AARP Hearing Center
How Can I Best Heal From Knee Replacement Surgery?
Prehab, better nutrition and managing chronic conditions can help you bounce back more quickly after the procedure
James Yates
Are there things I can do to heal faster from upcoming knee surgery?
These days, knee replacements are practically a rite of passage for aging joints. From a public health standpoint, it’s one of the most common procedures for older people. Over half of adults in the U.S. diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis undergo a total knee replacement during their lifetime.
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In other words, you’re stepping into something very well studied and very well done.
Your question is not only important but will likely also help a good many readers, because the biggest misconception I hear from my patients is that they believe their recovery begins after surgery. It doesn’t. It starts before, with pre-habilitation, or “prehab.” While most of us think about rehabilitation, which focuses on restoring the knee’s range of motion and regaining mobility after surgery, the truth is this: The better shape you’re in before going for your procedure, the easier recovery tends to be.
Still, it’s not unusual to hear, “If my knee hurts, how am I supposed to exercise?”
It’s a fair question, and this is where a physical therapist can help. Even if your joint is painful and limited presurgery, you can still strengthen the muscles around it, especially the quadriceps. These are the muscles on the front of your thigh that help straighten and stabilize your knee. If they’re weak, your knee joint will absorb more stress. Research on pre-habilitation shows that patients who go into knee surgery stronger tend to recover function more effectively afterward.
Ask Dr. Adam
Adam B. Rosenbluth, M.D., is an internist and cardiologist in New York City. Each Monday, he’ll weigh in on your questions about how to make your body work better for you. His AARP book will be published in 2027. Join in on the conversation on social media @dradamrosenbluth to learn to move the needle on your personal health in an achievable way.
At the same time, this could be your opportunity to tune up your overall health. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid issues or other chronic conditions, getting them well controlled beforehand can reduce complications and improve healing.
It’s also worth checking for iron deficiency anemia, which becomes more common with age and can slow recovery by limiting oxygen delivery to tissues. And while it doesn’t always get enough attention, vitamin D matters, too. Many older adults run low, and this vitamin plays an important role in bone and muscle health.
If you smoke and can’t quit, please try to take a break. Smoking constricts blood vessels, reducing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to healing tissue. Ideally, people stop several weeks before surgery, but even quitting briefly beforehand can improve oxygenation and support recovery.
Nutrition is another aspect that’s often underestimated. After surgery, your body is rebuilding itself, and that requires fuel. Protein is especially important because it provides the building blocks for tissue repair. It’s so important to help your body stay vital by paying attention to your diet several weeks before your operation.
Sleep also deserves more attention. Healing happens when you rest. Before and after surgery, prioritizing good sleep — between seven and nine hours nightly — can make a real difference. One study found that patients 65 and older who got less than five hours of sleep the night before undergoing certain surgeries were more likely to experience temporary problems with memory and attention for the first few weeks after surgery.
Nerves can keep us awake at night, and it’s one reason why our mindset is so crucial. It’s normal to feel anxious, but preparation can help to turn that anxiety into action. When you’re exercising, improving your diet and planning ahead, you’re giving yourself a sense of control, which helps to tame those presurgery jitters.
Prehab will improve your recovery going into surgery, but rehabilitation after knee replacement is just as important. It plays a key role in restoring flexibility and function, and can help prevent the stiffness that sometimes develops when a new joint isn’t used or exercised regularly.
Let me leave you with one question that I ask my patients. “Has your painful knee already changed your life?” If it’s keeping you from doing things you love, like walking, traveling or playing with your grandchildren, that matters. And the most common thing I hear after recovery is not how hard it was but how people wish they hadn’t waited so long. You might want to keep that in mind.
So, yes. There’s quite a lot you can do to heal faster — and most of it begins before you’re rolled into the operating room.
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