5 Crucial Things to Know About Post-Surgery Rehabilitation in Kansas City

08 April 2020Physical Therapy

post-sugery rehabilitation in Kansas City

No matter the surgery, proper rehabilitation is key to regaining function and preventing further injury. Physical therapy treatments are an effective tool to keep patients moving forward while promoting healing and recovery.

Our team at F.I.T. Muscle & Joint Clinic utilizes physical therapy as a means for post-surgery rehabilitation for many patients in the Kansas City area. We’ve found that fear of the recovery process stems from lack of knowledge on what to expect.

Recovery is your first step toward feeling and moving better, not something to dread. Read on to learn the most important things you should know about physical therapy after surgery. 

1. Pain is normal after surgery.

Pain after surgery is completely normal, but lingering pain is not. Pain after surgery is called postoperative pain (“post” means “after”). However, pain management begins before surgery. In fact, it typically starts when your doctor plans your treatment. Your doctor should tell you about possible pain after surgery so you can be prepared for it.

It also helps to know what treatments doctors typically use to relieve pain after your specific surgery and which symptoms could be signs of complications. 

If it’s possible to manage your pain treatment yourself, it’s good to know about that before having the operation. The medical name for this kind of pain management is “patient-controlled analgesia” (PCA). The type of pain following surgery will likely be different than the pain you were experiencing prior to surgery and can vary depending on the type of surgery that occurred.

 2. Your physical therapist will work with you to help you meet your goals.

Physical therapists develop achievable, long-term and short-term personal goals during an initial visit. They are dedicated to improving your health and wellness by promoting a healthy and active lifestyle after surgery. Prevention of further injury or managing scar tissue is a big part of post-surgery rehabilitation. 

Here at F.I.T., we utilize the Graston Technique and FAKTR as a tool to help break down scar tissue around affected joints to improve tissue mobility and range of motion. Recovery after surgery can also depend on the type of surgery you incur. F.I.T. utilizes BFR (blood flow restriction) to improve muscle growth and retraining during exercise to speed up the recovery process after surgery.

3. There will be some movement restrictions after surgery, but these restrictions are temporary. 

The goal of post-surgery rehabilitation in Kansas City is to restore function, and at F.I.T we want you better than before. Your surgeon set restrictions in place to ensure you don’t stress repaired structures during a time of remodeling and healing. Restrictions are to remain in place until cleared by your surgeon or physical therapist—no matter how good you feel. Following these restrictions are important for the rehab process so the body and tissue can heal.

4. Your treatment plan is tailored to you. 

No two bodies are the same, so no two people should receive the same treatment plan (even after the same surgery). It is very common that people hear stories about how easy physical therapy was after their surgery. This is not always the case. The doctors at F.I.T. constantly adapt your treatment plan to reflect your goals and real time outcome measures throughout the treatment plan.

5. Movement is Medicine! 

It is key that our patients understand that even after post op, we are promoting movement. Movement is important even after surgery to promote overall health and systemic effects. Movement helps improve outcomes with physical therapy such as range of motion, aerobic tolerance, swelling, prevention of blood clots, increased strength, and improved functional capacity.

Learn more about post-surgery rehabilitation in Kansas City with  F.I.T. Muscle & Joint Clinic

If you’re in the Kansas City area, our expert team of physical therapists is here to help you maneuver through your post-surgical journey. We work with doctors and surgeons in the area to make sure you get the best continued care possible. 

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