There is good evidence that individuals who have joint replacement surgery meet their post-operative milestones faster if they have engaged in neuromuscular exercises prior to surgery. If you are not already doing neuromuscular exercises on your own, it is a good idea to learn how to do so. Even if you have done physiotherapy, it is not a given that your pre-operative rehab has prioritized neuromuscular control. There may be room for new ideas for you.
Engaging in a neuromuscular training program may prove useful at keeping your symptoms in check while you are waiting for surgery. GLAD Canada has recently endorsed this strategy for those of you influenced by current surgical wait list times.
Close to your surgery time, it may be useful to have a consultation around whether your home is set up with the right equipment for your post-operative rehabilitation. Hip and knee replacement surgeries have a large exercise-based component to the recovery and it is easier to get your place “ready to go” before your surgical date. This type of a consultation can be done in a clinic setting, via telehealth or, depending on your location, through a mobile visit where I come to your home.
Post-Operative Care
Over my career, I have treated many patients following their hip or knee replacement surgeries. I continue to be available to do so in my Vancouver private practice.
While I am happy to consult with you live in North Delta or Gabriola Island, I am also happy to suggest colleagues in these areas who can meet with you more regularly in the immediate post-operative periods. We know that being able to easily attend for physiotherapy increases the likelihood of doing so. In the immediate post-operative periods, this is very important.
To the surprise of many people, there is good evidence for the effectiveness of telehealth strategies relative to live attendance following knee replacement surgery. In remote and rural areas, this should be encouraging for those who don’t have good access to physiotherapy.
For those who had a joint replacement surgery in the past but aren’t functioning as well as they would like to, there are often physiotherapy and/or exercise ideas that may help. I enjoy meeting with individuals in this regard.
