Benefits of Physical Therapy After Surgery

Introduction

We are all aware that hospital stays after surgery have significantly shortened in recent years. Surgeries requiring three nights in the hospital have now become outpatient surgery. For this reason, scheduling appointments with a physical therapist soon after surgery is crucial. While you might not feel up to it, in most cases, your doctor will recommend starting out-patient physical therapy as soon as possible.

The Benefits

Research shows that post-surgical exercise in a controlled environment such as physical therapy helps patients regain function, mobility and promotes healing. Your Bulldawg physical therapist will design a treatment plan specific to your needs to promote your over-all recovery and well-being. Following are some of the benefits to physical therapy following surgery:

1. Improves mobility and flexibility: Following surgery, the body's natural response is to protect the area, which can cause muscle/tissue tightness and limited range of motion. Physical therapy focuses on restoring movement through targeted exercise, stretching and manual therapy techniques. Gradually increasing range of motion helps patients regain function and mobility more quickly.

2. Increases strength: If you’ve been living with an injury for awhile or if you’ve just had surgery to repair an injury, likely the surrounding muscles are weak. Your physical therapist is trained to know what type of exercise is needed to rebuild muscle strength and endurance. With the supervision of your physical therapist, gradually increasing resistance and intensity will allow you to regain strength and prevent further injuries.

3. Eases pain and swelling: Swelling after surgery is a normal part of the healing process and varies greatly from one person to the next. Exercise can help reduce swelling and promote healing, both of which reduce overall pain.

4. Reduces scar tissue formation: After an injury or surgery, scar tissue forms, and soft tissue contracts as your body heals. Excess scar tissue can limit movement, flexibility and strength around a surgical site. Your PT will perform many types of tissue mobilization techniques to help your tissues become smooth and pliable and allow the limbs to move freely.

5. Improved Balance and coordination: Surgery can disrupt balance and proprioception which can increase the risk of falls. Physical therapy includes exercises to enhance stability, which will improve overall movement efficiency and coordination.

More About Suzanne

Suzanne began her career in physical therapy working in a hospital setting with patients immediately post-op. She learned how each person has unique needs following surgery. She brings this background and skill to her work with patients at Bulldawg. Her hands-on approach to rehabilitation will help speed the healing process and allow you to effectively return to your previous activity levels and lifestyle.