The Importance of Physiotherapy after Orthopedic Surgery

Physical therapists are trained and knowledgeable regarding surgical procedures, deficiencies in the biomechanics of the body, and patient treatment goals, and use that information to identify individual patient need. After surgical procedures, it is important that therapy complements the surgical procedure, relieve stress and help the body function without pain. Physical therapists know the body's limitations after surgery and work to ensure a successful recovery using a variety of techniques.

Stretching is important in maintaining quality range of motion in joints and improving muscle flexibility. With stiff joints or tight muscles, normal activities, such as climbing stairs or reaching overhead, can be severely affected for most people. With proper stretching, these tasks can be accomplished without added difficulty. In many cases following an injury or surgical procedure, scar tissue forms and soft tissue contracts in the body. Regular stretching is important in these situations to ensure that scar formation does not get in the way of your rehabilitation.

Strength exercises are also used by therapists to help improve the function of a patient’s muscles. The overall goal is to improve strength, increase endurance and maintain or improve range of motion. Any post-operative exercises are guided by a doctor and physical therapist, as there are often specific restrictions and needs for a given injury. Core strengthening focuses rehabilitation on the muscles of the back and pelvis. Some exercise programs, especially Pilates , are very good at increasing core stability in the body.

Besides strength exercises, icing and heating are commonly used in warming up and cooling off muscles. Important parts of the therapeutic process, these methods stimulate blood flow and reduce swelling. The key to ice and heat treatments requires knowing the right time to apply the treatment to an injury. Ultrasound commonly uses high frequency sound waves outside the normal human range of hearing, to stimulate deep tissues within a patient’s body. Passing an ultrasound probe over an individual stimulates deep tissues through the vibration of the sound wave. This process leads to warming and increased blood flow to these tissues. Similarly, electrical stimulation therapy passes an electrical current to an area needing treatment. Nerve conduction in the designated area of the body is altered and leads to muscle contraction. Blood flow to necessary tissues is increased through the electrical stimulation, and many patients experience reduced pain afterward.

With the help of a physical therapist, not only will mobility be easier and faster to achieve following orthopedic surgery, but the pain and discomfort lessened also. This makes the physical therapist an integral part of the process.