable and why these particular
• 1:16
  items come up again and again when patients look
• 1:18
  back on their recovery. Before we get started,
• 1:21
  I want to remind you that this podcast is for
• 1:23
  educational purposes only. It's not medical advice.
• 1:26
  Always follow the recommendations of your surgeon,
• 1:29
  physician, and physical therapist because your
• 1:31
  health history, medications, incision care instructions,
• 1:35
  and activity guidelines are specific to you.
• 1:39
  One of the most common questions I hear before
• 1:40
  surgery is, what do I need to prepare? People
• 1:43
  ask this at all different stages, some a month
• 1:46
  before surgery when they're getting organized
• 1:48
  and making lists. Others ask a week before surgery
• 1:51
  when it suddenly feels very real. And it's easy
• 1:55
  to understand why this happens. People often
• 1:57
  turn to online advice and recommendations when
• 2:00
  preparing for surgery, and it can quickly feel
• 2:02
  like there are countless items being suggested
• 2:05
  as essential. The problem is that most of these
• 2:08
  lists are created without much context. Some
• 2:11
  of the products are useful, some are unnecessary,
• 2:14
  some are helpful only in very specific situations.
• 2:17
  and some end up sitting in a closet untouched
• 2:19
  after surgery. So today, I want to simplify things.
• 2:23
  These are not products that everyone needs to
• 2:25
  rush out and buy, and they are not requirements.
• 2:29
  Instead, these are tools that seem to come up
• 2:31
  most often when patients tell me what actually
• 2:34
  helped during those first couple of weeks at
• 2:36
  home. When I think about the challenges of those
• 2:38
  early weeks, I think about swelling, comfort,
• 2:41
  mobility, and independence. Most of the frustrations
• 2:44
  people experience after surgery can be traced
• 2:47
  back to one of those four areas. If a tool helps
• 2:50
  address one of those challenges, it earns my
• 2:53
  attention. If it does not, I'm usually less interested.
• 2:56
  Let's start with the first item, which probably
• 2:58
  will not surprise you, and that's cold therapy.
• 3:02
  Many people expect me to say an ice machine,
• 3:04
  and for some patients that's absolutely true.
• 3:07
  Many surgeons send patients home with a cold
• 3:09
  therapy machine. Depending on where you live
• 3:11
  and what your surgeon prefers, You may hear names
• 3:14
  like Polar Care, Cold Rush, Game Ready, or Iceman.
• 3:17
  If your surgeon provides one, there's a good
• 3:19
  chance you'll use it frequently during those
• 3:22
  first couple of weeks. The reason is simple.
• 3:25
  Swelling becomes one of the main challenges after
• 3:27
  surgery, and it can affect nearly everything.
• 3:30
  It influences comfort, motion, walking, sleep,
• 3:33
  and even how easily the quadriceps activate.
• 3:36
  Swelling has a way of inserting itself into almost
• 3:38
  everything you're trying to accomplish. And your
• 3:41
  knee is coming by this honestly. It's what happens
• 3:44
  after surgery. A cold therapy machine can make
• 3:47
  icing more convenient because you're not constantly
• 3:49
  going back and forth to the freezer. Many patients
• 3:52
  appreciate that simplicity. However, if you're
• 3:54
  purchasing something yourself, I often recommend
• 3:57
  considering a large, flexible gel cold pack.
• 4:00
  The larger wraparound versions, usually around
• 4:03
  11 by 14 inches, tend to work well because they
• 4:06
  can cover more of the knee. A small ice pack
• 4:08
  only treats part of the area, while a larger
• 4:11
  one can wrap around the front and sides and the
• 4:14
  back for more complete coverage. It's important
• 4:16
  to ice the front and the back of the knee and
• 4:19
  to have good coverage above and below the joint.
• 4:22
  Another advantage of a gel cold pack is that
• 4:24
  it remains useful long after knee replacement.
• 4:27
  Years from now, when you overdo a weekend project,
• 4:29
  maybe you strain your back in the garden or need
• 4:31
  cold therapy for another injury, that same cold
• 4:34
  pack will still be there in your freezer. and
• 4:36
  it's often the more economical choice. Many patients
• 4:39
  who have a cold therapy machine still end up
• 4:42
  using a gel cold pack as well. The machine may
• 4:45
  be ideal when they're settled into a chair for
• 4:46
  a longer period, but the gel pack becomes the
• 4:49
  quick and easy option when they want something
• 4:51
  simple. It's also pretty portable. It's really
• 4:54
  not whether one option is better than another.
• 4:57
  It's that making cold therapy easy increases
• 4:59
  the likelihood that you'll use it consistently.
