Many Ways Physical Therapy Helps Patients Heal

Going through surgery may be just one of the steps toward healing from injury, trauma or chronic pain. But seldom is surgery the last step: That's when a patient's work is often just starting. Physical therapy, or PT, is critical to fully recovering from surgery to treat or correct problems with the hip, knee, shoulder, hand, wrist, neck, spine, ankle or foot.

Very often surgery alone is usually not enough to help a patient regain motion and do all the things they did beforehand. Physical therapy can often be the most significant factor in recovering their health, and one step that shouldn't be avoided if they expect to go back to their normal activities. Additionally, PT can prevent some of the complications linked to bed rest after surgery, including bedsores and blood clots."

Studies back up not only the importance of aggressive PT, but also of strong motivation on the part of patients to push through to achieve the best results. In a 2012 study on patients who underwent joint replacement surgery on their hip or knee - highly common surgeries nationwide - those who began physical therapy on the day of their operation averaged shorter hospital stays. Meanwhile, 2010 research suggests that patients who were more committed to physical therapy after hip resurfacing, another prevalent procedure, returned to higher levels of function and were more satisfied after surgery.

Even before surgery, you'll be told what to expect after the technique and may be tested to measure your strength and range of motion as a baseline. This will help develop goals for physical therapy after the operation.

What does physical therapy include? PT is typically broken down into separate stages that, over time, help you return to your previous activity level. Depending on the type of operation performed, your surgical area may be kept immobile just after surgery to allow swelling and post-operative pain to subside. From there, exercises gradually pick up intensity and frequency. Typical elements of PT include:

• Exercises to strengthen muscles and increase flexibility
• Posture, balance and coordination training
• Gait analysis and training
• Pain reduction strategies
• Massage
• Cold & hot therapy
• Electrical stimulation
• Instruction on exercises that can be done at home

Regaining your functional mobility is the main goal of physical therapy. But how does that happen? Here are the main ways PT helps patients fully heal:

• Restores strength, flexibility and mobility
• Alleviates pain without medication
• Improves circulation
• Breaks up scar tissue
• Increases stamina
• Protects the integrity of the surgical repair

Interested to skip physical therapy? There are big and small ways to do it, from not going as often as suggested to ending sessions early. Here's what you gain from PT and why skipping it can slow down your recovery:

• Physical therapists don't just help you exercise, they educate you on what exercises work best for you and why. Don't deprive yourself of this critical information.
• It's easier to re-injure yourself if you don't improve as much as possible in strength and flexibility. Don't risk another injury.
• Carefully targeted exercises, done over many sessions, usually lead to diminished pain. Quitting before the job is done leaves open the possibility that pain will return and/or worsen.

Comprehensive physical therapy after an orthopaedic surgery procedure improves the general outcome for the patient. The success of recovering from any surgery will be maximized by a patient's willingness to work hard, and returning to a full life after surgery depends on how much time and effort patients put into PT.