Surgery with a side of prehab

By Chloe Sandberg – CC’s Staff

I’ll take a side of PREhab with my surgery, please.

We as physical therapists need to do a better job at educating people on the value and importance of seeking our help BEFORE surgery. As much as we wish we could help 100% fix everyone’s problem everything related to their musculoskeletal system (ie. muscles/joints/bones), there are times when we simply can’t do that, and surgery is needed. That being said, we can still help you BEFORE surgery! Most people are familiar with the term rehabilitation, or rehab, one receives after surgery; the opposite of that is pre-habilitation, or prehab. Prehab is when you seek the help of a physical therapist prior to a scheduled upcoming surgery to give your body the necessary foundation to handle and recover from that surgery better. Of course the longer you see us beforehand the stronger and more mobile you will become, but even if you can only see us for two to four weeks prior to surgery you are still going to give your body a welcome head start to healing. Why not start improving your motion, muscle function, mobility, and current condition with some PREHAB to better prepare for the REHAB you will need afterwards?? If you, or someone you know, needs a joint replacement, tendon or ligament repair, or any other kind of orthopedic related surgery, know that we can start preparing now. Give us a call, and let’s talk prehab plans!