A joint replacement procedure can help you get back to moving without pain and significantly improve your quality of life, but these improvements won’t happen by accident. Joint replacement is a major trauma on your body, and if you don’t work hard to help your body heal following the operation, discomfort and even pain can linger. Nobody wants to undergo a joint replacement procedure only to be left with chronic pain, so you need to be proactive during your recovery.
Below, we take a closer look at how you can work to prevent chronic pain after a joint replacement procedure.
Preventing Pain After Joint Replacement Surgery
It doesn’t matter if you go to the best joint replacement surgeon in the world; if you expect to lay in bed for months and make a full recovery, odds are you’ll be left with discomfort or chronic pain. So what should you be doing during your recovery? While your specific course of treatment will be put in place by your treating surgeon, they will likely recommend some of the following techniques.
1. Early Movement – As we just mentioned above, you’re going to want to follow the care plan put in place by your treating physician, but many joint replacement procedures see the patient perform some early movement exercises. These will be nothing that your new joint can’t handle, but these exercises are imperative for improving your circulation and establishing comfortable range of motion. It may not be comfortable, but it’s going to be worth it. Early motion is essential for helping the new joint get used to normal movement patterns.
2. Physical Therapy – The single best thing that you can do to help your joint become stronger and more functional is to give it your all during your physical therapy sessions. If you don’t push yourself, your joint won’t become as strong as possible, and the same can be said if you stop your PT exercises early. Until you get full clearance to stop your exercises, make sure that you go to your in-person sessions and do all of your home-based routines.
3. Mind Your Restrictions – The first two points talk about pushing your body physically, but it’s also important to stay within your restrictions. If you step outside your restrictions or try to return to work or certain physical activities before enough healing has occurred, you’re opening yourself up a setback, and that can increase your likelihood of chronic pain. If you think you’re making great progress and you want to take on more of a physical challenge, make sure you get clearance from your physician.
4. Be Aware Of Signs Of Complications – Although infections are rare, they do occur, and that can greatly impact the stability and overall health of your new joint. Keep your incision site clean and change your dressings as recommended by your physician. If you notice discolored fluid, foul-smelling discharge or the incision site is hot, let your doctor know, because these are the early warning signs of an infection.
5. Focus On Your Diet And Sleep Health – Your diet will help you get the right nutrients to aid in recovery, and sleep is an important time for tissue healing. Be cognizant of the foods and liquids you are putting in your body, and strive to get healthy sleep each night. Falling asleep and staying asleep after a joint replacement procedure won’t always come easy, but if you develop healthy sleep habits and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, you can help to create an ideal environment for healing and chronic pain prevention.
Keep these tips in mind, and if you want additional help fighting off chronic pain after an injury or surgery, reach out to Dr. Cohn and his team today at (952) 738-4580.