Flex Machine - Post Knee Replacement

Will a flex machine post knee replacement help?

Getting a surgery is a very big step for a person who has been suffering knee problems. But it is a known fact that getting an artificial knee does not mean you can get back into the normal life immediately. You and your new knee must undergo several processes to regain its functions. Part of these processes is the flex machine post knee replacement.

You may wonder, "How can a flex machine aid a person who has just undergone surgery?"

A Quick Look on Knee Surgery

People who are suffering from osteoarthritis are the most common candidates for knee surgery. In their case, a lot of factors have contributed to the reduction of the cartilage that protects the joints. Because of cartilage loss, the joints are more prone to contact. The contact results to extreme pain for the patients.

The extreme pain is due to the fact that the knee is under huge pressure while a person is doing the simplest of tasks like bending the knee or even standing up. To relieve the pain and to regain the ability of the patient to move freely again, it is necessary to have the entire knee with artificial ones.

Enter the Flex Machines

A flex machine is basically an equipment used in a method called continuous passive motion or CPM. CPM is a way for a patient to get used to the artificial knee and at the same time regain the strength of the lower bones and muscles.

Center to the CPM treatment is the flex machine, which is device that places in the joint in constant movement. The motion is dependent on the actual joint itself, but the machines are usually programmable; the intensity and the range of movement can increase over time.

These machines are often part of the physical rehabilitation program of many hospitals. The legs of the patients are strapped on the flex machine and moved by themselves, sometimes for a big fraction of the day. After being subjected to a flex machine, patients then would start walking exercises on rails with the assistance of physical therapists.

Effects of Flex Machines

Since patients are placed on flex machines almost immediately after surgery, they can become a good indicator of how the artificial knee has adapted to the legs of the patient. Doctors can easily detect if there are abnormalities on the surgery. Flex machines can also help reduce the possibility of stiffness of the artificial knee.

The flex machines also act like exercise equipment for the patient. Since the patients are usually seated or lying in bed, their lower body is slowly retrained without the usual impact that one feels during physical exercise.

Perhaps the most important benefit of the flex machine is the ability to reduce the length of post-rehabilitation treatment. Typically, sessions last for around three months or more depending on the complexity of the operation. With the help of flex machines, patients are able to get up and walk much faster. There are even reports of people getting to walk without personal assistance days after their operation.

A strict doctor ordered rehabilitation always follows knee replacement surgery. Unfortunately, this rehab is only enough to give you some mobility and get back part of your life. They don't expect people with knee replacements to have the full abilities like they once did, so they don't even try. With the right exercise and routines, though, you can have that life back, despite what the doctors tell you. Take the time to learn about rehabilitation from knee replacement surgery, and how you can ease your fear of living a sedentary life by taking action.