Dr. Yudi Kerbel, MD

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Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Yudi Kerbel, MD

🦵Helping people with hip & knee arthritis
✨ Recover faster, live pain-free
📚 Science-backed insights
🛌 Sleep better after knee replacement

06/01/2026

Red light therapy is everywhere lately. People are using it for skin care, hair growth, anti-aging….and most intriguingly for me as a knee replacement surgeon, musculoskeletal rehab. I was curious about whether there’s any science or medical basis for using it to help recover after knee replacement…so I did a deep dive on the topic and got hold of a device to test for myself. In this video, I want to share my findings with you.

Red light therapy (also known as photobiomodulation) uses red and near-infrared light to interact with your cells at a mitochondrial level. In lab and clinical studies, it’s been shown to influence inflammatory pathways and may help reduce pain and swelling.

When you look specifically at knee replacement patients, there are several small randomized trials showing improvements in early recovery. Things like less pain, less swelling, better early range of motion, and even lower opioid use in some studies.

Important point though: the strongest evidence right now is really focused on the early recovery phase. Long-term outcomes don’t seem to change much.

So this is not a magic fix.

But it may be a promising adjunct if you’re trying to optimize that early recovery window after surgery.

I tried the Prungo device here. Overall, it’s well designed, easy to use, and appears reasonably aligned with the parameters used in published research, although no home device perfectly replicates clinical trial protocols.

It is definitely a premium product, and may not fit everyone’s budget. But if you’re someone who wants to do everything possible to maximize recovery, it’s an interesting option to consider alongside movement, rehab, and physical therapy.

Quick disclosure: Prungo sent me the device to try, but they did not pay me for this video and these are my own honest opinions.

If you do decide to try this device, you can get 10% off and help support the channel by using the link below, which gives me a small affiliate commission at no extra cost to you:

https://tinyurl.com/Prungo
Use code: DRKERBEL at checkout for 10% off

Also check out for more info

05/18/2026

Most surgeons drop the ball in one major aspect of knee replacement recovery:

Preparing patients for what recovery actually FEELS like.

And I came across an interesting new study that confirms it.

The study looked at what patients EXPECTED recovery would be like before surgery… versus how they actually felt a year later.

The patients who expected HUGE improvements (way beyond what most people realistically experience) were more disappointed afterwards.

Even when the surgery and recovery went well!

To me, this again shows how important mental and psychological preparation is before surgery.

People know there will be “some pain” after surgery.
They know recovery “takes time.”

But they aren’t prepared for:

The ups and downs…
The random bad days after good stretches…
The stiffness…
The swelling…
The emotional roller coaster…
The moments where you wonder:
“Did I damage something?”
“Am I behind?”
“Why don’t I feel normal yet?”

Nobody prepares you for that part.

And when reality doesn’t match the picture you have in your head, it creates anxiety, frustration, and disappointment… even when the knee itself is doing pretty well.

That’s why I think expectation setting is one of the most important parts of knee replacement.

I’m not saying you should be negative or fearful…or that you shouldn’t strive for an amazing outcome.

But you DO have to be prepared for a long journey that’s going to have ups and downs, and isn’t always going to be easy.

You can have an amazing outcome and STILL have difficult days during recovery. Both things can be true.

A big part of my mission is talking about these unspoken parts of knee replacement recovery that nobody prepares you for: the mindset side, the emotional side, the difficult days, and the little things that can help you get through the journey more smoothly.

If you find these kinds of recovery tips helpful, consider joining my free newsletter.

I share insights like this twice a month to help people feel more prepared, less alone, and more confident as they work toward getting their life back.

Visit www.drkerbel.kit.com to sign up!

05/09/2026

There are a lot of BIG things we focus on to improve recovery after knee replacement.

The surgery itself….the rehab…pain control.

But there’s also lots of SIMPLE things that can easily make a difference in how well you heal.