• 5:02
  And consistency is what tends to make the biggest
• 5:04
  difference. Always remember to have a cloth between
• 5:07
  your skin and the cold pack to protect your skin
• 5:10
  from irritation and damage due to the cold. If
• 5:13
  your surgeon gives you specific instructions
• 5:14
  how long or how often to use cold therapy, follow
• 5:18
  those instructions. The second item on my list
• 5:21
  is a leg elevation wedge pillow. It may not sound
• 5:24
  exciting, and if you mentioned it to someone
• 5:26
  before surgery, they might not think much of
• 5:28
  it, but after surgery, many patients quickly
• 5:31
  understand its value. A common setup involves
• 5:34
  stacking three or four pillows to elevate your
• 5:36
  leg. At first, this seems like a simple solution.
• 5:39
  Over time, though, the pillows start to shift.
• 5:42
  Your leg moves, your knee rotates, and the entire
• 5:44
  arrangement slowly collapses. What seems easy
• 5:47
  becomes frustrating having to constantly restack
• 5:50
  those pillows. A dedicated wedge pillow solves
• 5:53
  that problem by providing a stable and consistent
• 5:56
  place to rest your leg. It's best if this is
• 5:58
  done with your leg extended out as far as you
• 6:01
  comfortably can have it. This makes elevation
• 6:03
  easier to maintain, and when you combine elevation
• 6:06
  with that cold therapy we talked about before,
• 6:09
  you are addressing one of the biggest challenges
• 6:11
  of the early phase after surgery. There's another
• 6:14
  benefit to using a wedge pillow that people don't
• 6:16
  always expect. It reduces decision fatigue. During
• 6:20
  the first two weeks after surgery, everything
• 6:22
  feels more cumbersome than usual. You're managing
• 6:24
  medications, exercises, appointments, meals,
• 6:28
  sleep interruptions, and movement around the
• 6:29
  house. Small frustrations. can add up quickly.
• 6:33
  If your elevation setup works reliably every
• 6:36
  time, that's one less thing you have to think
• 6:38
  about. During those early days, that kind of
• 6:41
  simplicity is incredibly valuable. The third
• 6:44
  item on my list is compression socks. It's important
• 6:47
  to note that recommendations for compression
• 6:49
  vary, so you should always follow the instructions
• 6:51
  provided by your surgical team. Some surgeons
• 6:54
  recommend them routinely, while others have different
• 6:56
  protocols. When compression is part of the plan,
• 6:59
  many patients find it helpful. One thing that
• 7:02
  often surprises people after surgery is how far
• 7:04
  swelling can extend. Most expect swelling around
• 7:07
  the knee, but they don't always anticipate swelling
• 7:10
  in the calf, ankle, or foot. It can be surprising
• 7:12
  to look down and see that your ankle appears
• 7:14
  much larger than usual. Compression stocks are
• 7:17
  not a cure -all. They do not replace movement,
• 7:20
  walking, exercise, or elevation. However, they
• 7:23
  can be a useful addition to your overall swelling
• 7:25
  management strategy. They're also a bit of a
• 7:28
  necessary nuisance in some cases. They can be
• 7:31
  frustrating to put on, especially when you're
• 7:33
  already sore or stiff. If you do need to wear
• 7:35
  them, it can help to choose a pair that feels
• 7:37
  a little more like you, something a little more
• 7:39
  comfortable, or even slightly more stylish than
• 7:42
  the standard hospital white. Remember to get
• 7:45
  clearance from your surgeon or your medical team
• 7:48
  and make sure the compression level is what your
• 7:50
  physician prescribes and is correct for you.
• 7:54
  Before we move on to the fourth item, I want
• 7:56
  to share something with you. One of the reasons
• 7:58
  I created the Totally Success Insider newsletter
• 8:00
  is because there are so many questions that don't
• 8:03
  fit neatly into a podcast episode. Sometimes
• 8:06
  it's a quick tip. Sometimes it's a common mistake
• 8:09
  that I see frequently. And sometimes it's a research
• 8:11
  update or an observation from working with patients.
• 8:15
  If you enjoy the podcast and would like those
• 8:17
  additional insights delivered directly to your
• 8:19
  inbox, make sure you're signed up for the newsletter.
