What should you know about prehab knee replacement?

A physiotherapist may assess your walking, knee movement, leg strength, balance, and ability to manage everyday tasks. The programme can include exercises for the thigh, hip, and core, together with gentle range-of-motion practice. You may also learn how to use crutches or a walker, protect the operated leg, and pace activity after surgery. The aim is preparation, not pushing through sharp pain or worsening swelling.

Planning matters too. Arrange help with meals, bathing, transport, and stairs, and ask which medicines or health conditions need attention before the operation. Prehab is adjusted to your symptoms and general health; a programme suitable for one person may be unsuitable for another.

Attend the assessment with a list of medicines, previous operations, and questions about the surgical plan. Practise the exercises exactly as taught and record symptoms that appear during or after them. Keep moving within your limits with short walks or other approved activity, while avoiding falls and high-impact loading. Prepare a clear route at home and place frequently used items within easy reach.

Helpful reading includes [Prehabilitation](/treatments/physiotherapy-and-rehabilitation/prehabilitation/) and [Total Knee Replacement](/treatments/joint-replacement/total-knee-replacement/). If your history includes another ligament problem, your clinician may also discuss [ACL Tear](/conditions/acl-tear/) or [ACL Reconstruction](/treatments/sports-and-arthroscopic-surgery/acl-reconstruction/).

Contact your care team if an exercise causes sudden severe pain, a new inability to bear weight, marked swelling, or a knee that becomes hot and increasingly red. Seek urgent medical help for chest pain, severe breathlessness, fainting, or a painful swollen calf. New fever or drainage from a wound before surgery also deserves prompt advice. These signs need assessment rather than a harder exercise session.

Which exercises are appropriate for my knee and other joints? What level of discomfort is acceptable during practice? Should I use a brace, stick, crutches, or walker? How should I manage stairs and bathing at home? Which symptoms should make me stop exercising or contact the team?