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<br> If you have ever had surgery in the past, then you must already know that post-operative care is just as important as the success of the operation itself. Undergoing a knee or hip surgery is only the first step towards resolving your hip/knee-related issues, however, you must avoid placing too much pressure on these areas as doing so can easily lead to an injury.
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Post-Surgery Recovery after a Hip and Knee Replacement In Australia, over 100,000 people a year have to undergo a hip or knee operation. On average, hospitals keep patients for one to two days after a knee surgery and two to five days after a hip replacement. Although some people prefer to stay longer to ensure they can perform everyday tasks, such as getting out of bed without assistance, going to the toilet, or climbing the stairs, to name a few. Some people go to a rehabilitation center until their wounds have fully healed. However, many people choose to come home after their stay at the hospital. If you are one of those people, it is imperative that you have all the necessary tools at home to help you during the recovery process. In the first days and weeks at home, some of life’s little tasks like getting dressed or feeling steady while going to the toilet might be challenging. Bettercaremarket encourages people to have a few handy gadgets to make these tasks as stress-free—and safe—as possible. The following mobility tools are definitely a must-have. i. Reache A hip or knee replacement surgery may leave a person unable to have full range of physical movement for a small period of time. Picking up, pushing or pulling things, and even holding something firmly becomes a major issue. This is where reachers come into play. A reacher uses a simple pulley like mechanism to help you pull, push, hold, or puck up things. This tool can be considered as an extension of your arm. A reacher is a mobility tool that is usually between 66 cm-81 cm in length. Some brands make it with an aluminium shaft so that it’s lighter and easier to pick up. It has a handle on one end and a gripper or claw on the other. A
trigger is placed on the handle, allowing you to pick up items with it using just two fingers. Our reacher from Handi-Grip is lightweight and brightly coloured allowing to be seen easily. The ergonomic handle responds to a gentle push or pull of the lever just with 2 fingers. The claw is made of slip-resistant material. ii. Forearm Crutches We would definitely recommend getting forearm crutches as they will shift the weight off of your hips and knees to your arms, allowing you to move freely without the fear of placing too much pressure on your hips/knees that can cause an injury. Our forearm crutches have an ergonomically soft grip designed to help with comfort by supporting the palm and spreading the pressure. iii. Multifunctional Chair for your bathroom There is a range of devices that can be used in the bathroom and that serve as a fall prevention. Our multifunctional chair is an innovative and handy piece of equipment that combines 6 functions in 1: walking frame, over toilet frame, shower chair, raised toilet seat, toilet surround frame, bedside commode and toilet handrail. Acting as a toilet frame will be especially helpful to you, since bending to the toilet, chair or couch will be very difficult without support. This multifunctional chair allows you to walk as you can hold its frame for support (like you would do with forearm crutches), but with the added advantage of letting you sit on it as well, as and when needed. You can also use it as a shower chair: it is sturdy and firm. You will find the chair easier to get up from. iv. Ice Pack It’s likely that you’ll experience some swelling for 2 to 3 weeks following surgery. It’s a good idea to invest in an ice pack as it is very effective for reducing swelling and inflammation in your knee joint and the surrounding
tissue. It’s generally recommended that you use an ice pack 3 to 4 times a day for about 20 minutes each time. Get a recommendation from your physical therapist or doctor if you see no improvement, or if you think additional icing might help. After several weeks, you may also benefit from applying heat to your knee. Also, ice packs improve blood circulation in the knees, stimulating the healing process and helping you recover quickly. Using ice packs can also reduce the feeling of stiffness, swelling, or any pain you may experience in the knees. Our Ice Bag Wrap from Vulkan has adjustable neoprene straps that allows you to control the compression level. It can be used as a regular brace during your physiotherapy activities or while walking. v. Hip Protectors Hip protectors are padded devices which are fitted in special underwear (in a pocket aiming it to keep the pad in place) and sit over the hip joint. They are mostly a precautionary step to protect your hips against any sudden and accidental impacts, like a fall. Most of the impact is absorbed by the hip pad, preventing any damage to your hips and helping them recover as fast as possible. The hip protectors are an excellent tool to use during your rehabilitation time. vi. Dressing aid Dressing your lower body can be challenging after your surgery. It requires standing up, bending, and moving the legs in different positions. A number of dressing aids can help people easily dress without having to go through pain. A long-handled shoehorn and sock aid will definitely help you. The shoehorn helps you guide your foot into a shoe while a sock aid assists you to put on socks without bending. You can also use a reacher to place your clothing (skirt, pants or underpants) at the foot of your operated leg.
