Home Therapy Exercises Before Knee Replacement

Exercising Before Surgery

Low-impact exercises help to relieve stiffness and pain associated with an arthritic joint. Exercising before surgery will help strengthen your muscles in addition to getting you mentally ready for the recovery process by familiarizing you with some common exercises after surgery.

The American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) have outlined a home exercise program for you before your knee replacement. This handout accompanies our patient exercise videos that you can find at (https://hipkneeinfo.org/). Exercises will focus on Stretching, Strengthening, and Endurance.

This program starts with a warm-up period of stretching followed by strengthening and endurance exercises.

Taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications (ibuprofen, naproxen, meloxicam) or Acetaminophen before or after exercising can help with swelling and discomfort. Please check with your primary care doctor before starting any anti-inflammatory medications especially if you have had heart, stomach, kidney issues in the past. We recommend brief warm-up and cool-down periods before and after exercising.

Exercising should not cause excessive pain or discomfort. If you feel discomfort, stop the exercise or alter the motion so that you are more comfortable. Sometimes your arthritic knee limits your ability to perform certain exercises. Go slow and gradual. Listen to your body and try to perform these exercises to the best of your ability. Remember putting the work in before surgery will make your recovery easier.

We recommend attempting these exercises at least 3 days a week for 30 minutes each day. You can break up your exercise routine and do some exercises in the morning and others in the afternoon or perform different groups of exercises on different days.

PLEASE USE THESE EXERCISES AS A GUIDE AS IT IS ULTIMATELY BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR SURGEON TO DECIDE WHICH THERAPY SETTING IS RIGHT FOR YOU BEFORE YOUR SURGERY. YOUR SURGEON MAY RECOMMEND ALTERATIONS TO THIS ROUTINE. IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY ABNORMAL DISCOMFORT, DIZZINESS, OR FEELINGS OF PASSING OUT, PLEASE STOP EXERCISING AND CONTACT YOUR PHYSICIAN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Stretching Exercises

Stretching helps to prevent injury by getting the muscles ready for a workout. Typically, patients are advised to spend 5-10 minutes stretching before exercising. A heating pad or warm towel can be used to help relax the muscles in preparation for stretching. The following stretches can also be performed in-between exercises to keep the muscles from getting tight. It is recommended that your exercise program begin and end with stretches. Ice can be applied to the knee joint after exercising. Muscle memory (or training your muscles to move in a certain way so that it becomes second nature) is an important process to get your muscles ready to work after surgery, so why not start preparing before surgery!!!

Seated

The hamstrings are a group of muscles on the back of your thigh. It is important to stretch these muscles because they can become tight especially with arthritis. This stretch is also used during warm-ups to get your muscles ready for other exercises. There are a few ways to perform a hamstring stretch. It is important to try to relax during stretching exercises. Do not hold your breath. Instead, focus on taking slow deep breaths while trying to stretch a little bit further. Remember to keep your toes pointed toward the ceiling at all times.

  • Begin by sitting in a hardback chair, prop your leg on a stool or chair directly in front of you
  • While keeping your back straight, slowly reach for your toes while at the same time keeping your knee straight. (You will feel a stretch along the muscles in the back of your thigh)
  • Try to hold the stretch for 30 seconds
  • Slowly return to the starting position

This exercise should be performed on both legs.