6 Best Positions to Sleep after a Knee Replacement

 

Pain after Knee Replacement:

Like any other surgery, a knee joint replacement surgery is also painful and good care needs to be taken during the recovery period. Thus, sleeping correctly with the right amount of support is necessary.

A knee replacement surgery can cause you pain for some days. As you are recovering, the discomfort and pain may make it difficult to sleep. Managing the pain after the surgery includes finding the right sleep position so you can not only sleep comfortably but also speed up your recovery process. Whether you sleep on your back, side, or stomach, the tricks mentioned below may help.

    1. Sleeping on Your Back – The best sleeping position just after your surgery is sleeping on your back. You should make sure that your operative leg stays as straight as possible to avoid hypertension of the knee and keep proper blood flow to the surgery site.If you are sleeping on your back, put the pillow under your calf and knee. This will not only cushion the knee from pressure but also keep your leg straight. If your pillow is flat, use a second pillow. You must, however, avoid placing the pillow under your foot, as it will put stress on your knees and increase your pain.


    2. Sleeping on Your Side – Some people find sleeping on their sides more comfortable, and if you are one of them, do not lie on your operative side. Also, put a cushion or pillow between your legs to provide cushion to the knee. In case you need more support, add another pillow to pad your knee to make the leg comfortable.
      Sleeping on the side can be painful because the leg is not straight enough. However, gradually, you can start sleeping on your side as the knee heals. But avoid sleeping on the operative side at all costs, as it puts a lot of pressure on the surgery site.



    3. Sleeping on Your Stomach – If you sleep on your stomach, after a knee joint replacement surgery, you should refrain from doing so. Lying on your abdomen puts direct pressure on your surgery site and can be very painful.You will heal between 3-6 weeks and after you have recovered, you can begin sleeping normally again. However, if the position you are used to sleeping in causes pain, avoid it for a few more days until you are completely healed.


    4. Taking Medicines 1 Hour Before Sleeping – You will be prescribed to take painkillers several times a day after the surgery. You should make sure that your last dose falls one hour before you sleep so that the medicines show the effect just when you sleep.


    5. Icing Your Knee to Dull the Pain Before Sleeping – One more thing that can be helpful is icing your knee for 15-20 minutes so that the area becomes numb and does not hurt. Put a towel on the area and then place the ice pack. Remove the ice pack and then sleep.


    6. Using a Wedge Pillow – The wedge pillow provides optimum support to your knee while elevating your leg just rightly. However, you will be required to sleep on your back while using a wedge pillow


Conclusion

After knee replacement surgery, several things need to be taken care of. The position you sleep in can affect the recovery time as well as pain caused by the surgery. This is why sleeping in the right position is necessary.

The post 6 Best Positions to Sleep after a Knee Replacement appeared first on .

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mucormycosis – Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment

Mucormycosis is a fungal infection primarily afflicting people with a vulnerable immune system caused by certain illnesses. Mucormycosis needs immediate attention and treatment because it can otherwise cause fatal results. Top healthcare centers like Shalby Hospital offer world-class infrastructure and treatment to patients diagnosed with Mucormycosis. What are the symptoms of mucormycosis? Mucormycosis often exhibits as skin or respiratory infection. Some of the common symptoms of this fungal infection are cough, fever, headache, nasal congestion, and sinus pain. Mucormycosis occurs through a skin infection, in any part of your body, with high chances of occurring in places that have skin trauma. The infection is quick to spread from one area of the body to another. The common indications of having Mucormycosis through skin infection is: Your skin tissues are turning black. There are sudden blisters all over your skin. Frequent fever. Red, tender, and inflamed skin texture. S...
Read more

Things to Keep in Mind About Hip Replacement Surgery

Image
All About Hip Replacement Surgery Hip replacement surgery is the procedure where a doctor removes the patient’s painful hip joint surgically and replaces it with the artificial joint, which is usually made from plastic and metal components. Hip replacement surgery is the last step when every other type of treatment options have failed to work and provide sufficient pain relief. People who have moderate to severe hip arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, or osteoarthritis that causes pain as well as interferes with everyday living. People who require the surgery are not able to perform daily tasks, such as walking, getting in and out of the chair, sleeping, etc. conveniently due to pain. Some patients may even have restricted movements due to stiffness caused by joint degeneration. Typically, 90% of the people who undergo such surgery have hip osteoarthritis. Apart from arthritis, some people have hip replacement surgery in order to correct issues re...
Read more

Advantages Of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery

Spinal problems can be very debilitating and extremely painful for most people. Several treatment procedures are available for spinal problems starting from physiotherapy to medicines, yet sometimes surgery may be the only option to treat the problem. The pain can originate from a variety of conditions. These may include damage to bones or specific pressure generated somewhere in the spine that irritates the nerve. Conditions like herniated or degenerated discs, misshapen vertebrae, or spinal stenosis anything may cause this condition. Seeing a Spine Specialist in India  is advisable if you are experiencing such a problem. If treatment options have been considered and none of them worked in providing proper relief to you, then surgery may be the only option left. Traditionally, open surgery has been practiced for a long time, and now  Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery  has become a hugely popular option. Traditional open surgery carries the risk of various complications, ...
Read more