Nobody likes the idea of having surgery. Even if the surgery is going to make your life much better when it is all over, it is the recovery from that surgery that can be very difficult to bear. Knee surgery and hip replacement surgery to relieve knee pain and hip pain are two of many examples of difficult home recoveries. You know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it is just hard to see when you first arrive home.

One of the ways you can ease the burden on yourself after you return home from your surgical procedure is to get your home ready for your return before you leave. It might not always be possible, of course, but if you and maybe a loved one can manage it, taking the proactive step of preparing your home in advance will make things so much easier for you during your home recovery.

Here are three ways you can get your house in shape before you even leave.

1.) Adjust the height of your bed

This might not even be an issue, but you want to make sure you have a bed that is low enough so that your feet touch the floor when you sit on the edge of the bed. This will help you as you begin to get yourself up and down. This movement is difficult when there is pain in the hip. According to the CDC, hip pain affects 7% of adults at any given time. This one adjustment can help your recovery efforts.

2.) Put everything you need within reach

If you are trying to recover from knee pain especially, make sure you don’t put too much undue stress on the knees by having to bend down too far or stand up on your toes. Knee pain is the second most common cause of chronic pain for a reason. Treat yourself right if you want to be free of it once and for all.

3.) Find a quality in-home therapist

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physical therapy employment growth will grow by 36%. One of the reasons for this is that physical therapists can help you do things you might not be able to do on your own. Find a good one and you will be back on your own two feet all by yourself in no time.