In this guide
The knee carries the body’s weight with every step, and when it has been operated on or worn down, rehabilitation makes a big difference to the result: getting back a knee that bends, straightens fully and holds you up to walk, climb stairs or return to sport. In the first weeks, when getting around is hard, a home physiotherapist lets you start early and work in your real surroundings: your bed, your chair, your stairs.
When to see a physio for your knee
Rehabilitation is prescribed by the surgeon or doctor. It is especially useful:
- after a total or partial knee replacement;
- after a cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction or meniscus surgery;
- after a fracture around the knee or a serious sprain;
- with knee arthritis (osteoarthritis) that hurts and makes walking difficult.
After a knee replacement
Rehabilitation usually starts the day after the operation, in hospital, and continues at home for several weeks. The first goals are to straighten the knee fully, bend it little by little, bring the swelling down and walk again with two crutches, then one, then none.
The physio guides the bending and straightening exercises, strengthens the thigh, works on balance and teaches you to go up and down stairs safely. Between sessions, short exercises several times a day, ice and raising the leg help a lot against swelling. Progress is steady over two to three months, and the knee keeps improving over the following year.
After a cruciate ligament operation
ACL rehabilitation goes in stages, each one completed before moving to the next:
- the first weeks: get full straightening back, work the thigh, bring the swelling down and walk without limping;
- then: gradually strengthen the thigh, the back of the thigh and the hip, and work on balance on one leg;
- around the third or fourth month, often: return to running, if the knee is ready;
- later, often after six to nine months: return to pivoting and contact sports such as football, with the surgeon’s agreement.
At home, the physio adapts the exercises with simple equipment such as resistance bands. Respecting the stages, even when the knee feels fine, protects the graft.
With knee arthritis
With arthritis, moving is part of the treatment: long rest weakens the muscles and stiffens the knee, which increases the pain. The physio strengthens the thigh muscles that protect the knee, keeps it supple, suggests suitable walking and helps ease the pain.
They also show you simple exercises to do every day at home. Keeping a steady weight, wearing good shoes and, when needed, using a cane on the side opposite the painful knee also take load off the joint.
What a home session looks like
A session usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes. All it takes is a bed or a mat, a stable chair and, if possible, an ice pack. The physio brings their small equipment and uses the stairs at home for everyday exercises.
The pace is set with the surgeon or doctor: often two to three sessions a week at first, then further apart as the patient becomes independent with their exercises.
Warning signs
A swollen, warm, red or painful calf, sudden breathlessness or chest pain after an operation can be the sign of a blood clot: call emergency services at once (15 or 141). A red, warm or weeping scar, fever, or a knee that suddenly swells and becomes very painful also mean calling the surgeon, without waiting for the physio session.
Reimbursement
When prescribed by a doctor, physiotherapy can be covered by AMO (CNSS or CNOPS) or your insurer, depending on your cover. You need the prescription and a care sheet filled in by the physio. On Kinezy, physios who provide one say so on their profile.
This guide gives general information. It doesn’t replace the advice of your doctor or physio, who know your situation.