Exercise is key to joint replacement surgery success

‘Prehabilitation’ increasesmobility and eases recovery.

The strength exercises prescribed prior to a joint replacement surgery should be treated as seriously as an answer key given to someone approaching an important exam.

Each year, joint replacement surgery provides relief to millions of Americans suffering from the pain caused by advanced forms of arthritis. However, the recovery after surgery can be expediated by the work that a patient does prior to entering the operating room, said Dr. Richard L. Davis II, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with Premier Orthopedics.

Joint replacement surgery becomes a necessity when joint cartilage wears down to the point at which bone rubs against bone, causing pain, as well as limiting function and mobility. A joint replacement procedure removes arthritic portions and replaces them with a prosthetic metal, plastic, or ceramic device designed to replicate the movement of a normal, healthy joint.

This surgery provides much-needed relief for many, and its success can be assisted by thework that’s done long before the procedure takes place.

“Physical therapy is very important for strengthening the muscles around a joint prior to having joint replacement surgery,” Davis said. “Typically, when patients have arthritis, they’re not as active and therefore their muscle strength decreases, placing stress on the joint itself. Physical therapy helps to strengthen the muscles around an arthritic joint, providing more function and decreased pain.”

Davis recommends that patients initially meet with a physical therapist to learn how to use the right form with exercises in order to properly strengthen the correct muscle groups. Additional office sessions might follow, but exercises often can eventually be done in the comfort of a patient’s own home once he or she has learned what needs to be done. Therapists can also provide home therapy sessions for those struggling with mobility. The process itself can take time, but the benefits are significant.

“Building strength can take a couple of months to actually see a discrete difference,” said Daviswho practiceswith Premier Physician Network. “Patientsmay even start to notice they have a little more energy after a coupleweeks of therapy, but any genuine strength takes a few months. I always encourage my patients to stick with it because theywill eventually see a significant difference if they do.”

Insomecases, therapy can provide an improved level of strength and mobility that might allowa patient todelay surgery altogether. Still, a person’s arthritis pain often is simply too great to overcome with exercise alone. Additional treatment measures may also include the use of medications and injections, but eventhesemay not be as effective as surgery.

Even so, thework done to strengthenmuscles beforehand, plays a key role in a patient’s recovery and quality of life post-procedure.

“The pre-surgical exercises we give our patients are knownas prehab,” Davis said. “There have been a lot of studieswhich have shown that this plays amajor role in helping decrease a patient’s recovery time and increase their function much more quickly after joint replacement. Those who are able to do these exercises beforehand tend tobounce back a little quicker because their muscle strength is already starting to build up prior to surgery.”

For more information about joint replacement and rehabilitation, or to schedule an appointment with a Premier Physician Network physician near you, visit PremierHealth.com/MakeAnAppointment.