5 Benefits of Physical Therapy after Surgery
Here’s how physical therapy helps you fully recover quickly.
If you’ve recently had surgery, you’re probably willing to do almost anything to recover as quickly as possible so you can get back to doing the things you love. That’s why you should follow any instructions given to you by your surgeon, nurses, or hospital staff when they tell you to rest, take certain medications, or do specific activities to regain your strength, stamina and mobility.
It’s also a good idea to do physical therapy because it’s an effective tool in helping people recover from surgery. You may begin physical therapy while you’re still in the hospital or once you’re home. Physical therapy isn’t only for people who have orthopedic surgery, like a hip or knee replacement. It can help people heal from almost any type of surgery. Here’s why:
It helps improve power, mobility and flexibility.
You’ll likely experience a reduction in strength, mobility and flexibility after surgery in the area affected by the surgery and throughout your entire body due to inactivity. Physical therapists are trained to help you regain your strength and mobility in ways that won’t jeopardize your health so you can start feeling like yourself again.
It helps ease pain and inflammation.
Physical movement helps reduce the swelling, inflammation, stiffness and pain that often occurs following surgery. Although some people are concerned that physical therapy will cause more pain, this is usually untrue. Reducing inflammation and restoring joint and muscle function can effectively lessen your pain. Doing physical therapy may even make it less likely you’ll need to take pain medication.
It promotes healing.
By increasing blood flow to the surgical area, physical therapy helps promote healing. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients through the body, so improving circulation helps reduce inflammation and aids recovery.
It reduces scar tissue.
After surgery, you may develop a scar on your skin at any incision, but it’s the internal scar tissue that forms that can reduce mobility and function and become painful. Physical therapy can help prevent the development of scar tissue as well as soften scar tissue that forms, improving flexibility and reducing pain.
It lowers the chance of complications.
Moving your body instead of lying in bed or sitting on the couch all day lowers the chance that you’ll experience a complication after surgery, such as a blood clot or infection. Movement keeps your blood flowing and also reduces lung or heart-related issues.
When you begin physical therapy, a licensed professional will customize a program that specifically meets your needs taking into account any health issues or limitations you may have. It may seem scary to start exercising after surgery, but your rehabilitation will begin slowly and progress as you are ready. In addition to supervised exercises, you may receive other forms of therapy and will likely be given instructions for activities to do at home. Following the advice of a physical therapist can set you on a path to a quicker and more complete recovery.
You can reach your goals and improve your independence with physical therapy services at PIH Health. Rely on our care team to help you get the care you need to improve your quality of life. Our licensed therapists work together to create your personalized rehab plan. We'll show you ways to strengthen and stretch muscles, reduce swelling and regain function.
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