Pre & Post Surgery Therapy

Value of pre-operative physical therapy

Research (published in Bone and Joint Surgery) has shown that pre-operative physical therapy can reduce post-operative care use by 29% for patient undergoing hip or knee replacement, a health savings of about $1000.00 per individual.

The benefit of preoperative physical therapy was derived mostly from the way it prepared patients for postoperative rehabilitation. It suggests that 1-2 sessions was enough to strengthen the body as much as possible, train patients on post-operative assistive walking devices, planning for recovery, informing them on what lies ahead, including length of rehabilitation, managing patient expectations, how much pain to expect and train them in basic exercise training typically following joint replacement surgeries as indicated by the physician.

So, just as the physician schedules a pre-op visit for the surgery, call us to set a pre-op physical therapy evaluation.

Why physical therapy after surgery

You have just had surgery, whether it is outpatient for arthroscopic shoulder or knee or a major joint replacement surgery for shoulder, hip or knee. Why did your physician prescribe physical therapy?
You have had surgery by the best surgeon in town who also wants to make sure you have the best outcome from his or her surgical procedure. Physical therapists are musculoskeletal experts who, after thorough assessment of your pre-operative and current physical states, will be able to set goals to return your maximum physical potential in a reasonable amount of time.

Post-operative physical therapy is done for following reasons:

  1. To promote healing:
  2. Your surgeon wants to make sure your incision and other tissues heal properly and in timely manner.
  3. Regain mobility: After a surgery, the muscle and joints become less mobile due to pain and muscle spasms. Your physical therapist knows exactly when and how much to move while protecting the surgical site.
  4. Regain strength: After a surgery, muscles do not have enough strength due to pain, spasm, stiffness etc. Your physical therapist knows when and how to strengthen the muscles while protecting the surgical site.
  5. Regain Function: Once the incision scar has healed and you have regained the range of motion and strength, your physical therapist will know how to retrain the muscle to achieve the desired pre-operative function, whether it is walking, sitting, reaching, running or any other sports activity you would like to resume.

Working with the your physical therapist allows you to be engaged in your path to recovery so you can achieve your maximum potential and is the best way you can stay and keep healthy for years to come.

Call now to schedule an appointment for pre or post-surgical rehab so we can be a part of your healthy and speedy recovery.