If you sustain an injury to your knee or require surgery to return your knee to proper function, you will need to exercise and strengthen the muscles around your knee to regain full use and range of motion. The length of time needed to rehabilitate your knee depends on the extent of injury or type of surgery performed and several other factors.
Rehab After Injury
After a knee injury, such as a sprain or overuse injury, your doctor will instruct you about treatment specific to your situation. The length of time needed for rehab will depend on the extent of your injury. In most cases, you will initially need to rest your knee from painful impact and use ice to reduce pain and swelling. If ligaments and soft tissues are involved, pain and swelling may delay your ability to rehabilitate your knee. If you break your knee or other leg bones, you must wait until the bones have healed before beginning rehab. After the majority of the pain and swelling subside, you may be instructed to begin rehabilitation exercise. An overuse injury may heal faster than a break or sprain.
Dr. Mark Juhn, University of Washington School of Medicine, says that patients with overuse injuries should perform strengthening exercises for 20 minutes every day for at least six weeks. Rehab after a break or other injury that prevents you from using your muscles may take up to six months or longer.
Rehab After Total Knee Replacement Surgery
Patients who suffer from significant knee pain, deformity or degeneration may undergo knee arthroplasty, also called a total knee replacement. Rehabilitation often begins the first day after surgery and may continue for up to a year before the patient receives the full benefit of the surgery -- although the majority of the rehab is complete after about 12 weeks.
Rehab After Minimally Invasive Surgery
Because minimally invasive surgery, MIS, removes only the diseased portion of the knee and the incision is only 1/3 to 1/4 the size of traditional knee replacement surgery, rehabilitation is generally much quicker, usually about five weeks.
Shortening Rehab Times
Following your doctor's order can help speed your recovery and rehabilitation. Your doctor will often prescribe anti-inflammatory medication, physical therapy -- including stretching and strengthening exercises -- and suggest ways to modify your lifestyle to prevent re-injuring your knee. Strict adherence to your doctor's advice can help shorten your rehab and help you return to your normal lifestyle more quickly. Elderly patients tend to have shorter rehab times after knee arthroscopy than younger patients, and people with a higher body mass index, or BMI, have longer rehab times.
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