The Basics
Your commitment and dedication to rehabilitation over a period of several months or more will play a major role in the success of your surgery as well as the speed of your recovery. Rehabilitation consists primarily of physical and mental exercises designed to help your knee regain strength and flexibility following surgery and, eventually, to assist you in returning to sport and physical activity. Icing/cryotherapy and other therapeutic activities may also be part of your rehabilitation program. Your surgeon will prescribe a rehabilitation program that is tailored to your specific needs throughout the healing process. Most likely, your rehabilitation program will include exercises for you to complete at home on your own and activities for you to do at a clinic under the supervision of a physical therapist, athletic trainer, or other rehabilitation professional.
As you progress through rehabilitation, the nature and emphasis of the exercises and activities is likely to change. The early phase of rehabilitation generally focuses on decreasing the swelling around the knee and increasing the flexibility of the knee in terms of both flexion and extension. Subsequent phases of rehabilitation are typically designed to enhance the strength and functioning of the knee with an eventual focus on facilitating the transition back into sport and other forms of vigorous physical activity.
