It’s scientifically proven that undergoing pre-operative physical therapy can lead to better post-operative functional outcomes.
Rehabilitation before surgery, labelled as ‘pre-operative rehabilitation’ or ‘prehabilitation’, is mental and physical preparation for a period of immobility, reduced activity and recovery following surgery.
It consists of a combination (depending on the injury or illness) of the followings:
We encourage patients in discussing this option with their surgeons, in case it has not been suggested. Clearly there might be specific reasons why a surgeon doesn’t prescribe pre-operative rehabilitation in some cases, but even when the surgical procedure is very close (like in 1 week) a single physical therapy session in which the patient gets to know the physical terapist he will work with post-operatively, the physical therapist has the chance of taking some baseline measurements that will be helpful in post-operative comparison and there’s the chance of discussing what the recovery pathway will look like, is useful.