Post-Surgery Physical Therapy

How can post-op physical therapy aid in rehabilitation after surgery?

If you are recovering from surgery, chances are that you are eager to get back to your normal routines. Before that can happen, your body needs some time to heal properly and regain its strength. From tasks as simple as walking, bathing, getting dressed or just taking care of yourself, physical therapy after surgery is one of the best and safest approaches to get back to a healthy and active lifestyle.

What is post-surgical physical therapy?

No matter what type of operation you’ve had, physical therapy is a tried and true way to help speed up your post-surgery recovery. Physical therapy treatment can improve your strength and mobility through exercises that are tailored specifically to you and your body’s needs.

After surgery, your tissues, muscles, and bones go through a period of healing. Because of this, your body needs to slowly return to everyday activities, which is why limiting mobility during recovery can sometimes result in improper healing. Side effects of this can include reduced range of motion, flexibility, and functionality.

Our goal here at One To One Physical Therapy is to safely get you to your prior level of physical function. This includes successfully returning to work, recreational activities and sports.

What benefits could working with a physical therapist after surgery provide?

• Reduce swelling

• Reduce pain

• Regain range of motion

• Regain strength

• Increase endurance

• Returning to daily activities

• Improved circulation

• Minimize scar tissue formation

What types of surgical procedures tend to benefit most from post-surgery physical therapy?

• Total Knee Replacement

• Total Hip Replacement

• Total Shoulder Replacement

• Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement

• Rotator Cuff Repair

• Lumbar Laminectomy

• Lumbar Fusion

• Bunionectomy

How can One to One Physical Therapy help me recover after a surgical procedure?

Our team of experienced professionals are here to assist you every step of the way, providing you with customized “one-to-one” care at our clinic in Tacoma, WA or via our digital telehealth option. Our goal is to closely monitor your progress according to your physicians’ guidelines, as well as your individualized response to physical therapy treatment.

Together we’ll go over any post-surgical expectations, taking any precautions or restrictions into consideration, and from there our therapists will guide you through specific exercises, stretches, and other activities customized to assist in your healing, helping you to maximize your muscle strength, range of motion, and overall function.

If you’ve recently had an operation or have an upcoming surgery scheduled, give our team a call today to discuss your needs or plan ahead. Our “patient first” philosophy ensures you will receive thorough, friendly, and expert treatment customized to your specific needs and goals. We are committed to helping all of our patients continually improve their quality of life and look forward to helping you!

How We Treat Hip Pain

Hip pain is a common complaint among people of all ages and activity levels. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including injuries, arthritis, movement patterns, and so on. Regardless of the underlying cause, hip pain can be both debilitating and frustrating. At One to One, we help our patients manage their hip pain with a combination of patient education, strength, mobility, and movement pattern corrections during daily tasks or painful activities.

Patient Education:

Patient education is a critical component of physical therapy for any body part, including the hip. At One to One, your physical therapist will take the time to educate you on the cause of your hip pain and provide you with the necessary information to manage your symptoms. It is important that you are informed about proper postures, body mechanics, and ergonomics during daily activities like standing, sitting, sleeping, and so on to reduce stress on the hip joint and get you out of pain. Additionally, your therapist will provide guidance on appropriate exercises and activity modifications to prevent exacerbation of symptoms.

Mobility:

Hip mobility, a general term often used to describe muscle flexibility, joint mobility, and strength through your available range of motion, is also an essential aspect of physical therapy for hip pain. Your physical therapist will assess your mobility and flexibility at your initial evaluation and address any impairments through specific stretches and manual therapy techniques as needed. Stretching exercises can help to reduce muscle tension and improve the ease with which the hip can move through its available range of motion. Manual therapy techniques such as joint mobilizations can be used to increase joint mobility and reduce pain.

Strength:

Hip pain can be a result of or be a cause for muscle weakness around the hip, low back, and pelvis. Physical therapy can help to address these issues by incorporating specific strengthening exercises based on the results of your strength tests during your initial evaluation. Strengthening exercises for the hip can include simple mat-level exercises such as clamshells or bridges, but will be progressed to more functional compound movements like squats, lunges, and step-ups when you and your physical therapist decide you are ready. These exercises can help to improve the strength of the hip muscles and reduce stress on the hip joint to get you moving better than before your pain began.

Movement Pattern Corrections:

In some cases, poor movement patterns or faulty mechanics can be a major contributing factor to a patient’s hip pain even without significant deficits in strength or flexibility. Once a pattern is identified, your therapist will work with you to reduce these movement faults through specific corrective exercises with the goal of reducing stress on the hip joint and improving overall function. At One to One, your physical therapist will constantly be monitoring your movement patterns during your sessions and, when appropriate, give you specific feedback on how to improve the quality of your movement.

In conclusion, physical therapy is very often an effective approach to conservatively managing hip pain. Through patient education, strength, mobility, and movement pattern corrections, physical therapy can help you reduce pain and improve function. If you are experiencing hip pain, it is essential to seek the guidance of a qualified physical therapist to create a personalized treatment plan to meet your specific needs. With the help of a physical therapist, you can return to the activities you enjoy without pain or discomfort.