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Surgery wasn’t exactly at the top of the list of things you wanted to do this year, but it’s the best way to get you up and moving without pain again.
It may be of some comfort to know that you won’t be alone. Each year in the United States millions of people undergo orthopedic surgery. There are around 790,000 total knee replacements each year, as well as 544,000 hip replacements.
And those numbers are just joint replacement surgeries and don't include other reconstructive surgeries, such as anterior cruciate ligament repair, which is one of the most common orthopaedic sports medicine procedures worldwide.
If you’re about to embark on a surgery with the team here at Western Orthopaedics, we want to take a moment to emphasize the invaluable role that physical therapy (PT) can play, both before and after your orthopedic surgery.
People often assume that the PT work begins after your orthopedic procedure, but we find a little PT beforehand is equally as beneficial.
Called prehabilitation, or prehab, this therapy you do ahead of your scheduled procedure can offer up some benefits on the other side. According to the American College of Surgeons, “The more fit and active you are going into a surgical procedure, the more likely you are to retain a higher level of function after.”
Getting your body strong before your surgery will not only accelerate and support your rehabilitation afterward, it can also help speed your recovery. If you work on fitness before your surgery, you can improve your health on many levels, which means you have more resources to work with during your recovery.
Another way to think of it is this: You’re undergoing surgery in order to move around again, so it’s a good idea to start that movement and strengthening beforehand. After your surgery is no time to be playing catch up. Through prehab, you build up muscles that can weather the inevitable inactivity after your procedure and give you a stronger foundation.
In many cases, we send you straight to PT within a day or two after your surgery. While we want to give your body space to heal and recover, it’s also important to move and strengthen your body. This movement not only speeds up healing by encouraging better circulation, but it also helps with pain management.
Postsurgical PT is also critical in how you recover. Our experienced team of physical therapists work with us to create an individualized PT program that’s designed to meet your end goals. If climbing stairs is your goal, we work toward that. If getting out on the slopes is your endgame, we’ve got you covered there, too.
While your PT is customized, this rehabilitation is critical for everyone who's had surgery. Through PT, we work on strength, flexibility, and range of motion, pushing you when need it and slowing you down if you're pushing too hard.
So, if you really want to get through your orthopedic surgery as quickly and safely as possible, we highly recommend both preoperative and postoperative PT.
To schedule your prehabilitation and rehabilitation at our dedicated facility in Denver, Colorado, please contact us to set up an appointment.
