Get Back to Your Life Faster with Physical Therapy After Your Surgery
We’re sure of one thing without even asking: you want to heal your surgery as soon as possible! Who wouldn’t, after all? Surgeries are pretty intense events and most people who experience them find themselves down for the count for a few weeks afterward. It’s only natural that you may wonder how long you’ll be unable to work, play the sports you love, or function independently.
If you have a procedure coming up while you’re preparing for the surgery, it’s natural to be a little anxious and wonder how easy it will be for you to recover.
Luckily, understanding that you have a post-surgical rehabilitation schedule can help to relieve some of the stress.
They’re all trained specialists who know how to properly evaluate a variety of pain conditions and create a recovery plan so you can get back to your life faster!
Common surgical procedures physical therapy can help you recover from
When conservative treatment options for an injury or health condition fail to provide effective relief, many physicians will recommend surgical correction.
Some common conditions that may lead to surgery include, but are not limited to:
- Full or partial knee replacements
- Heart surgery – ablations, stent placements, cardiac pacemakers, etc
- Rotator cuff tears
- ACL, MCL, and/or meniscus repairs
- Total hip replacements
- Wrist, elbow or hand surgeries
- Carpal or cubital tunnel surgeries
- Surgery following repair of fractures
The impact of these procedures on your body should not be underestimated. Most procedures result in some level of pain, inflammation, mobility limitations, and swelling.
You will likely have to relearn how to walk and get ready to help your tissues recover and avoid chronic dysfunction.
After your procedure, our Tulsa, OK physical therapists will teach you the correct and safest way to complete daily tasks such as getting out of bed or dressing.
Your surgeon will also outline these instructions which may include hip precautions, sternal precautions, spine precautions, not putting weight on your limb, etc.
Benefits of physical therapy after surgery
Even after post-surgical rehabilitation procedures are over, our physical therapists are dedicated to ensuring that you live a healthy life.
Our Tulsa, OK physical therapists will build a recovery plan that includes tailored stretches and exercises in order to help you heal and get back to your usual everyday life. Oklahoma Hand and Physical Therapy will help you get to your optimum levels of function after surgery.
While your doctor can prescribe pain relievers, physical therapy has been shown to alleviate pain and reduce the need for long-term drug usage.
Pain relievers merely mask the sense of pain, while physical therapy approaches the issue at its heart. A physical therapist will help you heal by specialized treatments, therapies, and modalities such as ultrasound, joint mobilization, laser therapy, electrical stimulation, and home exercise systems.
Physical limitations may occur in the days and weeks following surgery. Our physical therapist will show you how to navigate these limitations, such as how to go up and down the stairs, put on clothes, or get in and out of a vehicle.
In many cases, this can be achieved with the help of assistive devices. This will allow you to walk around more comfortably while still trying to regain the normal range of movement in your body by making these accommodations.
To optimize your long-term well-being, prevent injury, and avoid the need for more surgery in the future, part of your recovery plan will also provide education on any lifestyle and/or dietary improvements you may have made.
Choosing physical therapy for recovery
Another significant reason to choose post-surgical physical therapy is the potential to help minimize or remove the need for prescription pain relievers, including opioids.
An opioid epidemic is currently gripping the country and impacting every socioeconomic class. According to the CDC, an estimated 115 people every day die from an opioid overdose, and upwards of 29% of people, prescribed opioids will end up misusing these dangerous drugs.
For this reason, the CDC advises people to choose physical therapy over prescription painkillers whenever possible.
Pre- and post-operative recovery are critical for positive postoperative outcomes. Any type of surgery can be viewed as a form of trauma and can have many effects on the body.
Even mild, uncomplicated surgical procedures can have a major effect on your health. Because of this, post-operative recovery is especially important to ensure that everything goes smoothly after the surgery.
Individualized post-operative therapy with a physical therapist can minimize the chances of postoperative complications, such as infections, bleeding, blood clots, muscle weakness, scar tissue, diminished function, and other factors that could harm your long-term health.
Post-surgical rehab can have you back on your feet in no time
Don’t wait to set up your post-operative rehabilitation plan. If you’re planning to have surgery soon, give us a call today so we can help you get ahead of the game!
We’ll give you everything you need to get back to your life as quickly and as easily as possible!