Following surgery, the majority of patients experience swelling, pain, limited range of motion
and a decreased ability to use the specific part of the body that has undergone surgery. It is
essential to get moving after your surgery in order to return to your normal activity level;
which is why physical therapy is an important step in the rehabilitation process. Moving the
affected area, if instructed to by your surgeon, will help to increase the blood circulation to
the injured area which allows the swelling to decrease and the healing process to accelerate.
After surgery your physical therapy will be tailored to your specific condition, and will follow
a designated protocol. During a typical post-operative physical therapy session, the physical
therapist will apply hot and/or cold packs to the affected area while also applying electric
stimulation to promote blood flow to the area. The therapist will design an individualized
exercise program that will often consist of a combination of stretching and strengthening
exercises. At the beginning of your treatment the therapist will ease into the exercise program
as to not further aggravate the affected area, but your program will increase in difficulty as
the injured area heals.
The therapist will stress the importance of a Home Exercise Program, in which the patient will be shown several exercises that they can perform safely at home to help increase the healing process and maintain the progress that is being made. Our office will supply progress notes prior to each follow-up visit the patient has with their surgeon. Some of the many post-operative rehabilitation processes we treat include: Rotator Cuff Repairs, Shoulder Replacements, UCL Reconstruction, Carpal Tunnel Release, Hip Arthroscopy, Total Hip Replacements, ACL Repair, Menisectomy, Total Knee Replacement, Achilles Tendon Repair, Ankle Replacement, and more. If you do not see your specific surgery listed above please do not hesitate to call our office and inquire.