Do and don’ts after knee surgery?

Knee health is important to your quality of life and can impact how you move and work throughout the day. When this begins to deteriorate, it can be difficult for you to engage in weight-bearing tasks without suffering from pain. Knee surgery, such as a meniscus repair, ACL reconstruction, or tendon repair, can be used to correct a problematic knee. After you’ve received knee surgery, you may need time to recover from your treatment. You can read more on the process of knee surgery and what to expect. Here are some recommendations after knee surgery.

No Alcohol

It is advised that you avoid alcohol for one to two weeks after surgery. Also, you should wait until after you’ve taken your pain medication before imbibing alcohol. Alcohol and painkillers can interact and make a toxic combination. You can also increase your chances of damaging your wounds while inebriated.

No Blood Thinners

Surgery often causes a lot of bleeding, although this depends on the type of treatment. While you are recovering from surgery, your surgeon typically will recommend that you don’t take any blood-thinning medication. This is because it can reduce your blood’s ability to clot and exacerbate bleeding.

No Narcotic Pain Medication

Your doctor may prescribe you anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen medications like Advil, Motrin, celecoxib, or naproxen. These anti-inflammatory medications help reduce the pain and swelling associated with surgery to help make the healing process less miserable. This is a better alternative to numbing or opioid medications because they can be addictive and hard to withdraw from after you no longer need them.

No Smoking

It is ideal to quit smoking six or more weeks before surgery to help improve your ability to heal. This is because smoking can increase your risk of complications during and after surgery. Smoking also can shrink your blood vessels, reducing blood circulation. Poor blood flow can also slow down the healing process, requiring more time for you to recover.

Control Your Weight

If you were an unhealthy eater before your surgery, you should try to eat a healthier diet and reduce your weight. This is simply because a weight increase can put pressure on your knees. Eating healthy can help reduce your weight gain and help lessen the pressure on your knees so that you don’t injure yourself while your knees are healing.

Avoid Strenuous Exercises

Don’t attempt to lift heavy objects, jog for long distances, or perform other arduous tasks that can put additional strain on your knees. It is highly recommended that you get a lot of bed rest, drink water, and take it easy as you recover. This speeds up the recovery process and prevents you from injuring yourself. After surgery, the tissues have not fully fused or closed completely. You may also have an opening in your knee where the incision is covered by sutures. These areas can rip open easily with enough vigorous activity.

Perform Constant Stretches

Even though you should get rest, you shouldn’t be completely inert. It is a good idea to stretch to allow proper blood flow to get into your tissues. You can ask your surgeon what type of low-impact stretches would work best for your knees.

Eat High Nutrient Meals

It is a known fact that eating nutritious food can help you recover sooner. When you get the right vitamins and minerals, this allows your body to use them to repair itself faster.

Learn More From Knee Surgery Orthopedic Doctors

For additional tips and recommendations, speak to an orthopedic surgeon experienced in knee surgery who can provide you with more great advice. They’ve performed many different types of knee surgeries and understand what you’re experiencing. Before you take a particular pain medication, speak to your doctor first to make sure that it won’t cause any complications. If you have difficulty deciding what to eat or how you should reduce smoking, your doctor may have some solutions.