If you have a surgery coming up, whether it’s and ACL surgery or Rotator Cuff surgery, you probably have a long list of to-do’s and things to prepare before your operation. But one important thing to add to that list is to get a jump start by preparing your body and making it stronger prior to surgery so you may have an easier, shorter recovery after surgery, regardless of your age!
Many people think that physical therapy is only for after surgery. But science tell us that investing time in your health before surgery can pay big dividends after surgery. Here are 3 reasons why you would benefit from working with a physical therapist before heading to the operating room.
3 Benefits of Pre-Op Physical Therapy
1. Decrease Recovery Time After Surgery
Research shows that working on safe strengthening with a physical therapist before undergoing a hip or knee replacement can significantly reduce the amount of professional care you’ll need postoperatively. For example, a 2014 study from the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery showed that just one or two sessions of preoperative physical therapy reduced the use of post-acute care services by nearly 30%.
As you can imagine, reducing recovery time you need after surgery saves you both time and money. In the above-mentioned study, the researchers estimated that those who took advantage of physical therapy before surgery can save an average of $1,000.
2. Reduce Pain After Surgery
Many people experience a better control over their post-surgical pain if they’ve come to work with us for at least one or two sessions before going under the knife. Pain can be a significant issue for people following their surgeries because it can negatively impact their wellbeing, contribute to poor sleep, increase risk of depression, productivity, and even lengthens recovery time.
Pain can also cause a lot of psychological stress, which may even slow wound healing.
3. Working with a physical therapist will help you go into your surgery as strong and healthy as possible.
Perhaps the main underlying benefit of prehab with a PT is that it can effectively “tune up” your body so that you go into your procedure with greater strength, endurance, and stamina. For example, we teach our patients exercises that can strengthen specific joints and muscle groups that may be affected by the operation, which may help these areas recover faster.
Going into a surgery as strong as possible also reduces the risk of surgical complications. Plus, a pre-operative physical therapy session or two can also give you a chance to practice the post-operative exercises you’ll be expected to do during your rehabilitation, learn how to move with any new weight-bearing precautions or mobility restrictions you’ll have after surgery, and overall make you a better educated and more well-informed patient. All told, this can spell a faster recovery and better outcomes!
Are you preparing for surgery? To maximize your outcomes, accelerate your recovery, and keep your surgery as cost-effective as possible, contact our physical therapy clinic today to schedule a preoperative appointment with a physical therapist.
Tags: pre-hab
