Post Surgery Physical Therapy

Published on December 10, 2012 by: Renee Kirbs

Physical Therapy for Post Surgical Recovery

Surgery is often required to repair muscular or joint tears or instability, or other types of problems within affected areas of your body. After your surgery, rest is a crucial part of your recovery. In addition to rest, physical therapy is a necessary means to restore and optimize your affected areas Your physical therapist's fundamental goal is to improve your overall post surgical mobility. In some cases, it is his or her goal to restore your mobility to its optimum, pre-injury and surgical level. In other cases, it is his or her goal to surpass any of your previous mobility levels, which further protects you from the threat of re-injury. While you will perform many of the exercises in your physical therapist's office, it is pertinent that you also follow his or her home exercise plan to experience quicker, long-lasting post surgical healing. There are many types of range of motion exercices that can help to restore and improve your flexibility and mobility. Your doctor will work with your physical therapist to develop an individualized plan of action that helps your body gradually regain the ability to function within your own unique lifestyle, work, and athletic regimen.

Range of Motion Exercises

After a surgery, such as knee or shoulder surgery, your physical therapist utilizes range of motion exercises to help you regain optimal mobility of the affected area. For example, each joint in your body has a normal sphere of motion that allows the joint to effortlessly move from a starting to ending position without pain or discomfort. You can use the natural arm/wrist rotation as a visual guide of this inherent process. After an injury and subsequent surgery, your range of motion will be negatively affected by factors such as torn tissues, contracted ligaments or tendons, weakened muscles, scar tissue or swelling. Therefore, your physical therapist will prescribe personalized exercises designed to help you gradually increase your joint's contraction and expansion capabilities, which ultimately serves to eradicate the threat of re-injury to the joint.

Flexibility/Stretching Exercises

After lower body surgeries, such as knee or ankle surgeries, flexibility exercises are important to restore peak future walking and lifting abilities. Your physical therapist will design a custom flexibility exercise plan for you, using mainly stretching exercises, that targets the affected muscles. Some typical types of exercises to restore lower body flexibility include side and forward lunges, leg cross over stretches, knee to chest bends, and standing quad stretches. If you undergo upper body surgery, such as shoulder surgery, your physical therapist will most likely have you do shoulder and chest stretches, tricep stretches and bicep stretches as part of your individualized recovery plan.

How Range of Motion and Flexibility/Stretching Exercises Improve Your Overall Mobility

Your physical therapist's fundamental goal is to improve your overall post surgical mobility. In some cases, it is his or her goal to restore your mobility to its optimum, pre-injury and surgical level. In other cases, it is the goal of the physical therapist to surpass any of your previous mobility levels, which further protects you from the threat of re-injury. While you will perform many of the post-surgery rehab exercises in your physical therapist's office, it is pertinent that you also follow his or her home exercise plan to experience quicker, long-lasting post surgical healing. For more information you can contact a physical therapist who specializes in post surgery rehab treatment.