Recovery after orthopedic surgery, week by week
Post Op Physio Recovery PRP injections for knee arthritis have mixed evidence: some studies look promising, but the largest placebo-controlled trial found no benefit over salt water, and US guideline groups disagree. It’s rarely covered by insurance, so ask hard questions before you pay.
A labral tear on your MRI doesn’t automatically explain your pain, because tears are common in people over 40 with no shoulder pain at all. Most people start with physio, and repair makes most sense for young people whose shoulder keeps slipping or coming out.
Leg pain often eases soon after a microdiscectomy, but recovery takes about three months. Most people return to desk work around four to six weeks, heavier work takes up to three months, and numbness usually improves more slowly than pain.
A cortisone shot in the knee can ease an arthritis flare for a few weeks, and major guidelines still support it for short-term relief. Regular shots every few months are a different matter: in a two-year trial they thinned cartilage slightly more and didn’t ease pain any better than salt water.
Shoulder arthritis causes a deep ache, stiffness, grinding and night pain. Most people start with exercise and pain relief, and replacement comes up when pain wrecks sleep and daily life, with the type depending on whether your rotator cuff still works.
A pinched nerve in the neck usually improves without surgery, often within weeks, and most people are much better within a few months. Clumsy hands, trouble with balance or problems with your bladder are different and need urgent care.
A cortisone shot usually starts working within a few days to a week, and the relief lasts anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Use that pain-free window to exercise, because the shot calms pain but doesn’t fix the cause.
Hip arthritis usually causes groin or thigh pain and stiffness, like trouble putting on socks. Exercise, education and weight management come first; hip replacement makes sense when pain and stiffness are limiting your life despite doing those well.
Most cortisone shot side effects are short-lived: a day or few of extra pain, a flushed face, or higher blood sugar if you have diabetes. Infection is rare but urgent, and repeated shots carry more risk, so most people are limited to about three a year.
Spinal stenosis causes leg pain, heaviness or numbness when you walk or stand that eases when you sit or lean forward. Most people don’t need surgery straight away: in a major trial, a physio program did about as well as surgery at two years, with fewer complications.