Patients at OSR that have knee injuries know that they can be one of the most painful and inconvenient injuries to encounter. Sometimes they cause complete immobility and other times they can make normal day-to-day activities a struggle. Generally when you get knee surgery you are expecting to restart your active lifestyle as soon as possible. This is not always the case. Often patients recovering from major surgeries can see weight gain as a common outcome.
Recent studies have suggested that patients who have knee replacement surgeries have a 60% chance of gaining 5% or more of their body weight within five years. This isn’t to say that the surgeries are unsuccessful, in fact usually they have great results. People who were previous immobile, now have the ability to complete their daily functions well.
This leads to the question: why are post-surgery patients prone to weight gain?
In 2013, researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University completed a study of the weight gain in knee replacement patients. They concluded that it was the patient’s lifestyle prior to the surgery that affected their post-surgery recovery the most. Due to unhealthy lifestyle while still injured, patients often continue on with their sedentary lifestyle even after they have had the knee replacement surgery. Most patients that are overweight are actually encouraged to lose weight before they have the surgery. This leads to a sort of a reverse effect and the patient tends to gain all of the weight back because they carry on with their lackadaisical lifestyle.
If you start to plan your new habits long before your surgery you have the best chance of avoiding the post-surgery pounds. If you create guidelines for yourself before the surgery you are more likely to stick to them and it will be a great jump start to your new lifestyle. With your new health conscious post-surgery plan and your brand new knee you will recover with ease. Creating an exercise plan that fits your
Increased weight increases the risk of other health problems including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Carrying around extra pounds also puts stress on your joints, leading to further problems with your legs and hips.
At OSR we can focus on creating you a program utilizing mild aerobic exercises that are suitable for knee replacement patients. You will be able to avoid post-surgery weight gain by incorporating a healthy diet with your exercise program. With our help you will have a successful recovery and you will be able to avoid weight gain in the process.
References:
https://enwslttr.com/Oahu-Spine-Rehab/pt-enewsletter/2014/03#article1