Knee replacement recovery at home, week by week

Step by step

1. 1

   Weeks 1 to 2

   Walking with a frame or crutches around the house. Exercises several times a day to bend and straighten the knee. Ice and raising the leg for swelling. Pain relief taken regularly so you can do the exercises.

2. 2

   Weeks 3 to 4

   Walking further and more steadily, often moving to one crutch or a stick. Bending improves week by week. Stairs with support, one step at a time.

3. 3

   Weeks 5 to 6

   Many people put the walking aid away. Most daily activities at home become manageable. Driving usually returns around six weeks for most people, when you can control the car safely and your surgeon agrees.

4. 4

   Weeks 7 to 12

   Strength and stamina build. Longer walks, more stairs, and a return to most normal activity. Desk work is often possible from around six weeks, physical work later.

5. 5

   Three months to a year

   The knee keeps improving. Swelling and stiffness settle, and many people forget it is there.

Before you come home

Set the house up first: clear rugs and clutter from walkways, put what you use every day at waist height, arrange a firm chair with arms, and if the bedroom is upstairs consider sleeping downstairs for the first weeks. Book physiotherapy before discharge so it starts within days.

Common questions