Post-surgical rehabilitation is often a long process, sometimes by surgeon’s orders or from slow healing. It’s important for postoperative patients to realize this period can take many months and even up to a year in some cases. Your actual timeframe for recovery will depend on many factors. Post-surgical rehabilitation is a progressive activity and recovery is a complex process of balancing tissue healing times with return to activity. The core of post-surgical rehabilitation is doing the right exercises at the right time with the right load. The intensity of the stimulation should increase gradually and progressively.
The Benefits of Physical Therapy After Surgery
Most doctors and surgeons recommend physical therapy after surgery because of its many benefits. These post-op benefits include:
- Promoting healing for faster recovery
- Regaining soft tissue and joint mobility
- Easing postoperative pain
- Ensuring scar tissue mobility
- Increasing strength and stability
- Re-training efficient movement mechanics to prevent re-injury
At Body Gears Physical Therapy, your treatment plan will be designed specifically for your type of surgery but there are no pre-printed exercise sheets here!
When developing your treatment plan, we always take into account your pre-op fitness level and post-op goals. We’ll also assess the muscles and joints above and below the surgery site to ensure they don’t get overloaded.
Therapy is usually divided into separate stages with the first stage immediately after surgery focused on reducing swelling and ensuring incision site healing. Next comes a series of progressive exercises to improve range of motion, muscle activation, stability, and function. The final stage is returning to your pre-injury level of function.
Participating in post-op physical therapy allows you to be actively engaged in your recovery. Our goal is to have a collaborative relationship with open discussions about how you feel you’re progressing.
Why let recovery take longer? Request Free Consult or Contact Us Today at Chicago Lincoln Park, Oak Brook, Oak Park, & Winnetka, IL Centers and take advantage of our physical therapy services and get started on the fast track to recovery.
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