How to Get up and down off the Floor after Knee Replacement Surgery: Helpful Guide

Today we are going to talk about knee replacement surgery, or the other name is knee arthroplasty. It’s a surgical procedure used for arthritis patients in which the knee ball is replaced with a plastic and metal knee cap. This procedure has become common nowadays. But in this article, we are discussing what happens after knee replacement surgery as it is challenging to perform your daily activities like getting up and down off the floor, how we can perform this task and how we can fully recover from this surgery. To know more about it, keep reading the article. 

Waking up from surgery may take up to 24 hours, or depend on your case, your doctor will recommend a physiotherapy session. Physiotherapists know their work and will help you to move your leg. On the day of discharge, talk to your surgeon about what precautions you should take after surgery. A meeting with the doctor will make you feel relax too. Talk to your physiotherapist and ask about the exercise that you can do at home. Your knee can take up to 3 months to recover fully, so don’t take stress if you see some swelling as healing require some time. Recovery from a knee replacement at home will require some time so be patient. Learn how to get down on the floor after knee replacement.

Practice Kneeling on the Floor

You want to start training yourself to sit on the floor; you should start kneeling for six months. You need to make sure not to get hurt and follow a simple technique to help you out. Practice the below-given techniques for a while until you are fully confident to take the risk. Try this tip when you have anyone around you to help; also be near to any support like a chair, table, or wall. 

1: How to get down on the floor after knee replacement

Find the support of a chair or table. Put your hands on the arm area of a chair or hold the side of the table, then bend your non-surgical leg first and put your knee on the floor, then bend your surgical leg and afterward put both of your hands on the floor. Now you are in a position where both your legs and hands are touching the floor; in this manner, place your one side hip on the floor and slowly sit down.

2: How to get up off the floor with bad knees

Similarly, how you kneel on the floor, you must stand up off the floor. For this again, get into a position where both your legs and hands are touching the floor; slowly move your hands and hold the sides of the chair or table. Then move your one leg first and place that foot near the chair, then move your second leg in the same manner. If you find it hard to stand up after kneeling, give yourself some push, and then stand up slowly. Please don’t do it in a hurry; otherwise, you will hurt yourself.

3: How to get up from a fall without kneeling

You caught yourself in a sudden accidental fall after your knee replacement surgery, and you need to stand back, but the problem is now you fear getting up from the floor. At first, you should calm yourself. Don’t panic; try to get up in the same manner that we have discussed above, but if you can’t, then follow a simple technique to get yourself help. Straighten your legs or make a V, then move with the help of your hip near to any object that can help you in standing up or any phone or bell; in this way, you can get some help. 

How to get up off the Chairs

Your doctor will recommend you sit on chairs and not on the floor in the first few months. It would be best if you learned how to stand up. Patients with a knee problem develop a different pattern of standing up according to their easiness as a usual way of standing cause them pain; after these years, they need to relearn standing up usually. For this, try to put pressure on your hands and not on your leg, bring backward your uninjured leg, and by using your hands, try to stand up using a walker for convenience; in this way, you will not feel any difficulty getting up from the chair.

Tips to Recover from Knee Replacement at Home

Whatever you do, it has to be based on what your orthopaedic surgeon or doctor recommends. Try not to do anything after learning about the same from your friends, family members or social media platforms. The best way to proceed would be to ask for recovery tips when leading your life after the orthopaedic surgery singapore. This ensures that your recovery is fast, safe and in accordance with your medical prescriptions. 

To Remove swelling

Your leg will swell after surgery during or after exercise, while standing or if you are moving your leg without any rest too much. Don’t worry if it swells; you can do some things at home to remove that swelling.

• Use an ice pack or your knee for a few minutes; ice has a numbing effect, too, and will remove the swelling.
• Do ankle pumps for a few minutes with a gap.
• Elevate your leg with the help of a pillow for some minutes; your leg should be at the level of your heart. 

Make Changes at your home

If you live with a joint family, it will be easier for you as there will be many people around you to take care of, but if you have a small family or you live alone, you need to make some changes at your home after your knee replacement surgery.

