Dr. Slava Shut

The knees are complex joints used to sit, stand, walk, run, and jump. There are tendons and ligaments going throughout the knee that connect the lower leg to the thigh. When everything is working together perfectly, you don’t even notice all the different things that are holding you up.

If one of your knees ends up somehow in a dangerous position like the one I show in this video, this could cause significant damage. You only get one pair of knees, so if something goes terribly wrong you’ll have to have surgery to fix it.

It’s better to prevent something like that from happening than to try to fix it afterward. But chances are that your surgery will be successful, and with the right mindset, you’ll have a full recovery. 

Welcome to Topic Tuesday, where we discuss something specific related to health, business, or life in general. Today, we’re going to talk about how manual lymphatic drainage can help with swelling from knee surgery.

Knee Injuries

People from all walks of life have knee problems. Sometimes things can be fixed through nonsurgical means. Misalignments in stance and gait can cause issues with the joints, especially the knees and back. This is partly because most of the weight and support of the skeleton is held by these joints.

When everything is lined up correctly, you can stand comfortably, change position without pain, and be athletic when needed. But when something isn’t quite right in the stability of the joint and a load is added, there can be a painful injury that requires surgery to repair it.

You don’t have to be an elite athlete to suffer an ACL or MCL injury, either. These types of injuries might surface in people from all walks of life. No matter what your background, recovering from these procedures the best way is always the same.

Knee Surgery Recovery

Many of my patients over the years have had major knee surgeries and gone on to live completely unrestricted lives.

Recovery from knee surgery can be difficult and painful in the beginning. The pain can be managed by medication and rest, which you should be getting plenty of.  Surgery can cause the lymphatic system to function less efficiently than it would otherwise. This can lead to swelling in the body, particularly around the surgical site.

The lymphatic system functions well when you’re able to exercise and move your internal fluids around. But when you’re recovering from knee surgery, you don’t get many opportunities to stretch your legs for the first couple of months. You’ll be resting, icing, and elevating it for a while until you heal. Being stationary discourages the usual flow of fluids, and can cause painful swelling over time.

MLD For Knee Surgery Recovery

Exercise and movement help the lymphatic system circulate fluid throughout the body. If you sit down all day and your legs start to swell, moving around and getting the blood pumping will usually help. If you’re choosing to be stationary, you can just as easily choose to move around a little more.

But having surgery means committing to your recovery. To get back on your feet after a major  knee surgery, you’ll need to spend some time with the leg immobilized. As the tissues heal from the procedure,  the lymphatic system may struggle to work using gravity or blood flow.

When you have reconstructive surgery on any of the major ligaments of the knee, you’ll need plenty of rest. Since you won’t get much exercise on a leg that’s recovering from knee surgery, it’s important to address the swelling in another way.

These surgeries can cause quite a bit of pain and swelling, which manual lymphatic drainage can help with.

Major Knee Surgery

When reconstruction isn’t a viable option to repair the joint, your doctor may recommend a knee replacement. Knee replacement is a major knee surgery that requires even more recovery time and rehabilitation to regain normal activity than reconstructive surgery.

As you might expect, major knee surgery, like a knee replacement, often causes significant swelling to the surgical area. Recovery for different surgeries require different techniques, but most surgery will cause swelling and impede the lymphatic system. No matter your procedure, manual lymphatic drainage can help you get you on your feet and back to your healthiest self.

Have you had knee surgery and are still recovering? Contact my team to schedule a 1-on-1 with me, and let’s talk about how manual lymphatic drainage can help with your pain, swelling, and overall recovery. The time is now!