Post-Surgical Rehab Can Help You Reclaim Your Life
Are you looking to recover from your surgery as quickly as possible? Of course you are!
If you have a surgical procedure coming up, it is normal to be a bit nervous when planning for the surgery and wondering how quickly you’ll be able to recover. Fortunately, knowing you have a post-surgical physical therapy plan set beforehand can help ease some of your stress.
Contact Joint Effort Physical Therapy today to consult with one of our dedicated Hot Springs, AR physical therapists. They will create a personalized treatment plan for your specific needs so you can get back to your life faster!
What will post-surgical rehab look like?
Whatever you may need surgery for, Joint Effort Physical Therapy can help you get to your optimum levels of function afterward. Our Hot Springs, AR physical therapists will create a treatment plan that will include targeted stretches and exercises to help you recover and get back to your normal daily life.
While your physician may recommend pain management drugs, physical therapy has been known to relieve pain without the need for them. Pain-killing drugs mask the pain while physical therapy resolves the issue where it’s originating. This is achieved with specialized methods, techniques, and modalities, such as ultrasound, joint mobilizations, laser therapy, electrical stimulation, and home exercise programs.
The days and weeks following a surgical procedure may result in physical limitations. Your physical therapist can advise you on ways to accommodate for such limitations, such as how to go up and down the stairs, put on clothes, or get in and out of a car. This can be done with the assistance of adaptive tools to compensate for reduced movement. By making these accommodations, you will be able to move around comfortably while also working to restore the normal range of movement in your body.
Our Hot Springs, AR physical therapists are dedicated to making sure you are living a healthy life, even after your post-surgical rehab treatments are over. Because of this, part of your treatment plan will also include education on any lifestyle and/or nutritional changes you can make in order to optimize your long-term health, avoid injuring yourself and avoid the need for additional surgeries in the future.
When surgery is necessary…
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
- Total hip replacements
- Rotator cuff tears
- ACL, MCL, and/or meniscus repairs
- Heart surgery – ablations, stent placements, cardiac pacemakers, etc.
The impact of these surgeries on your body should not be understated. Most surgeries incur at least some degree of pain, inflammation, mobility limitations, and swelling. To complicate matters, you likely were already experiencing pain and dysfunction prior to your operation!
To accommodate healing tissues and/or to avoid recurring dysfunction, it is likely that you will have to learn how to do certain things all over again, like walking and getting dressed. Our Hot Springs, AR physical therapists can teach you how to perform tasks safely while following critical post-operative guidelines.
These guidelines are often outlined by your surgeon and could include hip precautions, sternal precautions, spine precautions, non-weight bearing, etc.
How will I benefit?
Both pre- and post-surgical rehab are essential elements of successful outcomes. Any type of surgery can be considered a form of trauma and can affect the body differently. Even minor and uncomplicated surgical procedures can have a major impact on your health. Because of this, post-surgical rehab with a Hot Springs, AR physical therapist is especially important, in order to make sure everything goes smoothly after your operation is done.
Individualized post-surgical rehab with a physical therapist not only minimizes your pain and accelerates your rate of healing, but it can also reduce the chances of post-operative complications, including infections, bleeding, blood clots, muscle weakness, scar tissue, decreased function, and other factors that can negatively impact your long-term health.
Another critical reason for selecting post-surgical physical therapy is its ability to help you reduce or completely avoid prescription painkillers, 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 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.
Begin your recovery process today!
If you are in Hot Springs, AR and are planning on having a surgical operation in the near future, don’t wait to set up your post-surgical rehab plan with Joint Effort Physical Therapy. We’ll provide you with everything you need to get back to your life as quickly and easily as possible! Request an appointment today.