Major surgery is a big deal. Any surgery can come with benefits, risks and side effects. It can leave you feeling weak, stuck in bed, in pain and even depressed. While surgery can help improve your health, it can also bring challenges. One of the best ways to manage the challenges that can come from postsurgery recovery is through physical therapy. After surgery, your body needs time to heal, and physical therapy can help you regain strength, move more easily and feel better overall.
9 benefits of physical therapy after surgery
Physical therapy can support your recovery and help you feel like yourself again. Going to physical therapy after surgery can offer a variety of benefits, including:
Strengthening your body — After surgery, it’s natural to feel weak, especially if you’ve had to rest or avoid using certain parts of your body for a while. When you don’t use your muscles, they can get weaker. Physical therapy can help you regain strength you may have lost after surgery. Your physical therapist will design a personalized treatment program, which may include therapeutic exercises to target the muscles affected by your surgery. This may include:
Lifting weights
Using resistance bands
Doing body weight exercises
Improving balance and control — Surgery can sometimes affect your balance and coordination, making you feel wobbly or unsteady when you move. This can lead to falls, which are dangerous and can cause you more injuries. Physical therapy can help you regain and improve these skills. Your physical therapist will use exercises and activities that can help you retrain your brain and body to work together.
Increasing flexibility and mobility — Regaining your ability to move comfortably is one of the biggest challenges after surgery. You may find that simple tasks like reaching, bending or stretching are harder than they were before. Physical therapy can help you increase your flexibility and mobility. Your physical therapist can use exercises and techniques that can help you improve the range of motion in your joints. This can help you return to your normal daily activities.
Making scar tissue more pliable — After surgery, scar tissue forms as your body heals. While this is a natural part of the healing process, scar tissue can be stiff and restrict your movement. Physical therapy can help make scar tissue more pliable. Your physical therapist may use techniques such as soft tissue mobilization, the Graston Technique® and stretches to help improve the range of motion in the affected area.
Addressing pain and inflammation — It’s common to have pain and swelling after surgery, which can slow down your recovery. Physical therapy can address your pain and inflammation: Your physical therapist may recommend techniques such as heat or cold therapy to use at home between clinic sessions. During your sessions, they may use manual therapy techniques or electrical stimulation to help reduce pain and inflammation. Physical therapy also focuses on strengthening the muscles around the area where you had surgery, which can help take pressure off that area and reduce pain in the long run.
Reducing your need for medications — Many people rely on pain medications after surgery, but taking these medications for too long can cause side effects or dependence. Physical therapy can help you reduce your reliance on pain medications. By improving your function and reducing pain, you may be able to take less medication.
Enabling you to safely return to physical activity — Physical therapy can help you safely return to physical activity. Your physical therapist can design a personalized treatment program that includes gradually increasing intensity to help you return to your desired activity level. This helps ensure that you don’t overdo it and risk injuring yourself again. With physical therapy, you can confidently return to your favorite activities when your body is ready.
Lowering your risk of complications — After surgery, there’s always a chance of complications like infections, stiffness or blood clots. Physical therapy can help you lower your risk of complications after surgery by keeping your body moving and promoting healthy blood flow. By improving your function and reducing pain, you may be less likely to develop complications such as blood clots or pneumonia, thereby facilitating a smoother recovery.
Promoting healing — Healing after surgery takes time, but physical therapy can help speed up the process by boosting blood flow and helping your body repair itself. Physical therapy can help promote healing. By increasing blood flow to the affected area, physical therapy can help your body heal more quickly. It does this through the nutrients and oxygen in the blood that your body needs to heal being brought to the affected area by boosted circulation.
Who is a candidate for postsurgical physical therapy?
Physical therapy makes sense for patients who need to undergo any of a wide variety of medical procedures and operations, including but not limited to:
Shoulder surgery
Wrist surgery
Back surgery
Hip surgery
Knee surgery
Joint replacements
Heart attack or bypass surgery
Pelvic organ surgeries
Physical therapy is a key part of recovery after surgery and can help patients resume physical activity safely and gradually.
Your recovery journey to heal and thrive starts here with KC Rehab
At KC Rehab, we’re here to provide you with personalized, caring support through every step of your recovery journey. Our experienced physical therapists will work with you to create a treatment plan that fits your specific needs and helps you get back to your daily activities safely. Whether you’re healing from a joint replacement, a back surgery or another procedure, physical therapy can make a big difference in helping you feel better, move better and recover more quickly. Let us help you start your journey to a healthier, stronger you.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
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