The Power of PreHab
Do you have surgery coming up soon? If so, you have every right to be apprehensive about how long recuperation from your operation will take. That’s why as part of their treatment plan, many people engage in pre-surgical rehabilitative exercises (also known as “PreHab”) to help prepare for major surgery. This preparation allows people to withstand the trauma of surgery better and speeds up recovery.
The good news is that at South Aiken Physical Therapy & Wellness, we can help put your mind and body at ease. We are dedicated to providing you with the best prehabilitative treatment options available. Call us today at (803) 649-9797 to learn more about how much PreHab can help you!
What is PreHab?
PreHab is a type of physical therapy that conditions the body to help it heal quicker after surgery, speed up recovery processes and prevent injuries from occurring. It involves strengthening weak muscles or connective tissue and maximizing joint flexibility, strength and overall wellness before the surgery takes place. The better shape a patient is in before surgery, the better the outcome of the surgery will be and the faster the recovery will be post-op.
How can PreHab help me get better faster?
According to the National Institutes of Health, participating in pre-surgical exercises will enhance your postoperative results and minimize recovery time. Studies have shown that beginning prehabilitative physical therapy a month or so before surgery can significantly speed up your recovery time. More and more orthopedic surgeons are incorporating PreHab exercises into patient treatment plans.
Post-surgical Rehabilitation
After you’ve had your surgery, you’ll probably be scheduled for a course of post-surgical rehabilitation to help you to continue the good work you started with PreHab. It’s important to get moving again as soon as possible after your procedure. Post-surgical physical therapy offers a controlled environment that will help you safely recover your strength, function and mobility.
Our therapists provide evidence-based physical therapy treatment sessions to help facilitate your recovery and return to activities of daily living (ADLs), work, recreational activities and even competitive sports.
The rehabilitative process depends on the injury and type of surgery. We help patients recover and rehabilitate from a variety of orthopedic post-operative procedures, including:
- Knee, hip and shoulder joint replacements
- Reconstruction of any one or more of the four major knee ligaments: anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), and lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
- Arthroscopic knee surgeries (such as meniscectomies, meniscal repairs)
- Ligament and tendon repair, including Achilles tendon repairs
- Arthroscopic hip surgeries (such as labral repairs)
- Nerve releases (such as cubital tunnel, radial tunnel, carpal tunnel, tarsal tunnel)
- Neck and back surgery (such as fusions, laminectomy, decompression and discectomy)
- Nerve compression release
- Bone or joint fusion (arthrodesis)
- Tendon transfers
- Surgical fixation of fractures, including open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), a two-part surgery used to fix broken bones where the broken bone is reduced (put back into place) and an internal fixation device is placed on the bone (e.g., screws, plates, rods or pins) to hold the bone together
- Shoulder post-surgical recovery for rotator cuff tears, labral tears, superior labrum anterior and posterior (SLAP) tear or lesion, arthroscopy and more
The good news is that at South Aiken Physical Therapy & Wellness, we can help put your mind and body at ease. We are dedicated to providing you with the best post-surgical treatment options available. Call us today at (803) 649-9797 to learn more about how much post-surgical rehab can help you!
Some of the therapies used to accomplish the goal of regaining movement and reducing pain, swelling and stiffness may include one or more of the following:
- Manual therapy
- Soft tissue and/or joint mobilization
- Muscle energy
- Gait and balance training
- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) – electrical muscle & nerve stimulation
- Therapeutic exercise and functional strength training
- Ultrasound
- Functional re-education
- Rehabilitative exercises to help increase strength, endurance, motion, balance and coordination