• 8:21
  Just click on the link in the show notes. It's
• 8:24
  totally free. I have also put together a link
• 8:27
  to a list of the five items we're discussing
• 8:29
  today so you can take a closer look and decide
• 8:31
  what makes sense for your situation. Not everything
• 8:34
  will be right for everyone. The goal is simply
• 8:36
  to help you think through your options before
• 8:38
  surgery rather than trying to figure everything
• 8:40
  out after you get home. If you choose to make
• 8:43
  a purchase through that link, it may help support
• 8:45
  the podcast at no additional cost to you. The
• 8:49
  fourth item patients tell me they use over and
• 8:51
  over during the first two weeks is a supportive
• 8:53
  shoe that's easy to put on. This sounds almost
• 8:56
  too simple until you're standing at the edge
• 8:58
  of the bed or sitting at the edge of the bed
• 9:00
  trying to get ready to get up and walk around
• 9:02
  and realizing that bending down to tie laces
• 9:05
  is not especially pleasant. During the first
• 9:08
  two weeks, walking is not usually about distance
• 9:10
  or speed. It's about getting up safely, moving
• 9:13
  regularly, and building a rhythm with your day.
• 9:16
  I'm not talking about those loose slippers that
• 9:17
  slide on or old house shoes with worn out soles.
• 9:20
  You want something secure enough to stay on your
• 9:22
  foot with enough traction to help you feel steady
• 9:25
  when you're walking through your home or going
• 9:28
  on an outing. The first day home is not the time
• 9:30
  to discover that your footwear is too tight,
• 9:32
  too loose or uncomfortable around the heel. So
• 9:35
  try it before surgery and remember that feet
• 9:37
  and ankles swell afterward. The research around
• 9:40
  knee replacement consistently reminds us that
• 9:42
  physical function after surgery does not improve
• 9:45
  in a perfectly straight line for everyone. Some
• 9:47
  patients are walking around the house fairly
• 9:49
  confidently early on. while others need more
• 9:51
  time, more support, and more repetition before
• 9:54
  daily mobility feels smoother. Practical footwear
• 9:57
  choice does not solve every issue, but it helps
• 10:00
  create a safer and more predictable setup for
• 10:02
  the movement you're already trying to build.
• 10:05
  Okay, we're to the fifth item. The fifth item
• 10:07
  on my list is a leg lifter strap, and this is
• 10:10
  one of those tools that patients don't always
• 10:12
  understand until they need it, and then they
• 10:14
  immediately understand why it made the list.
• 10:16
  After knee replacement, many patients notice
• 10:18
  that their quadriceps feel weaker or more difficult
• 10:21
  to activate after surgery, and that makes it
• 10:23
  very difficult to lift your leg up. That doesn't
• 10:26
  mean you're doing anything wrong. These muscles
• 10:28
  are inhibited by the pain and swelling and the
• 10:30
  effects of surgery. Researchers have studied
• 10:33
  quadriceps activation deficits after knee procedures
• 10:36
  for many years, and this remains one reason early
• 10:39
  strengthening and activation work are such a
• 10:41
  major focus in rehabilitation. In everyday life,
• 10:44
  that difficulty shows up in very practical ways.
• 10:47
  You may be able to stand and walk with your walker,
• 10:49
  but lifting your surgical leg into bed can feel
• 10:51
  like a completely different task. Getting onto
• 10:54
  the couch may be awkward. Moving your leg into
• 10:56
  position for exercises may take more effort than
• 10:59
  expected early on. Getting in and out of the
• 11:02
  car, even if you're not doing it often, can feel
• 11:05
  like a project. A leg lifter gives you a way
• 11:07
  to assist your leg without depending on someone
• 11:09
  else every time you need to reposition. I like
• 11:12
  the leg lifter because it supports independence
• 11:14
  and provides a way for you to help yourself.
