Pre-Surgical vs. Post-Surgical Physical Therapy

While not everyone will go undergo surgery at some point in our lives, many will. If you are considering a major surgery in the near-term, be sure to seriously consider two key parts of it, pre-surgical physical therapy and post-surgical physical therapy. Yes, having physical therapy after AND before surgery can have an outsized impact on how you recover from and the overall outcome of your surgery. In this article we’ll examine what the difference between both types of physical therapy in Port Isabel and Olmito and how they can be a crucial part in obtaining the best health outcomes from surgery.

Why Consider Pre-Surgical Physical Therapy

Pre-Surgical Physical Therapy is at its core a type of preventative care. The primary goal of this type of care is to prepare the body as much as possible for the demanding aspects of surgery. 

To give an example of how pre-surgical physical therapy would be highly beneficial, consider the prospect of a reconstructive knee surgery. If you knew you were going to have this surgery, a physical therapist may prescribe a few months of physical therapy highly focused on maximizing the strength and flexibility of the knee. This would help ensure the knee has a high baseline of health before it is operated on and must recover. By setting a solid foundation in place, a potentially more successful recovery and outcome from surgery may follow.

Why Consider Post-Surgical Physical Therapy

Once a surgery has been concluded, ideally a patient will already have a schedule of appointments ready to begin the post-surgical phase of rehabilitation. If the pre-surgical phase of physical therapy has been completed, it would be doubly wise to begin post-surgical as soon as possible to hit the ground running to take advantage of the strong foundation built beforehand. Post-Surgical physical therapy can maximize the chances of a successful recovery and positive health outcomes through:

• Assisting muscles re-strengthen
• Making sure that the joints achieve a proper range of motion
• Alleviating post-surgical discomfort by re-establishing circulation in the affected body parts
• Re-training muscles that may have been unusable prior to surgery
• Preventing the buildup of scar tissue that may inhibit recovery

Finding a Physical Therapist for Pre and Post-Surgical Physical Therapy

If you are going to undergo surgery soon and are interested in reaping the benefits of pre and post-operative physical therapy, we highly recommend you consider scheduling a consultation with our team. Our highly-trained physical therapists have extensive experience in helping patients throughout the rehabilitation process and are focused on helping them achieve the best possible health outcomes.

The process will often involve our physical therapists discussing your current health situation in great detail and then working together to create a specific plan for pre-surgical, as well as post-surgical physical therapy to give you the desired long-term results of the surgery.