By Graeme Campbell, DPT
Undergoing surgery is scary for most. You may worry about how well you will recover, when you can get back to your favorite sport, or return to work. Some worry about complications of surgery itself. Others worry about what it takes to get their old life back after needing surgery. Postoperative physical therapy is often a part of recovering from muscle, tendon, or joint surgeries. The therapy process doesn’t have to be scary. Therapy after surgery is a critical part of getting the most out of your new body after surgery.
REACH YOUR GOALS
While some have to undergo surgery to return to a normal life, like a broken ankle, others may choose to have surgery to improve their quality of life, a knee replacement for example. In either case, postoperative physical therapy helps you get the best possible function out of your new ankle or knee. Therapy is often recommended after spine, shoulder, knee, and ankle as well as many other surgeries. Your therapy practitioner becomes your guide, your teacher, and your coach along this journey. A skilled physical therapy team, often a PT and a PT assistant, will help you heal, relearn how to walk, reduce the risk of complications, and ensure you get the best possible strength, mobility and function after surgery.
SURGERY + HANDS-ON THERAPY OFTEN = LESS STIFFNESS AND PAIN
A CUSTOM PROGRAM
While physical therapists often follow a protocol provided by your surgeon, this recipe or guide ensures you meet certain goals at certain times. However, during that process, a combination of three key factors can make your postoperative rehab experience much more effective. Your therapy team should know and customize your rehab to your personal goals, should know the best medical research to help you heal as fast as possible, and will use their experience to maximize your results after surgery.
CAN I CHOOSE MY THERAPY PROVIDER?
Yes! Most surgeons are supportive of where you feel most comfortable performing your postoperative physical therapy. Simply ask your provider or their team to fax the order for therapy to your provider of choice.
SURGERY + PHYSICAL THERAPY OFTEN = SUCCESS
WHAT IF YOUR SURGEON DOES NOT RECOMMEND THERAPY AFTER SURGERY?
In certain cases, your surgeon may not automatically recommend therapy. Total hip replacement is a common example of this situation. Many patients are taught a few exercises at the hospital and sent home with only those exercises and told to “walk, walk, walk”. However, it’s not uncommon for someone to still have hip pain, weakness or difficulty walking after their hip replacement, even when they follow these recommendations. In this case, asking for formal physical therapy is a great idea. Not every person needs a physical therapist after a total hip replacement, but some do and most surgical teams will happily write an order. Don’t hesitate to request an order for therapy be faxed to your preferred provider if you have ongoing pain, difficulty walking, weakness, or have many questions about activity and mobility.
Having dedicated time with a physical therapist to get your questions answered can be invaluable and help you on the path to better function after surgery. If you are not sure if therapy will help in your particular situation and just want to start by asking questions, schedule a free 15-minute screening appointment with one of our clinicians before calling to ask for a therapy order.
DID YOU KNOW?
YOU CAN ASK FOR THERAPY
YOU CAN REQUEST YOUR PREFERRED THERAPY PROVIDER
Graeme is a doctor of physical therapy who practices in our Rochester-RAC and Spring Valley locations. Graeme’s areas of interest include treating knee, hip, and back pain. Using a combination of hands-on approaches and exercise, Graeme seeks to reduce movement dysfunction and help patients achieve their goals.
