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Joint Replacement Rehabilitation

Authored by Michelle Eliason, MS, OTR/L, CKTS, C.D.S.

Joint Replacement Rehab Buffalo Occupational Therapy Aging with Purpose - Buffalo Occupational Therapy

What is the role of outpatient occupational therapy for a joint replacement?

Outpatient occupational therapy, like every other outpatient rehabilitation, is a specialized area of rehab that makes the ability to recover more accessible for you when you return home. Occupational therapy uses a hybrid approach to rehabilitation which begins by correcting the physical aspects of joint rehabilitation and ends with ensuring you can accomplish all of the activities you find meaningful in your daily life.

How are joint replacement surgeries conducted? 

What are the different types of joint replacement surgeries? 

Most Popular Procedures

  • Total hip replacement
  • Total shoulder replacement
  • Total knee replacement

Joint Replacement Rehab Buffalo Occupational Therapy Aging with Purpose 1 - Buffalo Occupational Therapy
Post Stroke Rehabilitation Older Adults Buffalo Occupational Therapy Buffalo NY 2 - Buffalo Occupational Therapy

Meaningful activities [occupations] affected after joint replacement surgery. 

Total hip replacement

  • Getting up and down from a chair or bed
  • Walking around your home or the community
  • Carrying a child or groceries while maintaining precautions or getting stronger
  • Standing for extended periods of time at the sink or stove 
  • Putting on your pants, socks, and shoes while maintaining precautions

Total shoulder replacement

  • Putting on your shirt or jacket
  • Driving 
  • Fulfilling caregiving roles 
  • Showering 
  • Shoveling (in winter) 
  • Writing (with non-dominant hand) 

Total knee replacement

  • Getting up and down from a chair or bed
  • Walking around your home or the community
  • Getting into and out of your bed
  • Carrying a child or groceries while maintaining precautions or getting stronger
  • Standing for extended periods of time at the sink or stove 
  • Putting on edema sleeves or compression garments

What are some questions you can ask your doctor before committing to a joint replacement surgery?

  • Is this joint replacement surgery 100% necessary, what are some alternative options? 
  • What is the recovery time and what is the realistic level of pain I will be in while I recover?
  • How will my range of motion be affected after this procedure? Will it be back to the normal I expect? Or will I always have some range of motion changes? 
  • Can I expect to be 100% after recovery? 
  • How long is rehabilitation for this replacement? Should I have someone lined up before my procedure? 
  • Should my occupational therapist conduct a pre-joint replacement assessment of my house and condition in order to establish a prior level of function and give me advice? 

What are some problems occupational therapy can address?

Check out other problems we help resolve!

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Helpful Page Definititions

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs)

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are essential for independence in life roles and required for aging in place. There are 8 activities core activities for independence including cooking, cleaning, communication, taking and managing medication, handling your personal finances, transportation and community mobility, shopping

Cooking - The ability to follow a recipe and having the stamina to prepare a meal for yourself and/or your family

Cleaning -   The ability to perform light housekeeping including making your bed, doing your laundry, washing the dishes, taking out the trash, vacuuming, sweeping, cleaning your bathroom, etc. 

Communication - The ability to use the telephone, the computer, have conversations with people (familiar and strangers), communicate your needs clearly.

Taking medication - The ability to sort and organize your medication or determine a compensatory method to do so as well as taking the appropriate dosage at the appropriate time. 

Personal Finances - The ability to establish an organization method to understand financial responsibilities and pay your bills on time. 

Transportation - Whether you are driving, calling for a driving service like a taxi or Uber, or taking public education. You must have a defined action plan for community mobility and transportation.

Shopping - The ability to plan transportation, plan a grocery/clothing list of needs for yourself and your home, have the stamina to collect your items at the store, and be able to get them into your house. 

Activities of Daily Living

Occupational therapists are trained in occupations and activity analysis. An occupation is an activity that you believe is important to your life. There are many levels of occupations, but activities of daily living (ADLs) are the most personal activities and are usually the ones people find most important if they were to lose the ability to complete them.  

ADLs include:

  • Bathing and showering
  • Getting dressed
  • Going to the bathroom
  • Walking and getting up and down from a chair or car
  • Eating and swallowing
  • Feeding 
  • Sexual activity 
  • Personal hygiene and grooming
  • Being able to use personal care devices like adaptive equipment and durable medical equipment 
author avatar
Michelle
My name is Michelle E! I have been practicing for 8 years. I work in outpatient rehabilitation with adults, but love research and development.