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Rehabilitation is a big part of recovering after having surgery. It’s important to understand that post-surgical rehab is a long process. While surgery can be done within a few hours, rehabilitation may take many months and even up to a year. And while the actual timeframe for recovery depends on many factors, it’s important that you are totally committed to the process. Keep in mind that post-surgical rehab is a progressive activity. For example, workloads on a repaired joint are done gradually. It’s a complex process that’s a bit like baking bread. You’ve got to wait for the dough to rise before you put it in the oven. It’s the same with recovering from surgery. You have to wait sometime to help the biological process do its work.
Why You Need Rehab After Surgery
After surgery, you’ll need rehab to get your strength back. With the help of a physical therapist and other specialists, you’ll be better able to improve body movement. You’ll learn the safest ways to walk, get dressed, bathe and more. Whether you’ve had heart surgery, joint replacement or another type of surgery, rehab will help you get back to your regular routine much faster. The key goals of any rehab program are to:
- Reduce pain
- Strengthen your muscles
- Improve range of motion and movement
- Help you walk again
- Teach you how to do daily activities, such as get up from a chair, climb stairs and get in and out of a car
Post-Surgical Rehab with a Physical Therapist
A physical therapist will work closely with you to set goals and manage your individual treatment plan. You and your physical therapist will ultimately work out a chart for activities and record progress along the way. Your physical therapist will also help you work through any difficulties and adjust your treatment as needed. The journey to overcome chronic pain and recover functionality and maximum mobility can be long. A qualified physical therapist will help you address obstacles and provide support while providing the best treatment available. Contact us at Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Mattawan, Plainwell & Portage, MI centers to learn how physical therapy services can help you overcome pain and return to the highest level of functioning possible.
The most common reason doctors prescribe physical therapy after surgery is to make sure that your body heals properly from your operation. This could be to return to full motion/strength after arthroscopy on your knee or shoulder or to retrain your muscles after a major surgery, like repairing an ACL tear. Keep in mind that your surgeon’s specialty is to diagnose and repair an injury, while physical therapists are musculoskeletal experts that are there to help improve the way you feel and function. Many doctors will also send you for a few sessions of physical therapy before your operation. This will help to strengthen your body as much as possible. In addition, talking to your PT about what lies ahead, including the length of rehabilitation and what levels of pain to expect during your recovery, can be a huge help when approaching your postoperative period. In fact, a recent study showed that back patients who had just one pre-op session with a physical therapist had a much smoother post-op experience.
Are you having surgery? Contact us at Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Mattawan, Plainwell, E. Kalamazoo, Schoolcraft & Portage, MI centers for a post-surgical rehab program. Our goal is to get you on the road to recovery as soon as possible.