• Remove anything that can hurt you, like any sharp and pointed furniture or showpiece.
• A carpeted room is much better as it will prevent you from injury.
• Have some chairs and tables in your rooms to support you in walking or standing up and lying down.
• Pair of crutches, walkers, or any other equipment to help you walk should be near your bed.  

Exercise after Knee Replacement Surgery

There will be a set of exercises that your physiotherapist asks you to perform daily one or two times a day to perform your daily activities.

Walking

Walking must be hard till the first few weeks after that gradually you will feel less pain during a walk. Try to walk with the help of crutches or walkers. Keep your back straight, don’t bend and walk for some minutes in the start, then increase your walking time gradually rest in between and after your walking session.

Muscle pumping

This exercise will help you to reduce swelling too. You can do it while lying on the ground at the start. Move your toes back and forth; after some time, do it in a standing position. Perform this exercise as much as possible.

Straightening knee stretch

Sit on a chair, but one of your legs is on the chair and the other on the ground. Stretch your leg for 5 seconds; you will feel stretch at the back of your knee. Do this for a few minutes.

Bending knee stretch

Sit on a chair facing front, slide your foot slowly backward, slide back until you feel stretch. Move your foot in the front direction now and stretch until your heel is in the air. Do this stretch slowly in this way; it won’t cause much pain and pressure.

Thigh squeeze

You can do this exercise in bed, tighten your thigh muscles lying down by pushing your knee backward. Do this exercise for 10 sec or less.

Heel slides

Bend your leg by sliding it on the bed or floor. Your heel should be closer to your hip, and your knee should be pointing upwards. Remain in this position for a few seconds, then slide your leg straight again.

Leg slides

Slide your leg that is operated horizontally on the floor, keeping your knee pointed upwards and leg straight. Move your leg in and out for a few seconds and rest.

Lying kicks

Give your surgical leg some support, like roll a towel or blanket under your knee and raise your leg for at least 6 inches. Straighten your leg in this manner for few seconds and then relax.

Leg raises

Fold your non-surgical leg, and in the meanwhile, raise your surgical leg straight without any support tighten your leg to stiffen your knee. Please do it for a few seconds, and then put your leg down.

Kicks sitting

Sit on a chair straight, then move your surgical leg outward and then back on the position. Do it slowly; don’t try to do fast kicks; otherwise, you will hurt yourself. After some time, when you feel comfortable, put a bit of weight on your leg, and then raise it.

What Shouldn’t We Do?

You need to take care of some of the things after your knee replacement surgery; we are listing a few for your help.

1. Try to minimize pain killers’ use; you shouldn’t use your body of pain killers.
2. Avoid taking heavy meals because you are resting more during this period, and more food will make you feel heavier or sometimes cause nausea.
3. Keep a check on your weight. Putting on weight can cause pressure on your kneecap, and it can break if you gain too much weight after surgery.
4. Avoid running, lifting heavyweight, hiking, swimming, and walking fast. In short, any heavy physical activity must be avoided. 
5. Don’t twist your knee either accidentally or deliberately.
6. Don’t sit with a crossed leg for some months.

Conclusion

Recovering from a knee replacement surgery is a bit long process; it depends on person to person. If you follow all the doctor’s guides and take your medicines, you will learn to get up out on the floor and down the floor very soon. Give your self-time and rest; don’t rush to do all the activities you were performing with your legs before. Your body needs time to get back to its routine. Follow the exercise that we have mentioned and that your physician has taught. Go for regular check-ups with your surgeon. Keep tracking your health and weight; in this way, you will recover fast. 

Medical Disclaimer: All the content available on the website is just for informational purposes. It’s not a substitute for any Professional advice. Don’t take it personally. As a medical student, I’m just trying to use my information through my content, and please keep in mind it’s not written by a professional doctor. Use the data just for educational purposes.

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Emma Aaron

I have a Bachelor’s degree in medicine and am presently working at a renowned hospital in California. I used my leisure time to share my expertise with others through my blog. In addition to my work in healthcare, I like reading fiction and enjoy writing posts a lot. I want to use my writing to help the health sector on my blog site. You’ll get exclusive informational content about health & Fitness.