Physical Therapy Exercises
Post Operative Exercises
For people
who just had surgery, their mobility may be impaired as a result of
the operation. Physical therapy exercises targeted for
post-operative injuries can be a great help to speed up recovery.
Here are a
few physical therapy exercises you may want to try after undergoing
surgical operation:
Increase Knee Flexion
This
post-operative exercise is especially beneficial to those who just
had total knee replacement. The purpose is to increase your knee’s
range of motion, which may have been compromised as a result of the
surgery.
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First,
you need a chair to sit on in order to start the exercise. The
chair should not be too low. One important indicator that a
chair is not too low is if your hips are not higher than your
knees when you sit.
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Sit down
with your back straight.
-
Take your
non-operated leg and place it gently over the ankle of your
operated leg.
-
Remain
seated as you slowly and smoothly begin bending your operated
knee.
-
Use your
non-operated leg to push against the operated leg’s ankle.
-
When you
feel any resistance or discomfort in your operated leg, stop.
-
Hold that
position for ten seconds, and repeat the whole exercise five
more times.
Restore Normal Hip Motion after Total Hip
Replacement
For the first
few weeks after total hip replacement, the goal of post-operative
exercises is to increase circulation to your legs and feet. By
increasing circulation, the exercises can help prevent blood clots
as well as improve muscle strength of the legs and range of motion
of the hip.
Here are
examples of early post-operative exercises after total hip
replacement:
-
Ankle Pumps:
Move your foot slowly up and down, doing it as often as every
five to ten minutes.
-
Ankle Rotations:
Move your ankle inward so that your toes are pointing towards
your other foot. Then, move it outwards and away from your other
foot. Repeat five times in each direction. Do this exercise
three or four times a day.
-
Bed-Supported Knee Bends: Bend your knee, sliding
your heel toward your buttocks. Keep the heel on the bed and do
not let the knee roll inward. Repeat the motion several times
before moving on to the other leg.
-
Buttock Contractions:
Tighten buttock muscles and hold for 5 counts.
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