Knee replacement: my exercises this week
Week starting
Lie on your back on the bed unless it says otherwise. Move slowly. Your physical therapist can write your own amount on each line.
- Ankle pumps. Point your toes away from you, then pull them back toward you. Keep going. AAOS guide: 2 to 3 minutes. Right after surgery, 2 to 3 times an hour. My amount:
- Thigh squeeze. Leg straight. Tighten the muscle on the front of your thigh and press the back of your knee toward the bed. Hold 5 to 10 seconds, then relax. AAOS guide: about 10 times in 2 minutes, rest 1 minute, then again, until your thigh feels tired. My amount:
- Straight-leg lift. Bend your other knee, foot flat on the bed. Tighten the thigh of the straight leg and lift it a few inches. Hold 5 to 10 seconds, then lower it slowly. AAOS guide: until your thigh feels tired, about 3 minutes. My amount:
- Knee straightening. Put a small rolled towel just above your heel, so the heel is off the bed. Tighten your thigh and try to touch the back of your knee to the bed. Hold 5 to 10 seconds. AAOS guide: about 3 minutes. My amount:
- Heel slides. Slide your heel toward your bottom, keeping it on the bed, so the knee bends. Hold the bend 5 to 10 seconds, then slide back. AAOS guide: about 2 minutes, until your leg feels tired. My amount:
- How often: AAOS says your surgeon and therapist may suggest 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a day, or 2 to 3 times a day, early on, and walking for 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day.
- In bed, put the pillow under your heel or ankle, not under your knee (MedlinePlus).
- Ice your knee for 30 minutes before and after exercise; it helps the swelling (MedlinePlus).
| Day and date | Sessions done | Walked | Pain 0 to 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 |
Call 911 for chest pain or sudden shortness of breath.
Call your surgeon's office today for:
- Pain or swelling in your calf
- A temperature higher than 101°F (38.3°C)
- Redness or swelling around the cut, or yellow fluid coming from it
- Bleeding that soaks the dressing and does not stop when you press on it
- Pain that does not go away after your pain medicine
- A foot or toes darker than normal, or cool to touch
MedlinePlus: Knee joint replacement, discharge (when to call) · Pulmonary embolus (call 911).
Exercises: AAOS OrthoInfo, Total Knee Replacement Exercise Guide, in our own words. jointcoach.com/paper
Hip replacement: my exercises this week
Week starting
Lie on your back on the bed. Move slowly. If your surgeon gave you movements to avoid, those come first. Your physical therapist can write your own amount on each line.
- Ankle pumps. Slowly push your foot down, then pull it up, bending at the ankle. AAOS guide: several times, as often as every 5 or 10 minutes. My amount:
- Ankle circles. Turn your foot in a circle one way, then the other way. AAOS guide: 5 times each way, 3 to 4 times a day. My amount:
- Heel slides. Slide your heel toward your bottom, keeping it on the bed, so the knee bends. Hold 5 to 10 seconds, then slide back. AAOS guide: 10 times, 3 to 4 times a day. My amount:
- Bottom squeeze. Tighten the muscles of your bottom and hold while you count to 5. AAOS guide: 10 times, 3 to 4 times a day. My amount:
- Leg out to the side. Slide your leg out to the side, then back. AAOS guide: 10 times, 3 to 4 times a day. My amount:
- Thigh squeeze. Tighten the muscle on the front of your thigh and try to straighten your knee. Hold 5 to 10 seconds. AAOS guide: 10 times, rest 1 minute, then again, until your thigh feels tired. My amount:
- How often: AAOS says your surgeon and therapist may suggest 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a day, or 2 to 3 times a day, early on.
| Day and date | Sessions done | Walked | Pain 0 to 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 7 |
Call 911 for chest pain or sudden shortness of breath.
Call your surgeon's office today for:
- Pain in your calf, or one leg swollen, red and warmer than the other
- A fever higher than 101°F (38.3°C)
- Redness or more pain around the cut, or fluid coming from it
- A sudden increase in pain, or pain your medicine does not control
- A fall, or a hip that feels like it slipped out of place
- Burning when you pee, or dark or bloody stool
MedlinePlus: Hip replacement, discharge (when to call) · Pulmonary embolus (call 911).
Exercises: AAOS OrthoInfo, Total Hip Replacement Exercise Guide, in our own words. jointcoach.com/paper
What this sheet is
A paper copy of the same kind of home program the phone session tracks. The moves and the amounts come from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) exercise guides; the AAOS guides say to check with your therapist or surgeon before trying them. The when-to-call lists come from NIH MedlinePlus. It is general information, not a plan made for you.
What you write on paper stays on paper: this page saves nothing about you, and your ticks do not appear on the phone summary. When you want the phone to count a session, use the exercise session; to see how far your knee bends, use the knee bend. To learn what the weeks after surgery usually look like, read JointClass: what recovery usually looks like.