Bone and joint injuries are common in athletes. Most often players are seen undergoing hip replacement or knee replacement surgeries. While they do not have the option to avoid the operation, they are generally fearful of not being able to return to their sport again or losing their form at the least. One way to ensure your fitness post-operation is to pick an expert for the procedure like getting hip replacement surgery with Dr David Slattery.
Another thing that accelerates your recovery and ensures complete strength and movement is post-surgery physiological rehab. It is vital in building muscle strength around the new joint and helps you get back to your regular activities at the soonest.
Aim of Post-Surgery Rehab
In simple words, rehab after the surgery help manage pain, enhance the function of the new joint, and reduce your stay at the hospital. The aim is to start mobilizing the new joint and improve the mobility in due course. The therapists seek to enhance the strength and flexibility in that area. The therapy often begins on the same day of the surgery intending to get the joint as functional as possible before the patient is released from the hospital.
It is important to understand that the surgery only corrects the joint and not the muscular weakness. Muscle strength is often depleted after the operation. This issue is more apparent in elderly people. Post-surgical rehab is the only and most effective way to reinstate muscle strength and get you moving.
Rehab Right After the Surgery
After your surgery, your doctor will start moving the new joint as soon as possible. If your pain is bearable, he/she may start the same day. During this immediate rehab, your doctor may ask you to sit on the bed’s edge. You can also stand up and walk a few steps, with someone’s help of course.
In the following days, a physiotherapist would guide you and suggest a few more exercises such as pumping your ankle and repeatedly relaxing and tightening your thigh muscles. You will be asked to walk with the help of a walker or crutches during your stay in the hospital.
Rehab at Home
The physical therapy continues as you are discharged and allowed to go home. You may get a therapist to come to your place or register for a rehab center to get regular guidance for exercising.
As you gradually build endurance, your therapist may add some strength-building exercises to your routine. Your doctor would recommend the duration and frequency of the exercise which is generally twice or thrice a day for 20-30 minutes. However, based on the intensity of your pain and strength, you may start with 5 minutes and work your way up to half an hour.
Whether you exercise with a professional physical therapist or by yourself, it is essential to keep your joint in good shape and also for your overall health. It improves blood circulation, prevents blood clots, eases the pain and swelling, and restores the strength and mobility of your joint to normalcy.