The Total Knee Success Podcast: Your Essential Resource for Navigating Total Knee Replacement

Episode 38 explores why knee arthritis makes everyday life feel harder than expected by examining effort, fatigue, loss of efficiency, and changes in confidence beyond pain. It sets the foundation for Episodes 39 and 40, which focus on quadriceps weakness and neuromuscular electrical stimulation as tools for restoring function. Click here to get an email when The Knee Replacement Game Plan is rele...

In Episode 37 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle continues a two-part, evidence-based series focused on preparation before knee replacement surgery. This episode explains which commonly emphasized factors carry less influence than people often fear, including imaging, weight, and equipment, while highlighting less obvious influences such as expectations, access to care, and health context...

In Episode 36 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle begins a two-part, evidence-based conversation focused entirely on preparation before knee replacement surgery. This episode explores the foundational drivers that shape recovery, including strength, muscle activation, walking capacity, and consistency, while clearing common myths about exercise and range of motion. Episode 36 sets the stag...

In Episode 35 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explores how to think about the timing of knee replacement without focusing solely on the calendar. This episode walks listeners through the trade-offs between waiting and moving forward, explains how strength, balance, and physical capacity influence recovery, and helps people reflect on whether waiting is preserving function or gradually...

In Episode 34 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle examines robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty through the lens of current research. She explains what robotic assistance actually does during surgery, where it improves technical precision, and why those advantages don’t automatically translate into faster recovery or better long-term outcomes for every patient. She also discusses newer...

In Episode 33 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains what partial knee replacement really is, how it differs from total knee replacement, and why it’s often confused with minimally invasive surgery. Drawing on large national joint registries from the United Kingdom and Australia, she discusses who may be an appropriate candidate, the trade-offs patients need to understand, and why re...

In Episode 32 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle takes a clear, evidence-based look at minimally invasive knee replacement and what that label really means for patients. She explains how minimally invasive approaches compare with standard total knee replacement, why early experiences can feel different for some people, and what research shows about long-term outcomes. The episode also add...

In Episode 31 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains how the decision is made between home health physical therapy and outpatient physical therapy after total knee replacement. She walks listeners through why this choice is often driven by safety, medical stability, access, and insurance authorization rather than personal preference alone. Drawing from studies and clinical guidelines...

In Episode 30 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explores why sleep often feels so disrupted after knee replacement and why this experience is both common and expected during early healing. She explains how swelling, pain sensitivity, and nervous system changes influence sleep, and walks listeners through back sleeping, side sleeping, and recliner use with a focus on comfort, safety, and...

In Episode 29 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle walks through the most common mistakes people make before knee replacement surgery—including resting too much, waiting for pain to improve before moving, underestimating the role of strength and endurance, and going into surgery with unrealistic expectations. You’ll learn why smart, intentional preparation matters, how prehabilitation can s...

In Episode 28 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains how much walking is appropriate in the first two weeks after total knee replacement and why the early focus should be on short, frequent, controlled bouts of walking rather than distance. She discusses surgeon-recommended limits including five-minute and ten-minute hourly walks, specific step caps, and the importance of respecting...

In Episode 27 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle guides you through exactly what to focus on in the final two weeks before your knee replacement so you can walk into surgery feeling steady and prepared. She explains why this isn’t the time to push your strength, how to set up your home for an easier first week, and why simple organization can make those early days feel calmer. Michelle al...

In Episode 26 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains why the “other” knee—the one that didn’t have surgery—often feels tired or achy after total knee replacement. She discusses how arthritis in the opposite knee impacts balance and fall risk and brings in new research on function, movement control, strength, and prehabilitation. Listeners learn practical ways to support both knees us...

In Episode 25 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explores how wearable technology can support recovery after total knee replacement. She discusses step counters, smartphone apps, QR-code exercise programs, and motion-tracking sensors, and explains how these tools bring clarity to a process that can feel unpredictable. Michelle shares how wearables help people stay consistent, notice progr...

In Episode 24 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains how the standard Timed Up and Go and the Dynamic Gait Index help clarify why walking may still feel hesitant or slower after total knee replacement. The episode breaks down what these tests measure, how therapists interpret the results, and how they relate to real-world walking challenges. https://totalkneesuccess.com/walking-hesit...

In Episode 23 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains how the Berg Balance Scale and the Mini-BESTest describe balance and mobility after total knee replacement. She reviews what each test measures, why many therapists still use the Berg, and why the Mini-BESTest often provides a clearer picture of dynamic balance and walking confidence. Medical Disclaimer The Total Knee Success Podca...

In Episode 22 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle examines how prehab affects the early period after knee replacement surgery. She explains why preparing the body ahead of time can make the first few days more familiar and manageable. The episode breaks down what the research shows, which patients tend to benefit the most, and how the physical preparation helps create a more stable startin...

In Episode 21 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains why knee stiffness after surgery is common and often long-lasting for a substantial subgroup of patients. She covers swelling, quad inhibition, and movement patterns, and uses the Minick and Capin studies to show what structured rehab actually looks like. Michelle discusses diabetes, activity patterns, NMES dosing and effectiveness...

In Episode 20 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains what really matters once physical therapy ends: consistency, confidence, and connection. She shares how regular exercise sustains strength, why “use it or lose it” is simply how the body works, and how to handle fear and doubt using practical, research-backed strategies. Listeners learn simple ways to keep training safely at home,...

In Episode 19 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains why physical therapy remains one of the most important steps after knee replacement. Drawing on high-level studies through 2025, she explores early motion, teamwork with therapists, gait training, functional movement, NMES, and emerging telehealth programs. Listeners learn how collaborative, evidence-based therapy prevents stiffnes...

In Episode 18 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explains how to return to work after total knee replacement, with timelines for sitting and standing jobs. She covers practicing job activities before returning, staying consistent with therapy, and pacing for heavier work. You’ll also learn about blood-clot prevention, workplace accommodations, and the emotional side of resuming a schedule...

In Episode 17 of the Total Knee Success Podcast, Michelle explores when it’s truly safe to drive after total knee replacement. She explains braking-time research, range-of-motion goals, medication safety, and how modern driver-assist systems fit into real-world recovery. You’ll also learn how international driving setups compare, and why gradual practice helps you regain confidence behind the whee...

In Episode 16 of the Total Knee Success Podcast , Michelle explains how surgical incisions heal after knee replacement — from the healing ridge to safe showering and scar massage. She discusses drainage signs, modern closure options like medical-grade adhesives and wound VACs, silicone gels, collagen supplementation research. You’ll come away knowing what’s normal, when to call your surgeon, and h...

In episode 15 of the Total Knee Success Podcast , we take a close look at what really happens to the kneecap during total knee replacement. You’ll learn how surgeons decide whether to resurface the patella, how the small “button” fits on the underside of your own bone, and what the research shows about long-term outcomes. We also cover how ligaments like the ACL, PCL, and collateral ligaments are...

In Episode 14 of the Total Knee Success Podcast , we explore how to safely and confidently master stair climbing after knee replacement. You’ll learn how to use rails and canes correctly, understand why descending often feels harder, and hear how research links stair ability with long-term mobility and independence. The episode blends practical safety reminders — including therapist supervision an...