Nerves can become rattled, and anxiety can increase when you know your surgery is coming up. It’s quite natural to be nervous when it’s time for surgery. But with an excellent physical therapist at Kinetic Physical Therapy, recovery from surgery can be a very positive experience.
Physical therapy will be part of the recovery, whether it’s surgery to repair a torn ligament, treat cancer, or repair a heart issue. Let’s look at some reasons physical therapy is so important after surgery.
Prevents Scar Tissue Build-Up
Surgery and scarring usually go hand-in-hand. Despite surgical advancements for cuts to be as non-invasive as possible, scarring still occurs.
When a surgeon cuts the skin, the body builds back tissue to close gaps and repair the skin. Scar tissue becomes thicker than the original skin, causing stiffness and limited range of motion. A physical therapist will use hands-on techniques to keep scar tissue from building up. This is called manual therapy.
Manual therapy can include massage, the use of kinesiology tape, and stretching exercises.
Cuts Down on Recovery Time
Soon after surgery, getting out of bed to move may be the last thing a patient wants. However, muscles can quickly weaken with fatigue. And it’s not only the operated area that can deteriorate. Surrounding muscles can weaken because of nonuse.
The sooner the weakened area is strengthened, the shorter the recovery time will be. So, movement through physical therapy within 24 hours of surgery is often very beneficial, even if uncomfortable.
Dealing with some pain when physical therapy begins right after surgery is normal. But it won’t be as distressing as a long recovery.
Reduces Pain and Swelling
Physical therapists are movement experts. And they know the correct movements to increase blood flow after surgery. When blood flow to the surgical area increases, healing is promoted. Improving circulation helps reduce inflammation and aids recovery.
Reducing swelling improves mobility, which can help with the pain. As the work of physical therapy diminishes recovery pain, the need for pain medication reduces. Physical therapy is very effective in helping manage pain levels without excessive use of prescription narcotics.
Improves Range of Motion and Strength
It’s common after surgery to have a stiff joint for many weeks. A physical therapist will use several techniques to improve the range of motion during healing.
For example, lifting it for a while will be difficult after shoulder surgery. A therapist will assess the shoulder at each session, progressing through different treatment techniques and exercises. This will improve the range of motion.
Restoring strength after surgery is foundational to getting back to regular pre-surgery activity. Patients do best when they commit to the specifically tailored exercises at the frequency a physical therapist instructs.
Finding the Right Physical Therapist After Surgery
At Kinetic Physical Therapy, we help many patients with post-op therapy. We realize that you have a choice when choosing a physical therapist. We know how to develop individual treatment programs for each patient. And every patient has the same therapist throughout their timeline of recovery. This way, we can closely monitor progress toward recovery goals.
If you have an upcoming surgery, please contact us today. We will make sure you feel comfortable working with us to reduce some of that natural nervousness before surgery.
