If you have been dealing with serious ankle pain and stiffness due to arthritis or an injury for some time, then a total ankle replacement may give you the comfort and utility you've been waiting for. However, once your new ankle is in place and you've all healed, you will want to take steps to ensure the replacement joint continues to work well for years to come. Here are some tips to help you do just that.
1. Don't skimp on your physical therapy.
The goal of physical therapy after an ankle replacement is to stretch and strengthen the muscles, tendons, and ligaments connected to your new joint. The better job you do with your physical therapy, the greater your range of motion will be. And a greater range of motion leads to more strength in your ankle and a longer life expectancy from the joint itself. Attend all of your physical therapy appointments, and do all of the at-home exercises your therapist recommends.
Often, your physical therapist will give you the option of quitting after three months or continuing for another month or two. Continue on. It may be annoying at the time, but the extra therapy will benefit you later on.
2. Ease yourself back into exercise and activity.
It's so common for patients to get excited about being able to exercise with less pain, and then over-do it. This can add to other injuries and may make you rebound by being less active — which is not good. Be patient, and ease your way back into exercise over time. For instance, if you were a runner before your ankle replacement, don't start training for a 10k the month after surgery. Give yourself a few months of just walking, and then start doing a little jogging, and then start running serious workouts 9 -12 months later. Patience pays off in the end,
3. Maintain a healthy weight.
The heavier you are, the more strain there will be on your new ankle. If you are overweight, focus on losing a few pounds. If you are at a healthy weight, work on staying there. If this is something you struggle with, don't do it alone! Enroll in a weight loss program at a local gym or with a registered dietitian. Maintaining a healthy weight will help your ankle replacement last longer and with fewer side effects.
To learn more about life after ankle replacement surgery and caring for your new ankle, reach out to services like Ankle & Foot Clinic Of Everett.
Share18 June 2020
When I developed tendinitis of my foot and ankle, my podiatrist helped me on the road to recovery. An over-use injury from the job caused me considerable pain in my foot and ankle. Ice, elevation, rest, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory relieved my inflammation of the tendons. My podiatrist also prescribed physical therapy, which helped restore my mobility. Gentle stretching exercises performed during physical therapy seemed to have a positive effect. I was shown how to follow up these exercises at home. After several weeks of following doctor's orders, my podiatrist was happy with the results. The bottom line is if you're suffering from foot pain or injury, you should see a foot specialist as soon as possible because treatment options are available.
