Are you considering a surgical procedure but worried about pain and a long recovery time? Do other people tell you about painful experiences with physical therapy?
It might surprise you to learn that starting physical therapy before surgery is an effective way to reduce complications, shorten recovery time, and promote your physical and mental health.
Pre-surgery physical therapy works in several ways to produce better outcomes. At Exchange Physical Therapy Group, we strive to raise awareness of prehabilitation because we want our patients to have a smooth recovery period.
Can Prehab Help Me?
Experts recommend prehabilitation for many orthopedic surgeries involving the joints, spine, and neck. Many older patients who have a joint replaced depend on pre-surgery physical therapy to help them regain their mobility sooner. Whether you are recovering from a bunionectomy, or even a more serious injury you might benefit from PT before surgery.
Here are three benefits of Prehab before surgery:
Benefit 1: Prehab Reduces Recovery Time
Complications often arise after surgery because pre-existing conditions weaken or strain muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Without pre op PT, tissues have to recover from injury, inflammation, and surgical trauma simultaneously.
Pre-surgical physical therapy helps patients strengthen their muscles and improve flexibility before surgery so that they have a head start on the recovery process. Stronger muscles can heal faster and tolerate exercise and stretching better. Healthy muscles make it easier to go through PT and comply with at-home exercises.
Pre-surgical physical therapy gives our physical therapists a chance to establish a baseline level of performance before surgery. The information we gain about your capabilities and injuries helps us develop a treatment process that maximizes gain and minimizes injury. This also gives you a chance to get to know your therapists, making therapy go more smoothly.
Benefit 2: Prehab Minimizes Post-Surgical Pain
Pain is a source of anxiety and stress in patients after surgery. If you wait until you emerge from surgery to find ways to reduce and cope with your pain, recovery can be a struggle. Some patients might find excuses to skip sessions or end therapy altogether.
Pre-surgery PT helps you develop coping skills early and allows our therapists to adjust PT based on your pain tolerance.
Reducing pain has many side benefits. If you have less pain, you will be less likely to need NSAIDs, opioids, and other pain relievers. With less pain, you can recover more easily from surgery without dealing with side effects and interactions with other medications.
Benefit 3: Prehab Increases Strength and Stamina
Exercises in physical therapy promote healing and muscle growth. Increased muscle mass allows patients to lift more, stretch more, and achieve a wider range of motion. These qualities make it easier for patients to stick with a consistent regimen.
You also learn effective exercise habits beforehand to support the area you will have surgery on to avoid setbacks after surgery. The gains of physical therapy build on themselves. Each milestone you pass through sets the stage for future progress.
Implementing a prehab regimen is like starting a race with a one-lap lead. It helps you achieve your post-surgical goals more easily and regain the mobility you once lost to injury or disease.
Call Exchange Physical Therapy in Jersey City, Weehawken, Uptown Hoboken, or Downtown Hoboken for all Pre-Surgery Physical Therapy
At Exchange Physical Therapy Group, we take pride in our comprehensive and adaptive approach to prehabilitation and pre-surgery physical therapy. We take the time to thoroughly understand the needs of all our patients before and after surgery. With our expertise and modern equipment, you won’t have to worry as you prepare.
We use the insights and information we gain through pre-surgery evaluation and treatment sessions to develop targeted exercises and treatments. Our treatments prepare you physically and mentally for surgery and give you vital skills for the recovery period.
Exchange Physical Therapy Group has four convenient locations in Jersey City, NJ, Uptown Hoboken, Downtown Hoboken, and Weehawken, NJ. For top-notch pre-surgery physical therapy, get in touch with us to schedule an evaluation session with a professional physical therapist today.
