What should I be able to do 4 weeks after knee replacement?

There is a wide range of normal at 4 weeks. OrthoInfo reports that most people can resume most normal daily activities within 3 to 6 weeks, and many resume driving around 4 to 6 weeks with their doctor's approval. Compare yourself with where you were last week, not with a neighbor's recovery.

When can I drive after a knee replacement?

Your doctor decides. OrthoInfo notes that most people resume driving about 4 to 6 weeks after surgery and that it is safe to start once you are no longer taking opioid pain medication. Ask at your follow-up visit.

Knee Replacement Physical Therapy in Buffalo

Q: How long does physical therapy last after a knee replacement?

It varies with your surgery, your health and how your knee responds, so we don't promise a set number of visits. OrthoInfo advises continuing the exercises your physical therapist prescribes for at least 2 months after surgery. We reassess as you go and adjust the plan.

Q: Is it normal for my new knee to be stiff and swollen?

Some pain, stiffness and swelling are common for several weeks, especially after exercise. OrthoInfo notes that stiffness normally improves with physical therapy and range-of-motion exercises. Swelling or pain that keeps increasing, especially in the calf, is different: call your surgeon.

The first goals after a knee replacement are unglamorous. Get the knee straight. Get it bending. Get you walking a little farther each day. Everything else in knee replacement recovery, from stairs to getting in and out of the car to getting back on the golf course, is built on those three. Lake Erie Physical Therapy provides outpatient rehab in Buffalo after total and partial knee replacement, following the plan your surgeon sets.

A realistic knee replacement recovery timeline

Every surgeon’s protocol is different, and so is every knee. Here is the general shape, with OrthoInfo’s figures where they exist.

The first few weeks

Swelling, soreness and stiffness are expected; OrthoInfo notes that some pain with activity and at night is common for several weeks. Therapy focuses on straightening the knee fully, bending it a little more each week, waking up the quadriceps (the big thigh muscle), and walking with a walker, crutches or cane as your surgeon allows. You will also do short exercise sessions at home several times a day.

Weeks 3 to 6

OrthoInfo reports that most people can resume most normal activities of daily living within 3 to 6 weeks, and that most resume driving about 4 to 6 weeks after surgery. It also notes that it is safe to start driving once you are no longer taking opioid pain medication, with your doctor helping decide when. In the clinic we add strength, balance and step training, and work toward walking without an aid once your gait is steady.

Two months and beyond

OrthoInfo advises continuing the exercises your physical therapist prescribes for at least 2 months after surgery. Strength and endurance can keep improving after formal therapy ends, which is why your home program matters.

Motion goals

Full motion after a knee replacement is uncommon. OrthoInfo notes that most people can expect to almost fully straighten the knee and bend it enough to climb stairs and get in and out of a car, and that stiffness normally improves with physical therapy and range-of-motion exercises.

What we work on in therapy

Knee straightening and bending, within your surgeon’s guidelines
Quadriceps, hip and calf strength
Walking, stairs, curbs, and getting up from chairs and out of the car
Balance, so you trust the knee on uneven ground
Swelling control, with pain-relieving modalities when indicated
Hands-on techniques when they help motion

Later in rehab, blood flow restriction training may be an option for some patients, with surgeon approval and screening.

Partial knee replacement

If you had a partial (unicompartmental) knee replacement, OrthoInfo describes an easier rehabilitation, a quicker recovery and a return to normal activities sooner than after a total knee replacement. The principles are the same, and your surgeon’s protocol still sets the pace.

Warning signs: call your surgeon

Physical therapy is not a substitute for your surgeon’s care. OrthoInfo lists these warning signs after knee replacement:

Increasing calf pain, tenderness or redness above or below the knee, or new swelling in the calf, ankle or foot (possible blood clot)
Sudden shortness of breath or sudden chest pain (possible clot in the lung): get emergency care
Fever higher than 100°F, chills, increasing redness, tenderness or swelling of the wound, or drainage from it (possible infection)
Knee pain that keeps increasing with both activity and rest

Insurance and your first visit

With Medicare, you don’t need a referral to start; your physician certifies the plan of care, and Medicare Advantage plans may require prior authorization. Read more about Medicare and physical therapy, and please confirm your coverage with us. Bring your surgeon’s protocol, the operative report, your insurance card and a medication list, and wear shorts. Our post-surgical rehab page explains how we coordinate with surgeons.

After discharge

When formal therapy ends, Keep It Going lets you keep exercising in our clinic for $10 a visit or $70 a month, with a prescription for maintenance exercise, medical clearance and a signed waiver.

Schedule your first outpatient visit: call (716) 332-4838 or request an appointment.

Sources

Written by the Lake Erie Physical Therapy clinical team. This page is general information, not a diagnosis; your physical therapist will assess your situation in person.

Physical Therapy After Knee Replacement