Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Physiotherapy

Your body becomes vulnerable after surgery. It takes time to regain its original strength, mobility and functional capacity. Often, the recovery phase involves pain because of swelling in tissues or muscles. Post-surgical rehabilitation physiotherapy boosts the natural healing abilities of your body. The treatments bring back your physical independence, mobility and strength, thereby reducing the recovery time significantly. In simple words, patients who have undergone surgery can recover faster with physiotherapy. 

What is Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Physiotherapy?

Post-surgical rehabilitation physiotherapy is a specialized branch of physiotherapy with a sole focus on helping patients recover from surgery. The treatments consist of a wide slew of exercises and therapies personalized according to your health requirements. 

The primary goals of postoperative rehabilitation physiotherapy are:

• Pain management
• Strengthening muscles
• Improving function
• Restoring mobility
• Prevent further complications

The physiotherapists personalize the treatments based on what your body needs to recover completely. They may use manual therapy to reduce pain in some cases whereas electrical stimulation in others. They assess each patient to understand their unique requirements and prescribe the treatments accordingly.

5 Interesting Ways Physiotherapy Helps After Surgery

A surgical incision is nothing but a wound to the body. The body hence takes time to heal this wound. Typically, the tissue regains its original strength by six weeks. The internal healing also starts at this point. It may take about 4 months for you to regain your full potential strength. Even then the internal healing is still happening. Post-operative rehabilitation makes this process more efficient and less painful. Here’s how physiotherapy makes things easier after surgery.

Personalized exercise plans

Rest is important after surgery but so is the right exercise. The physiotherapist prescribes the most useful exercises to you after examining the wound thoroughly. They help you get familiar with the exercises slowly and gradually increase the intensity of the workout. 

Here’s how exercises help after surgery:

• Better, faster recovery
• Prevents osteoporosis
• Increased energy levels
• Better lung and heart fitness
• Better mental wellbeing
• Healthy bowel movements
• A healthy weight

Every patient is different. Thus, the exercises recommended also differ. Deep breathing exercises improve lung function and prevent respiratory complications. Ankle pumps promote blood circulation and prevent blood clots. Quad sets strengthen quadriceps muscles. Other popular exercises include heel slides, glute bridges, shoulder pendulum exercises and more.

Holistic pain management

Surgery can be painful. The after-effects can include swelling and inflammation in the affected muscles and tissues. Pain and swelling are common responses after surgery due to various reasons such as tissue damage, inflammatory response, fluid accumulation, and immobilization. 

Physiotherapy can help reduce this pain and other sources of discomfort. Physiotherapists recommend specific exercises and other techniques that boost blood circulation in the area, reduce swelling and speed up your healing process. 

Scar tissue recovery

An external scar tissue forms after surgery. The scar tissue can cause discomfort and limit your movement. The formation of scar tissue doesn’t mean the wound has recovered. The internal healing, however, still continues and needs extra attention for complete recovery. It is crucial to prevent the formation of scar tissue so you can move around freely after surgery.

Here are some common techniques physiotherapists use:

• Manual therapy– involves gentle massage techniques which help break down the scar tissue.
• Stretching and range of motion exercises– stretch and lengthen the scar tissue and its surrounding muscles. 
• Joint mobilization– involves gentle joint movements which improve mobility around the scar tissue.
• Soft tissue mobilization– manipulates the fascia, muscles and skin around the scar to reduce its tightness. 

The scar tissue causes problems such as stiffness and lack of tissue mobility. Physiotherapy helps you manage this tissue and regains optimal function after surgery.

Prevention of secondary complications

The risk of infections and re-injuries increase significantly after surgery. It becomes more important than ever to protect the affected body part and maintain a lifestyle that supports your recovery. 

Physiotherapists prepare the treatment plan keeping the risk of further injuries and complications in mind. They recommend movement training and exercises that specifically reduce the risk of all complications associated with surgery. The techniques boost blood circulation and the natural healing process.

Daily activities restoration

It is not easy to get back to the old normal life after going through surgery. Several factors contribute to this such as inflammation, post-surgical pain, reduced physical activity, stiffness and the risk of complications. Post-surgical rehabilitation physiotherapy helps manage all these factors, thereby making it easier for you to restore daily lifestyle. 

Physiotherapists train you through daily life activities and work-specific tasks. Other therapeutic treatments also help you finally return to normal routines. 

Who Can Benefit from Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Physiotherapy?

Post-operative physiotherapy benefits anyone who has undergone surgery. The common side-effects of surgery are pain, stiffness, muscle weakness, lack of mobility and reduced balance. These prevent you from living your life fully or even perform the basic everyday tasks. This is where the role of post surgical physiotherapy comes into play. The physiotherapists are trained in this area and help you maximize your recovery potential.