In 2020, Upstate Physical Therapy was asked by local orthopedic surgeons to see total knee replacements as soon as two days after surgery.
Historically, patients received 3-4 weeks of home health therapy but outcomes were unreliable at best and more often than not, very poor. Physicians were frustrated at patients returning for their one month post operative follow-up with both painful and stiff knees.
Instead of being asked to “fix” these poor outcomes as they had in the past, Upstate Physical Therapy was now asked to prevent them. When looking back at all the outcomes from patients who started their physical therapy with us instead of home health, we saw excellent outcomes!
The average patient was bending their knee to 112 degrees by the third week (was often less than 90 degrees with home health) and patient pain reports were significantly lower. It makes perfect sense to us and the surgeon…motion is lotion to the joint. A knee that moves better feels better!
How are we able to accomplish this when so many other therapists routinely struggle to get great results?
We spend quality time with our patients. We don’t push a patient’s knee but we teach them how they have to work their knee to get it better. We simplify what we ask patients to do in their rehab and we demand excellence in how diligently a patient works to get better. We are gentle but honest and we know what works.
So if a patient does what we ask, they consistently get what they’re supposed to out of their rehabilitation. Patient, doctor and therapist are all happy with these outcomes!
Total Knee Mentor Program
Because of the high volume of total knee replacement patients that we see, we have the ability to pair each new total knee patient with an existing total knee patient who is further along in their rehabilitation.
Not only do you get encouragement from your therapist, you also have the ability to ask questions and get encouragement from another patient in our practice who has been in your shoes just a few weeks earlier.
All you have to do is ask for a total knee mentor and we will introduce you to a patient who is excited to help you!