Your first 30 days after joint replacement

The first 24 hours are about movement: walking short distances with support and starting gentle range-of-motion exercises. Rest matters, but so does early motion.

By week two you will usually climb stairs and manage most daily tasks with a walker or stick. Swelling is normal and responds to elevation and ice.

Weeks three and four are when physiotherapy does its real work — building strength around the joint. Consistency here decides how fast you get back to normal life.