How to Safely Return to Strength Training After Joint Surgery

Strength training is important to you, but you damaged a joint and underwent surgery. Now that you’re on the path of recovery, you want to get back to strength training. How do you do that without causing more damage?

A total knee arthroplasty is one of the most common joint surgeries, yet 30% of patients are unhappy a year later. Why?

18% walk slower
24% end up falling at least once after the surgery
51% climb stairs slower
75% struggle to climb stairs

Here’s the scariest part of this. Only 26% of patients in a Medbridge study were referred to a rehabilitation program. Help navigating your joint surgery recovery is essential.

Managing Post-Op Pain

After joint surgery, avoid pain by following your surgeon’s instructions carefully. One of the most important tips is to stay ahead of the pain. You might feel great the day after, but it can take a few days for the worst of the pain to appear.

If you’re advised to take over-the-counter pain medications every 4 hours, set an alarm and make sure you take them as recommended. After the first three or four days, you can taper that down if your surgeon says it’s okay.

A surgeon might have you alternate doses of ibuprofen and acetaminophen to maximize pain relief. Again, follow this recommended schedule. Don’t try to tough it out. Living with pain impedes the healing process.

In addition to over-the-counter pain relievers, it’s also important to use other non-medication pain management strategies. This includes the use of ice, if recommended. Compression dressings or bandages are essential, too.

Sharp or traveling pains can be a problem. If the pain intensifies after joint surgery or spreads to other areas, call your surgeon ASAP. It can indicate a blood clot.

Once you’re able to start light exercise again, don’t dive right in. Protect your new joint by getting medical guidance as you get back to strength training.

The Value of Physical Therapy During Your Recovery

Physical therapy is a priority as you recover from joint surgery and return to strength training. These medical professionals have training in how the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones work together.

You don’t want to overexert and damage your muscles, ligaments, or tendons. You cannot jump right back to your old activities. A physical therapist knows the best movements to build strength without overworking one muscle group or another.

The role of a physical therapist is to establish a program that helps you gain strength in a slow, non-damaging way. With a physical therapist’s guidance, you get back to your old activities without damaging tissue or causing stiffness that slows you down.

Physical therapists also excel in pain management techniques. With therapies like massage, you learn new ways to ease pain as you return to your former activities.

Here’s what you can expect when you work with a physical therapist.

Initial meeting to analyze your medical history and surgery.
Completion of specific activities to assess your ability to do simple things like stand up, sit down, walk upstairs, wash your hair, or other tasks that the new joint should help you complete.
You learn simple exercises that help you build muscle and joint strength without damaging the surgical repairs.
Advancing exercises help reawaken muscles that haven’t been used since the surgery.
You’re taught movements and exercises to complete at home.
Pain management techniques are also discussed, and you learn when to stop and use pain relief techniques as you get back into strength training.

Improve Joint Stability

The surgery repaired your joint, and it’s your job to make sure you improve your joint’s stability as you return to your strength training exercises. One wrong move could lead to unbalanced muscle development, which increases pain and puts you back to the starting point.

Miniature Progressive Overload (MPO) involves making small, controlled movements to help healing tissue strengthen without increasing pain or damage. It prevents inflammation in tissue that’s going through workouts. It’s done following these steps:

Use repetitions rather than weight to strengthen muscles.
Take a minute or more between sets.
Add more sets or frequency of strength training as you progress.
Increase the depth or reach of each movement by fractions of an inch over time.
Decrease the rest period between sets.
Add weights once your surgeon agrees it’s time.
Use the lightest weight at first and increase by a pound or two each week, as is recommended by your physical therapist or orthopedist.

Going too fast, too soon, could lead to reinjury that requires additional surgical repair. It’s always best to ask for a referral to a physical therapist. If your surgeon doesn’t offer one, ask.

Stay Alert for Your Body’s Warning Signs

Whether you’re working with a physical therapist or have completed your physical therapy sessions, you need to monitor your body for signs of pain. A new pain or a slight tweak could be disastrous for your recovery and your return to strength training.

If you experience pain, RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation) is critical. Call your doctor while you rest that joint. It might be nothing alarming, but you shouldn’t take the risk.

Nutrition Is Also Important

The foods you eat are another piece of the recovery process. Your tissue needs fuel to heal and grow. A diet high in processed foods isn’t going to help. Instead, make sure you’re getting enough of the following.

Calcium: Calcium and vitamin D help with muscle contractions and nerve function. They’re also key components in strong bones.
Carbohydrates: Your liver and muscles store carbohydrates as glycogen. Glycogen is a fuel source during a workout. Fiber-rich complex carbs like oats, sweet potatoes, and whole grains are best.
Healthy Fats: Healthy unsaturated fats found in items like almonds, avocados, fatty fish, and olive oil support muscle growth and strength because they play an essential role in testosterone production.
Iron: Iron from foods like leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and red meat helps maintain the flow of oxygen throughout the body.
Potassium: Potassium is an electrolyte found in items like bananas that help your muscles contract and maintain fluid levels in the muscle cells.
Protein: A building block for muscle growth. Aim for 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound of body weight each day. You should eat 15 to 30 grams after a workout.

Obtain Medical Clearance

Never start a strength training program without receiving medical clearance from your surgeon. That’s an essential first step. Your surgeon may refer you to a sports and orthopedic specialist. If not, Premium Sports & Orthopedics is here for you.

Serving Fresno-area residents and athletes, our team includes experts in strength training, pain management, and advances in tissue and cell repair. We understand the biomechanics of joint movement and how surgical hardware affects it.

Don’t risk reinjury. Let us help you establish a plan that allows tissue to heal and muscle to strengthen. Please schedule a consultation with Premium Sports & Orthopedics using our online calendar.