Post-surgery rehabilitation physiotherapy is essential to help patients who have undergone orthopedic surgery.
Our Nepean physiotherapists are familiar with guidelines most commonly prescribed by doctors, and we can custom-design your physiotherapy program to suit your unique needs following your surgical procedure.
Today, we'll discuss post-surgical rehabilitation, its benefits and the types of physiotherapy that may be included in your treatment plan.
Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
After undergoing surgery, you'll need to regain and optimize function within your body. While awaiting your procedure, your muscles may have started to weaken and stiffen.
While it's natural to be concerned and even fearful of movement post-surgery, sometimes to the point of withdrawing from physical activity, it's important to return to your previous levels of activity (your physiotherapist can also develop a pre-surgery physiotherapy program to help strengthen your muscles prior to surgery).
Our registered physiotherapists can assess your needs and abilities, and create a treatment plan to help you recover from your surgery, regain your strength and mobility and heal faster.
Here are just a few surgeries that we can help our clients recover from:
- ACL Reconstruction
- Acromioplasty
- Dislocations
- Hand Surgeries
- Knee Surgeries
- MCL Repairs
- Meniscal Surgery
- Rotator Cuff Repairs
- Shoulder Replacements
- Spinal Surgeries
- Surgical Repairs of Various Fractures
- Total Hip Replacement
- Total Knee Replacement
Phases of Post-Operative Rehabilitation Physiotherapy
There are three phases to post-operative rehabilitation physiotherapy, which starts right after your discharge from surgery and lasts until the recovery phase is complete.
1. Early Recovery
During this phase, alleviating pain and swelling will be the main focus. Your physiotherapist can provide gentle manual therapy to help with early walking and restore motion in your joints.
He or she may prescribe mobility aids such as walkers or canes with instructions on how to use them. You may perform simple exercises to regain muscle function without disturbing the healing process.
2. Physiotherapy in Strength & Range of Motion
The primary focus of this phase is to normalize your body's mechanisms and strengths. Your physiotherapist may introduce balance and proprioception tasks, along with manual therapy to restore full range of motion in your joints. Soft tissue treatment can help you regain mobility.
3. Physiotherapy in Functional Restoration
The final stage of your post-operative recovery begins after your strength and independent movement are restored in the second phase. In this third phase, your physiotherapist will create an exercise program for you.
This plan can vary from person to person depending on your lifestyle, physical abilities and goals. Your physiotherapist might begin by helping you engage in more challenging, specially designed balance and proprioception exercises to help you achieve a complex functional goal.
Who can benefit from post-operative rehabilitation?
Anyone who has had surgery or is experiencing pain, muscle weakness, reduced mobility and stiffness - and consequently, low exercise tolerance and reduced independence - can benefit from post-surgery rehabilitation physiotherapy.
What are the benefits of post-surgical physiotherapy?
While surgery can certainly treat health conditions that can't be addressed with more non-invasive methods, it may also affect you physically and psychologically, potentially causing frustration and anxiety.
Pain and inflammation are common after surgery. That said, physiotherapy can help treat these, promote early healing and help maximize your potential as you recover.
Seeing a physiotherapist can help you:
- Return to physical and recreational activities and sports
- Reduce stress and anxiety
- Build confidence
- Prevent boredom from setting in
- Find relief from pain and stiffness by exercising the muscles
- Achieve short and long-term health goals
Post-Surgery Rehabilitation Physiotherapy at Nepean Sports Medicine & Physiotherapy Centre
Our registered physiotherapists at Nepean Sports Medicine & Physiotherapy Centre work with clients of all ages to develop comprehensive post-operative and accident rehabilitation programs.
In our Medical Exercise Therapy Gym at our physiotherapy clinic, you'll find the ideal setting to help you safely progress through intensive and active post-operative rehabilitation.
Our specialized equipment allows for safe and effective mobility, strength and functional retraining after surgery.
Are you scheduled to undergo a surgical procedure? Let's discuss how a post-surgery physiotherapy program can help you recover.
We can help develop a treatment and exercise plan to help you recover.
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