Excellent Knee Replacement Recovery Tips

Pain Relief Medication

Pain relief medication will be provided for patients immediately following surgery, and additional medicines for pain relief will be recommended once patients return home. At the hospital, opioid medications such as morphine and oxycodone may be used after the procedure, though they are generally only used for a day or two. If patients experience severe pain once they are at home, doctors may recommend other strong pain relievers. Within the first week after a knee replacement, most patients can switch to using prescription-strength anti-inflammatory medicines like ibuprofen and naproxen. Eventually, patients usually move to just using regular-strength over-the-counter pain relievers. They gradually reduce these until they are no longer needed. Some pain relievers can cause stomach bleeding, confusion, constipation, and other side effects. Patients should use the lowest dose that alleviates their pain, and doctors should be informed of any concerns or increasing pain.

Get to know the next piece of advice for recovering from a knee replacement.