And I came across new research recently that I thought was really interesting…

It found that a super common vitamin deficiency (that affects about 45% of knee replacement patients!) could be making Knee Replacement recovery harder than it needs to be.

So what is it?

Vitamin D.

The study found that patients who had normal vitamin D levels going into surgery had better function and less pain at 6 months compared to patients who were deficient.

This is super valuable because vitamin D deficiency is very easy to detect and treat! You can find your levels with a simple blood test and if they’re low, you can fix them with a cheap, over the counter supplement.

This is a small, easy action you can take to stack the deck in your favor and make your recovery as smooth as possible.

To make it even easier for you, I’ve put together a short guide that gives you the study (so you can read it for yourself), what lab exactly needs to be ordered, and recommended supplement regimens.

Comment “vitamin” and I’ll DM it to you!

04/28/2026

If I ever needed a joint replacement myself, I’ve thought a lot about what I’d actually do differently.

Because I see this every day…some people go through this surgery and do incredibly well…others struggle way more than they expected.

And it comes down to many things, not just the operation itself.

So here are the 3 things I would focus on:

1. Get my body ready to heal:
I’d dial in every aspect of my full body health…
Better sleep. Better nutrition. Lower inflammation…
Stay as active as I can (even if I had to modify exercises because I’m in pain).
You don’t need to be perfect, but going into surgery in a healthy, optimized state makes recovery easier.

2. Get my mindset and support system right:
This part gets overlooked all the time.
Recovery isn’t linear…there are ups and downs.If you’re not ready for that, it can really throw you off.

I’d make sure I had the right people around me, and I’d go into it with a clear, optimistic mindset that this is a long term process… not a quick fix.

3. Choose the right surgeon for me:
Not just the closest one, or whoever I was sent to…

I’d take the time to find someone I trust and feel comfortable with. Someone who I know is going to be on my team through the whole healing journey, even long after the surgery is done.

If you’re heading toward a joint replacement, don’t just prepare for the operation…prepare for the process. Focus on these 3 things and set yourself up for long term success!

04/27/2026

If your knee is clicking after your knee replacement, there’s no need to worry.

Watch this video to find out why.

04/17/2026

If you’re struggling to sleep after your knee replacement, one thing you DON’T have to worry about is the position you sleep in.

So many patients come to me saying they’re not sleeping well because they’ve been told they have to sleep on their back with their leg straight or else they won’t get their motion back….

Guys, this is simply NOT true. The position you sleep in has no bearing on your recovery!

Sleep in whatever position is most comfortable for you. Getting rest and recovery is SUCH a critical part of recovery.

And if you’re struggling to get good sleep after your knee replacement, you’re not alone.

So many people reached out to me complaining about sleep after their TKA surgery that I decided to take a deep dive on the topic and ended up writing a book about it!

I read every single article that’s ever been published about sleep after knee replacement…spoke to experts from around the world…got answers from real patients just like you about what worked to finally help get their sleep back on track…

And I put it all together for you in one resource that’s purely dedicated to get you sleeping well again after your knee replacement surgery.

If you want to get it for yourself, visit www.stan.store/drkerbel and you can download it instantly.

I really hope it helps you get your sleep back on track so you can feel more like yourself again ❤️

04/12/2026

There are 3 massive mistakes that I see people making over and over again when they recover from their knee replacement surgery.

It’s so easy to make these error errors, and they will absolutely hold you back and make your recovery harder than it needs to be.

In this video, I’m sharing them with you so that you can avoid falling into the trap yourself, and make your TKA recovery as smooth and easy as possible.

04/04/2026

If you’re anxious about getting range of motion back after your Knee Replacement surgery, this video is for you.

There is so much fear mongering out there, and most of the information only gets you more worried.

I hope you feel better after watching this. Don’t focus on the numbers! Focus on getting back to the things you want to do.

What are the best and worst pieces of advice you got about getting your range of motion back?

Address

Philadelphia, PA

Website

http://www.stan.store/drkerbel

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