Three benefits of preparing for surgery naturally with physical therapy

Some people might think that preparing for surgery is simple. You just make the appointment and show up when you’re scheduled to. However, this isn’t quite accurate. Preparing for surgery is more like preparing for a marathon. This means you need to get your body ready beforehand. 

Surgeries to replace or repair joints are common. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality estimates that more than 600,000 Americans have knee replacements annually. Physical therapy can help you prepare for surgery naturally. This type of therapy is called pre-surgical rehab or pre-hab, and it can have three specific benefits for you. 

Three benefits of preparing for surgery naturally with physical therapy

Before surgery, patients often have pain. They could also be experiencing balance issues or difficulty moving the affected body part. Preparing for surgery with physical therapy can help you deal with pre-surgical issues naturally. 

There are many benefits that pre-hab can offer. Three benefits that it could offer you before surgery include: 

1. Reducing pain — Pain in the affected body part or joint is common before surgery. Reducing this pain before surgery can be accomplished with pre-hab. One study shows that shoulder surgery patients can receive this pre-hab benefit. The study reports that one patient had a more than 15% reduction in pain scores after about a month of pre-hab. 

2. Improving joint function — People with injured or arthritic joints often have reduced joint function. This can make common activities like walking or lifting objects more difficult. Going through pre-hab before surgery can help improve joint function. A study shows that pre-hab allowed one patient to improve his shoulder function by 31.5%. 

3. Increasing range of motion — Range of motion (ROM) is how much you can move a joint. Often, ROM is decreased in patients who need joint surgery. This issue can lead to increased pain and decreased function. Pre-surgical rehab can lead to increased joint ROM. A specific study of pre-hab before a total shoulder replacement supports this. The study reports that one patient was able to rotate his shoulder blade upward 55 degrees after pre-hab. This is close to the average normal shoulder blade rotation of 60 degrees. 

Back in Motion offers physical therapy that can prepare you for surgery naturally

Do you want to find physical therapy that helps you prepare for surgery naturally? Our Back in Motion team is primed to assist you. We offer free screenings, and they can help you discover what pre-surgical issues you’re facing. Our team can then create an individualized pre-hab plan for you. We even offer virtual and at-home appointments that can reduce your risk of exposure to COVID-19. 

Contact our team today for more information about our pre-hab services or to schedule your free screening.