The worst pain after my knee replacement hit in the first 27 hours or so. The mid-afternoon was rough. The wee hours of the night were worse. Everything hurts louder when the house is quiet, and you can’t sleep while the rest of the house is knocked out.
Pain takes all the attention you give it, so I stopped giving it all of mine. I gave my mind other jobs.
Three of them carried me through the worst of it. If you’re in those first rough days right now, this post is for you.
I’m not a medical professional. This is what worked for me. Talk to your surgeon or care team about your pain plan.
1. Deep Breathing for Knee Replacement Pain
Believe me, this is nothing fancy. I breathed in as far as I could, held it, and let it all out. I never learned 4-7-8, and I didn’t need to. I just sat up in bed and breathed deep!
It gave my mind one job, and that job wasn’t the pain. It’s also the one tool you can use at 2 a.m. with no equipment and no help from anyone (who happens to be asleep!).
Try it: Breathe in as far as you can, hold it, and let it all out. Keep going until your attention sits on your breath instead of your knee. If you like a set count, 4-7-8 is a popular one.
This is not a substitute for your pain regimen. It’s simply what I used to help me alongside my medicine.
2. The Playlist That Changed My Mood in Recovery
One day I was in a foul mood, no clue why, it just happened. My husband was getting ready in the shower, and he always plays music when he showers. He put on a song from when we were dating, and my whole mood flipped in an instant.
After that, on rough days, I asked him to put on a playlist and surprise me. It always made things better. I still do it to this day.
Try it: Ask someone you love to build you a playlist of songs from good times, and let them surprise you. If your surgery is coming up, start it before you go in so it’s ready.
3. Visualizing My Future While I Healed
I pictured my wedding day. That’s what I was working for. I imagined looking at my husband on our wedding day.
That picture gave the pain somewhere to go.
Try it: Pick one moment you’re working toward. Build it in detail in your imagination. Where you are, who’s there, what you’re wearing, how your knee feels as you move. Go back to it every time the pain gets loud.
This is an example of how we use the Yetter Getter Recovery Method to get through healing.
What Didn’t Work for Me: Movement and Creative Activities
Movement was never fun for me in those early days. Creative stuff pulled me in for a few minutes, then it let go. It never held my attention long enough to truly distract me from my knee.
If those work for you, great. They just weren’t my tools. Yours might look different from mine. Try a few and keep the ones that pull your mind off the discomfort.
The Affirmation I Repeated Every Day
“Every day, I’m getting better and better.” I said it every day. It’s short enough to say when you have nothing left. I had no idea it came from Émile Coué’s famous line. I just knew my Dad said it a lot.
How to Build Your Own Recovery Toolkit
Your three likely won’t match mine, but you can start with these questions:
- What song takes you back to a good day?
- What future moment are you working toward?
- Can you take one deep breath right now, hold it, and let it go?
This can become your springboard for when you are going through recovery.
Where to Find More Knee Replacement Recovery Support
AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER:
I’m a proud affiliate for some of these tools and products that are suggested on this page and throughout my website. Meaning if you click on a product and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. My recommendations are based on knowledge and experience and I recommend them because they are genuinely useful and helpful, not because of the small commission that I may receive.
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