Tired of being unable to perform daily activities such as climbing stairs, picking something up off the floor or even walking because of knee pain? One of the most common causes of knee pain in people over the age of 55 years, osteoarthritis can cause pain, stiffness and swelling that result in inability to perform everyday activities. The solution? A Total Knee Replacement.
The knee is one of the largest joints in your body and is made up of 3 bones; your femur, tibia and patella- in addition to cartilage and other tissues that protect the joint and allow for smooth movement. In a knee with arthritis, these surfaces wear down and can cause pain, swelling and stiffness as they rub against one another. A Total Knee Replacement, or Arthroplasty, involves replacing the affected joint surfaces with metal and plastic implants, which allows the joint to move smoothly again.
After a total knee replacement surgery, Physical Therapy is commonly necessary in order to regain range of motion, strength and overall function in your knee. We often find that patients get out of their therapy what they put into it. By the end of your physical therapy sessions, you should be able to go up and down stairs one foot over the other, bend down and pick something up off the floor, squat down to a chair, walk for exercise and even perform a wide variety of recreational activities such as golfing, swimming and bicycling.