Orthopaedic Prehab & Rehab
If you are about to have an operation we can help you throughout your journey.
Pre-Op Phase (before your operation)
Consultants now advise a period of strengthening and exercise before an operation as research shows that you recover quicker and have a better post operative outcome if you have done so. We realise you will be in pain and will tailor the exercise to your level. An ideal pre-op program would involve 6-12 weeks of progressive strengthening. If your operation is soon don’t worry, some strengthening is better than none.
You may also have some questions about what lies ahead of you. Each of our physios has over 15 years of experience helping people go through this process, so we are very well placed to answer any questions you may have. It can be daunting to go through an operation, we are here to provide information and expertise to help you through the process.
Acute Post – Op Phase (1-3 weeks after your operation)
You don’t typically need to come into the clinic during this stage. It is a time for gently mobilising the operated area and allowing things to settle down. A key factor in this is reducing swelling. If you had a knee operation a CryoCuff device can be of great benefit, these are fantastic for decreasing swelling in a knee. The quicker your swelling reduces the quicker you can get the knee moving. It will also help with pain relief in this stage.
If you had a hip operation the lower leg often has swelling due to fluid dependency. We use cutting edge Therabody Compression Boots to help reduce this swelling. We can arrange for you to have a set of these at home before your operation so that they are ready to be used as soon as you get home from hospital.
Rehab Phase (3 weeks until returned to your chosen hobbies/sports/activities)
We will guide you through your recovery as you progress from early mobility exercises, gait re-training and then gradually building your strength back up. We will tailor your rehabilitation to your goals and can liaise with your consultant if/when required.
We can test your strength with our Isokinetic Dynamometers, allowing us to compare the strength in your operated side to your non-operated side. As you progress we may use our Force Plates to measure the performance of your operated limb. We will give you exercises to perform at home, with video clips of every exercise so that you can be sure you are performing the correct technique. We also have gym facilities in our clinics and can supervise exercises to take things to a higher level if you are aiming to return to sports like tennis or golf.
