Manage your pain after knee replacement surgery, because it is very important.
Because you don’t deserve pain. You are born to enjoy the luxury of life.
How to manage pain after knee replacement surgery?? That is the topmost question of the patients, whom doctors prescribed to do replacement surgery.
After that, they also ask “How much pain he or she can expect”?? and “How long her pain will last after knee replacement surgery?”
Simply I would say the intensity of pain is different for different persons. Post-operative swelling, bruising, and pain is common for everyone. These are part of the healing process after replacement surgery. However, there are several ways to reduce your pain and speed up your recovery process.
Keep reading this blog to get guidance on,” How to manage pain after knee replacement surgery, and ease the healing process”.!!! Because we don’t love pain, deserve a quality life.
How much pain you can expect after knee replacement surgery
Yes, this is a common question, because we are afraid of surgery. But before answering them, you have to know that the intensity of pain varies from person to person. So every patient will experience a different amount of pain after surgery.
Immediate after surgery, the surgeon used to put Novocain in the surgery area, to deal with the pain for the first few hours.
After 12 hours of operation procedure, you will get pain killer medicine, by orally or through intravenous injection. These kinds of medicine may include fentanyl, Oxycodone, and morphine. These drugs are used in medicine, to heal your pain.
There is a general rule of post-operative pain, that it will eventually decrease day by day. Thus introduce your healing process. Some people have minimum pain after surgery. ( They are very lucky)
But major of the people experience long, lingering post-operative pain. But don’t worry we will guide you about How to deal with post-operative pain.
Medicines to manage pain
Majorly patients have to take oral medicine up to a few weeks. That includes Nonsteroid, anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Naproxen or Ibuprofen medicine.
If you are suffering from severe pain, doctors may prescribe you high dose, very strong pain reliever. But few side effects also there, like weakness, dizziness, constipation.
You may also need over the counter medicine, to reduce temporary pain.
These medications may include
- Acetaminophen
- Nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAID) [Motrin and Advil]
- Naproxen [ Aleve]
Apart from medications doctor will prescribe your physiotherapy and massage, to heal your pain naturally. After 10-12 day he will advise doing some easy step yoga to reduce the inflammation. You will observe that your pain will diminish after a few weeks.
How to manage post-operative swelling
Swelling and inflammation is normal in your post-operative recovery process. You will experience swelling up to two weeks, after surgery, and this is quite normal. So, don’t worry about that. You can reduce your pain and inflammation by following some simple exercise ( Obviously guided by your doctor).
According to a surgeon of the American Academy, the inflammation can stay for 3 to 6 month after surgery. It is the maximum possibility. You can manage to swell by several ways like
- Using an ice bag. They are very effective to reduce inflammations and swelling. You have to use ice-packs 3-4 times daily on the knee joint area. About 20 minutes each time.
- Take physiotherapy massage. And treatment.
- You can also apply a hot bag, after a few weeks of operation (obviously with the recommendation of doctor).
Hope medicines and these 3 steps will help you to reduce your post-operative swelling. If don’t get the result through this procedure, consult with your surgeon.
How to deal with Bruising
Bruising around knee joint stays, around 1 to 2 weeks after surgery. actually, Bruising is blue discoloration on the area of the wound. That indicates a blood clot in the area. It also develops additional tenderness. You can manage inflammation and bruise through medication and physiotherapy. Apart from these things, Ice pack works efficiently to reduce the unwanted blood clot, and pain.
Home remedy to treat post-operative pain
Yes, Here I am talking about pain, after knee replacement surgery. You can deal with it with a home remedy. Topical medicine, ointments, and patches can reduce your pain. Start your regular activity, after a few weeks of surgery. You can observe your pain is gradually decrease.
Also read, How successful is the knee replacement surgery
Physiotherapy treatment
If you want to speed up your recovery process, you must include physiotherapy process to your rehabilitation program. It will stimulate blood circulation to your wound area. In this case, TENS UNIT will play an important role to activate the nerves of the wound area, thus induce blood circulations. That also reduces nerve pain.
And physiotherapy massage will stimulate the knee muscle and tissue of this area.
Make an exercise routine
Your physiotherapy consultant or orthopedic surgeon may advise you to do light exercise, after a few weeks of surgery. Follow their advice. As it will help you to regain muscle flexibility, it will reduce the stiffness of the joint.
As we know normally exercise makes our body more flexible, similarly, it will strengthen your muscle. Increase the range of motion, and increase blood flow throughout the body
But again I have to put some disclaimer here, “ you should avoid a certain position at the time of exercise, otherwise it can exhibit a negative impact on your knee joint.
Simply you should avoid jump, squat, and sudden movements, as it will create pressure on your grafted knee joint.
Here I have discussed the different type of pain management strategies, hope these can be helpful for you. Postoperative pain affects everyone differently. Your intensity of pain completely depends on too many medical factors. Thus you feel discomfort.
So, If you feel something abnormal, you should talk about this to your doctors. Tell them about the level of pain and inflammation.so, the Medical team will guide you to reduce your discomfort. You should tell them about the abrupt changes.
Don’t be so worried about that, keep touch with the medical team. Ask how to manage pain after surgery, And go for a routine checkup. And You will definitely gain a painless comfortable life.
So, Take care of your health, As health is our biggest wealth!!!