Dr Vijay Janagama is a Director, New Initiatives at SuVitas Holistic Healthcare (Bengaluru & hyderabad)

Wear and tear is a natural and inevitable damage that affects not just machines, but human beings too. As we age and constantly keep up with the activities of everyday lives, our bodies might show fatigue and degeneration. Thankfully, advances in medical sciences have helped us cope better. Human body parts can be repaired, refurbished or replaced. Knee replacement surgery is an elective clinical procedure performed to resurface a damaged knee. Metal and plastic parts along with the knee cap are used to top the ends of the knee joint bone. However, not everyone resumes to their normal pain-free lifestyle after the surgery. Pre-rehabilitation or rehabilitation before the knee replacement surgery has been a respite for many since it has been proven to bring considerable difference in patient's quality and pace of recovery.

A fit body always recovers first is a no-brainer. Yet most patients undergoing knee replacement surgery consider rehabilitation only after the procedure. After the surgery, in most cases, patient receives physical therapy sessions in the hospital for only a couple of days until discharge. Normally, physiotherapist will advise exercises which should be followed at home for up to three months to improve balance, strength and movement. However, patients who followed an active lifestyle and performed pre-rehabilitation tactics including performing of exercises for up to eight weeks until the surgery, recover faster.

Exercising before the surgery can be painful since it involves the movement of the damaged joint. Therefore only light impact exercises are recommended during this time. Activities like swimming, walking and cycling can help in keeping one to stay active without laying much stress on the knee. It is important to warm up before any exercise and only gradually move to vigorous movements.

The following set of knee exercises will help you recover to optimum function and activities soon after a knee replacement surgery.

nKnee Straightening: Place a rolled towel under the knees and another between the thighs. Squeeze the thighs inward while lifting one foot to straighten the knee. Hold for five to 10 seconds. Repeat eight to 15 times. You can do this exercise for three to five days a week.

nAnkle activities: Lie on your back keeping legs straight. Now pull your ankle up towards you and push back the opposite way. Repeat six times. 

nHeel slides: Pull your knee to your chest using a towel under the thigh and slide heel towards the buttocks. Hold it for five to 10 seconds and repeat at least 10 times.

nSitting knee bend and straighten: Sitting on the edge of a chair, move your heel backward to bend the knee and forward to straighten it.

nHamstring stretch: Sitting up tall on the edge of the chair, pull your lower belly to the spine. Now bend forward from your hips until you feel the stretch at the back of the thigh.

nArm chair push ups: Strengthen the muscles under your arms called triceps through this exercise. Sit in a chair with arm rest with hands on it, elbows bent. Now try to lift your body by straightening the elbows. Hold for five to 10 seconds and repeat for at least eight to 15 times per day.

All the above are indicative and actual exercises shall be personalised based on your existing condition.

Pre-rehabilitation before knee replacement surgery comprises of several components beyond exercises including diet adjustment, pain management, counseling and lifestyle modifications. This systematic way of preparing the body for the surgery reaps significant results in the recovery.