Scheduled for surgery? Improve your surgical outcome with pre- and post-surgery rehab.
What is Pre-Surgery Rehab?
Prior to surgery, pre-habilitation or pre-surgery physical therapy is advised for optimal recovery. When encountering any level of ligament tear or fracture injury, physical therapy can help improve your well-being before the operation occurs. Pre-surgery physical therapy is designed to get you in top condition physically and mentally prior to a procedure so that potential complications post operatively are minimized.
What are the benefits of pre-surgery physical therapy rehab?
Pre-surgical rehabilitation helps to reduce pain and swelling, improve range of motion and strength, as well as optimize function prior to the surgery. This type of rehabilitation can also help to reduce the amount of time spent in a hospital stay and overall recovery after the surgery. Pre-surgical rehabilitation also helps psychological preparation for the procedure, as well as reducing pain levels during post surgery recovery.
Why is post-surgical rehab important?
Post-surgery rehab physical therapy has been known to relieve pain after surgery with less or no pain medication. This is achieved with specialized methods, techniques, and modalities, such as ultrasound, fascia release, laser therapy, Shockwave therapy, and home exercise programs.
Physical therapy not only aids in improving mobility, allowing individuals to get back on their feet faster after surgery, but also plays a crucial role in helping with post-operative healing of repairs and replacements. What’s more? Physical therapy is an effective choice for managing pain levels, thereby reducing the need for opioid medications.
Post-surgery physical therapy
After surgery, physical therapy can help you regain strength and movement to the surgical site. It may also help reduce pain and swelling, as well as prevent stiffness. The physical therapist will design a rehabilitation program tailored to your individual needs. This will involve stretching and strengthening exercises, along with other modalities such as ultrasound or even electrical stimulation if needed.
Following a surgery such as a knee or hip replacement surgery, the muscles surrounding your joint must be strengthened. With proper physical therapy and rehab exercises, you can improve range of motion while minimizing pain and swelling. Physical therapists are able to provide tailored therapeutic treatments that will help promote mobility training for maximum results.
- Reduce Pain
- Reduce Swelling
- Regain Lost Strength
- Improve Circulation
How long will post-surgery physical therapy take?
Soft tissue takes six to eight weeks on average to heal, so it’s important that you dedicate at least this much time towards therapeutic physical therapy activities. Depending on the surgical procedure that you’ve had, your overall health, and the shape you were in prior to surgery, times may vary. To further aid your recovery process, your therapist will also provide various exercises for you to do by yourself while at home.
Benefits of post-surgical rehab
The following are five reasons why physical therapy is an important part of surgery recovery:
Balance, Mobility and Strength
Surgery can be linked to mobility issues in the affected area. The body’s natural impulse is to shield and protect the injured region, so it will often lead to swelling, spasms, muscle tightness and limited range of motion. However, by doing core strengthening exercises for your back and pelvis you can dramatically enhance balance which accelerates recovery from surgeries such as hip or knee replacement.
Reduce pain and swelling
Post-operative swelling is an inevitable aspect of recovery, and it differs from person to person. By decreasing the inflammation, you will not only speed up your healing but also increase your range of motion while minimizing pain.
After surgery, rehabilitation speeds the healing process, and it helps you learn the best way to care for yourself and return to daily activities.
Minimize scar tissue formation
Scar tissue naturally develops after an injury or surgery, resulting in limited range of motion and decreased flexibility. Physical therapists can soften any excessive scarring with massage, fascia release and ultrasound therapy to restore the patient’s mobility. By utilizing these techniques during post-operative care, patients gain back their freedom of movement quickly allowing them to return to normal life activities soon afterwards.
Avoid complications
Even after undergoing surgery, the potential for infection, blood clots and other costly issues still exist. That’s why incorporating physical therapy into your post-surgery recovery is so important: it helps to reduce these debilitating secondary complications. Working with a physical therapist on tailored movements can decrease risks of infection, contractures and bloody clots significantly – ultimately leading to more successful recoveries.
Improved flexibility
Inactivity can lead to weak muscles that quickly become sore and more prone to injury. If your muscles are tight and joints stiff, it can be difficult performing everyday activities such as reaching overhead, climbing stairs or even getting up from a seated position. It’s important to start post-surgical physical therapy with gentle stretching exercises to help keep vulnerable muscles flexible.
At Koh PT, we use the most effective modalities from all around the globe to ensure optimal healing. Some of these therapies include ShockWave Therapy, Therapeutic Taping, Fascia Stretching, and Cold Laser Therapy.