Joint Replacement Surgery: Planning Your Recovery

As with any surgery, the recovery process is an important step in your joint replacement journey. However, preparing for your recovery is just as important.

The following are some things to keep in mind when planning for your joint replacement recovery:

• Bring in help – If you live by yourself or you have children or pets to care for, consider asking a friend or relative to stay with you for a couple of days following your joint replacement surgery.
• Rearrange your house – Rearranging furniture and other household items prior to surgery can help make your recovery at home safer as well as more comfortable. This includes removing rugs, securing electrical cords, and moving furniture to allow for a wider walkway for your crutches, walker, or cane.
• Create a recovery area – Making a temporary recovery space can help make your recovery more comfortable. Your recovery area should include items you regularly need or use, such as a phone, water, chargers, and medication, as well as a sturdy chair that is easy to sit down in and get up from.
• Plan your meals and entertainment – Having healthy meals planned out ahead of time will reduce stress as well as make sure you maintain a good diet while involved in physical therapy. In addition, having books, magazines, games, and movies to watch during the initial days following surgery can help make the recovery process a little more tolerable.

For more information regarding total joint replacement or the recovery process, call our joint replacement specialists at Carolina Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center at 704-865-0077 or request an appointment online.