• 11:18
  Independence after surgery is not about proving
• 11:20
  you can do everything without help. It's about
• 11:22
  having the right support available so you can
• 11:25
  move more safely and with less frustration. A
• 11:27
  leg lifter can help you guide your leg onto the
• 11:30
  bed, onto the couch, or into a better position
• 11:32
  for rest. And it can also reduce the amount of
• 11:35
  repeated strain on someone who's helping you
• 11:38
  at home. The key is to use it as an assist, not
• 11:41
  as a replacement for trying to activate the muscles
• 11:43
  in your leg. Your physical therapist will still
• 11:46
  want you working on quadriceps activation, knee
• 11:48
  motion, walking, and the exercises that fit your
• 11:51
  stage of healing. The leg lifter is not there
• 11:53
  so the leg never has to work. It's there to help
• 11:55
  you manage the in -between moments when your
• 11:57
  leg is not yet doing everything you want it to
• 12:00
  do. When you look at these five items together,
• 12:02
  you can see that they're not random. Cold therapy
• 12:05
  and elevation support, swelling management, and
• 12:07
  comfort. Compression socks, when approved by
• 12:09
  your surgeon, can become another part of the
• 12:12
  early swelling strategy. Supportive shoes that
• 12:14
  are easy to put on make it easier to walk safely
• 12:17
  and consistently. A leg lifter can help you with
• 12:20
  daily transfers and repositioning that can become
• 12:22
  surprisingly difficult during the first couple
• 12:24
  of weeks. This list does not guarantee an easy
• 12:27
  first two weeks. It doesn't replace your surgeon's
• 12:29
  instructions, your medication plan, your physical
• 12:31
  therapy or walking program, or the help you may
• 12:34
  need from family or friends. These tools are
• 12:36
  not shortcuts. their supports. They help reduce
• 12:39
  some of the barriers that can make the early
• 12:41
  phase feel harder than it needs to feel. There's
• 12:44
  also a no perfect list that applies to every
• 12:46
  person. Someone who lives alone may prioritize
• 12:48
  independence tools differently than someone who
• 12:51
  has a caregiver at home all day or most of the
• 12:54
  day. Someone with a very low bed may have a different
• 12:57
  transfer challenge than someone with a higher
• 12:58
  bed. Someone who receives home care for the first
• 13:01
  two weeks may not get in and out of the car very
• 13:04
  much, while someone else may be traveling to
• 13:06
  outpatient therapy within days of surgery. That's
• 13:09
  why I don't want you to think of this episode
• 13:11
  as a set of rules. It's a way to think ahead.
• 13:14
  If you already have surgery scheduled, take a
• 13:16
  few minutes and picture a normal day at home
• 13:18
  during the first week. Picture how you'll elevate
• 13:21
  your leg. Picture the path from your bed to the
• 13:23
  bathroom. Picture what shoes you'll wear when
• 13:25
  you get up. Picture how you will get your surgical
• 13:27
  leg into bed at night when you're tired. Those
• 13:30
  details may seem small, but they're often the
• 13:33
  details that decide whether the day feels smoother
• 13:35
  or more frustrating after surgery. One thing
• 13:38
  I've learned from patients over the years is
• 13:40
  that preparation doesn't need to be dramatic
• 13:42
  to be useful. Sometimes preparation looks like
• 13:44
  clearing a walking path or placing your cold
• 13:47
  pack where you can reach it easily. Sometimes
• 13:49
  it looks like setting up one reliable chair with
• 13:51
  your elevation wedge, water, medications, phone
• 13:54
  charger, and anything else you reach for often.
• 13:57
  Sometimes it looks like trying on your shoes
• 13:59
  before surgery and making sure they actually
• 14:01
  work for you. There's a practical calm that comes
• 14:03
  from having fewer decisions to make after surgery.
• 14:07
  You still have to do the work. You still have
• 14:08
  to listen to your body, follow your instructions,
• 14:11
  manage those uncomfortable moments, and give
• 14:12
  yourself time. But when the basic setup is already
• 14:15
  in place, you're not solving every small problem
• 14:18
  while tired, sore, and in pain. You're working
• 14:21
  inside a system that you created ahead of time.
• 14:25
  As always, use your surgeon's and your therapist's
• 14:27
  instructions as your guide. If your surgeon provides
• 14:30
  a cold therapy machine, use it according to their
• 14:32
  directions. If your surgeon has a specific compression
• 14:35
  protocol, follow that. If your therapist teaches
• 14:38
  you a certain way to get in and out of bed or
• 14:40
  remove your surgical leg, practice that method.
• 14:43
  The tools should support the plan, not compete
• 14:46
  with it. For a quick look at these recommendations
• 14:48
  on Amazon, click the link in the show notes.
• 14:50
  And if you're looking for a simple guide to help
• 14:52
  you prepare for surgery, know what to expect
• 14:55
  and avoid common mistakes, check out the free
• 14:58
  two -week knee replacement launch plan download.
• 15:00
  Click the link in the show notes or visit TotalKneeSuccess
• 15:03
  .com. Looking ahead to episode 84, we're going
• 15:07
  to continue this conversation with the next five
• 15:09
  tools that can help once you're moving more.
• 15:12
  That episode will focus more on weeks two through
• 15:14
  six when walking, exercise, car transfers, daily
• 15:18
  tasks and confidence outside the house often
• 15:21
  become more important. Thanks for joining me.
• 15:24
  I'm Michelle and this has been the Total Knee
• 15:26
  Success podcast. This podcast is for educational
• 15:33
  purposes only. Discover more at TotalKneeSuccess
• 15:37
  .com and be sure to subscribe and share because
• 15:40
  every step forward takes you closer to living
• 15:43
  the life you love.