The Experience
The philosophy of Joint University is unique. We support our patients with a wealth of educational materials and classes as well as unparalleled pre- and post-operative support. Our emphasis is teamwork.
A Caregiver's Guide: Controlling Discomfort
As with any surgery, a certain amount of pain is standard during
the recovery process. You can help ease the patient’s discomfort
by doing the following:
- Administer pain medicine at least 30 minutes before
physical therapy. - Encourage the patient to gradually wean him or herself
from prescription medication. Follow the surgeon's recommendations for taking over-the-counter medication
in place of prescription medication. - Have the patient change position every 45 minutes
throughout the day. - Use ice for pain control. Apply ice for 20 minutes at a time
each hour to decrease discomfort. If the patient doesn’t have an ice pack, a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a kitchen towel serves as a good substitute. Mark the bag of peas and return them to the freezer to be used as an ice pack later.
Back to
A Caregiver's Guide