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What You Need To Know About Post-Joint-Replacement Exercise

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If you've recently had a knee or hip replacement, or if your surgery is coming up, you may wonder how your exercise routine will be impacted. You certainly don't want to do anything to compromise the implant, but you could be worried you'll never golf again. While your doctor is the best source of information, here are a few things you should know about whether or not to exercise and how to approach it safely.

Should you exercise?

There appears to be some debate among professionals on whether or not exercise following joint replacement surgery is a good idea. This is based on the premise that the plastic and metal parts replacing your joint are made up of materials that will succumb to wear and tear over time. And the more you use them, the faster they will wear out.

Will the implant wear out that quickly?

It's been estimated that the parts currently used in surgical procedures can be expected to last for decades, which is a pretty decent chunk of time, especially considering most people undergoing knee replacement surgeries are between the ages of 50 and 80. Eighty-five percent of the time, the devices used for a knee replacement still work perfectly fine 20 years after the surgery.

Most physicians will recommend routine x-rays for years following a joint replacement. This is done to measure the rate of wear and tear on the artificial joint. If a worn joint is identified early on, the weight-bearing surface can often be replaced, instead of the whole implant.

Why else should you exercise?

The benefits of exercising following joint-replacement surgery seem to outweigh the risks, and here are some reasons why.

  1. Keeps your weight down. As you know, excess weight places stress on your joints, and anything you can do to keep your weight within a normal, healthy range will minimize that stress as well as reduce the rate at which the implant wears down.
  2. Strengthens muscles. Exercise strengthens your muscles as well as the ligaments and tendons, which will provide added support to the bones surrounding the joint.
  3. Encourages lubrication of the joint. Exercise and regular activity encourages the production of synovial fluid, which is still present following a knee replacement. Synovial fluid is a lubricant, and it works sort of like oil in a car, allowing smoother movement and decreased wear on the joint.
  4. Increases cartilage production. Studies have shown that exercise can activate certain genes responsible for rebuilding cartilage. This can help your joints tremendously following surgery.  
  5. Lessens chance of a loose implant. Patients that are active following their surgery have a reduced chance of their implant becoming loose.

What kinds of exercises should you do?

You should talk with your orthopedist and get an exercise regimen that's tailored to your specific needs and lifestyle. But keep in mind there are certain activities that can strengthen the joint, and others that can cause further damage.

In general, it's advised to avoid high-impact exercises after a knee or hip replacement. This includes activities that involve running and jumping like racquetball, high-impact aerobics, martial arts, baseball, and rock climbing.

Exercises that are typically encouraged involve low-impact movement and ones that help build muscle and improve range of motion. This includes walking, bicycling, swimming, elliptical machine exercises, leg raises, and easy sports like golfing.

Studies have been done in patients that have had both knee and hip replacements, and they have shown that the more active an individual is following their surgery, the more likely they are to restore normal joint function. But this isn't the case with every single patient. In fact, those who have had a hip replacement are more likely to return to athlete-level activities.

It's important to let your doctor monitor your progression closely. In some situations, patients may be able to resume more active sports like skiing, roller and ice skating, tennis, speed walking, hiking, snowboarding, dancing, and Pilates.


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