As physical therapists, we talk a lot about how PT plays a role in helping our patients reduce pain, regain mobility, or recover after surgery. But did you know there’s a proactive approach you can take before surgery? It’s called rehabilitation or physical therapy before surgery.
Physical Therapy Before Surgery? (Prehab)
In most cases, it’s imperative to have physical therapy prior to surgery so that joint strength can be built. The stronger you go into surgery, the stronger you will come out. Putting in this work ahead of time will improve the benefits of rehab following surgery. You might be thinking, “What exactly is prehabilitation, and is it right for me?” In a nutshell, prehabilitation (or prehab) is when you engage in PT before surgery to help give you a head start on your post-op rehab. By working with a physical therapist to develop a program, you can see results that help speed up your post-rehab efforts as well as strengthen your body before a surgical procedure.
“Getting the mind and body ready for what it will be like after surgery is a major benefit of prehab and provides the patient the opportunity to engage in exercises that are going to be addressed again after surgery. Research and our patient results have shown that prehab significantly improves functional outcomes and strength of the muscles” Jason Sweet, PT, DPT
Benefits of Prehab
- Improves the likelihood of regaining mobility, after your procedure and reduces pain during therapy.
- Improves surgical outcomes.
- Increases the odds of being discharged straight to home by 73%.
- Improves understanding and knowledge of what to anticipate after surgery. Prehab mentally prepares patients for surgery.
- Shorten hospital stays.
- May decrease overall rehab duration.
Common Conditions for Prehab
- ACL/MCL reconstruction
- Total Knee Arthroplasty
- Total Hip Arthroplasty
- Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
- Rotator Cuff Repair
- Spinal surgery
- Hand/wrist
If you’re planning an orthopedic surgery, talk to your surgeon in advance to map out a PT treatment. We collaborate with the top orthopedic surgeons in Tucson to align the final outcome for patients—to get back to their favorite activities and live a pain-free life. If you’re looking to learn more about prehab before surgery, visit us at ProActive Physical Therapy.
