The Benefits of Physiotherapy and Pilates After a Total Knee Replacement

Recovering from a total knee replacement (TKR) can be a long journey. However incorporating physiotherapy and Pilates into your rehabilitation plan can significantly enhance your recovery. Both physiotherapy and Pilates help improve strength, balance, and proprioception – critical components in regaining full mobility and function after surgery.

Why Physiotherapy and Pilates Matter

1. Strengthening: After knee replacement surgery, the muscles around the knee often become weak due to disuse. Physiotherapy exercises target these muscles to rebuild strength, helping support the knee joint and reduce the risk of injury. Pilates, with its focus on controlled movements and core engagement, further strengthens the entire lower body, which provides better support and stability for the knee.
2. Balance: Both physiotherapy and Pilates emphasise balance exercises that help restore stability and coordination. After surgery, many patients experience difficulty standing or walking without assistance. Balance training strengthens stabilising muscles, improving your confidence and independence as you move through daily activities.
3. Proprioception: This is your body’s ability to sense its position in space. After knee surgery, proprioception can be impaired, leading to difficulty with tasks like navigating uneven surfaces. Pilates and physiotherapy focus on exercises that challenge and retrain proprioceptive abilities, helping you regain awareness of your knee’s position and improving your overall movement control.

4 Easy At-Home Exercises after a Knee Replacement

1. Quad isometrics
   Target: Quadriceps muscles
   How to do it: Sit with your leg extended straight out in front of you. Tighten your thigh muscle by pushing the back of your knee down toward the floor. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10-15 times.

Dosage: 2 x 10 reps, 10 second holds

• Seated knee extension
  Target: knee range of motion, quadriceps
  How to do it: Sit upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent to a comfortable position. Slowly straighten your injured knee, then lower it back to the starting position. 

Dosage: 3 x 10 reps

• Semi tandem stance balance
  Target: Balance and proprioception
  How to do it: Stand tall, have your injured leg forward, slightly in front of the other with feet about 10cm apart. Change feet and repeat again. 

Dosage: 3 x 30 secs each side. 

• Standing knee flexion 

Target: knee range of motion, hamstrings

Start standing with your feet hip width apart and have something to hold onto in front of you (i.e. chair or kitchen bench). Slowly bend your injured knee, taking your foot towards your bottom. Slowly lower your foot back to the floor. 

Dosage: 3 x 10 reps.

Additionally incorporating physiotherapy and Pilates into your post-knee replacement routine offers a holistic approach to healing. Furthermore strengthening the muscles around the knee, improving balance, and enhancing proprioception can lead to better long-term outcomes, increased independence, and a faster return to normal activities. Book in with one of our experienced physios before starting any exercise routine to ensure these movements are safe and appropriate for your recovery stage.