QUANTUM Post Surgical Care and Rehabilitation

Physical therapy can help patients recover from their surgery as quickly and completely as possible.  At QUANTUM Health Solutions, we have a very experienced Physical Therapy team, of over 35 years of combined physical therapy experience. Our physical therapists specialize in treating post-surgical spine and post-surgical extremity patients. We are the experts in identifying imbalances in your body that remain after your surgery to make sure the effects of surgery are as positive as possible.

TOP FOUR BENEFITS OF POST SURGICAL PHYSICAL THERAPY:

#1 To promote healing. The most common reason doctors prescribe physical therapy after surgery is to make sure that your body heals properly from your operation. This could be to minimize scar tissue after arthroscopy on your knee or shoulder, or to retrain your muscles after a major surgery, like repairing an ACL tear. Keep in mind that your surgeon’s specialty is to diagnose and repair an injury, while physical therapists are musculoskeletal experts that are trained to help improve the way you feel and function.

#2 To regain mobility. Surgeries on the lower extremities in particular (ex. your knees and hips) require physical therapy to regain mobility. This could be getting back to daily activities like walking and gardening, or returning to more vigorous exercise, like running or biking. Your physical therapist will take into consideration both your pre-op fitness state and your post-op goals when developing your treatment plan.

In addition, our physical therapists will assess the joints and muscles above and below the surgery site to make sure those areas are fully functional as well. For example after a knee injury, the ankle can become less mobile, or the trunk muscles may become stiff and weak, which could cause the person to have to expend more energy while moving, causing them to become fatigued more quickly or have back pain.

#3 To have a faster recovery. Doing the necessary rehabilitation will help your body recover much more quickly than if left to its own devices. In the case of total joint replacements, it has been shown that starting physical therapy as soon as in the recovery room (i.e., when you wake up from the anesthesia) can lead to shorter hospital stays and quicker recoveries.

#4 To be involved in your rehabilitation. Working with a physical therapist allows you to be actively engaged in your recovery, and research has shown that patients who are actively engaged in their healthcare have better experiences than those who are not. You can work directly with your physical therapist to determine not only how to best recover from surgery, but also how to live a healthier life.

Time spent in therapy after surgery may vary dramatically but continuing on the path to health with recovery is very important.

Many doctors may also send you for a few sessions of physical therapy before your operation. This will help strengthen your body as much as possible. In addition, talking to your physical therapy about what lies ahead, including length of rehabilitation and what levels of pain to expect during your recovery, can be a huge help when approaching your post-operation period. A recent study showed that patients undergoing back surgery who had just one pre-op physical therapy session had a much smoother post-op experience.

TOP SIX BENEFITS OF POST SURGICAL MEDICAL MASSAGE:

#1 To relieve pain. Medical massage helps patients deal with pain. It not only helps manage the pain but actually reduces pain as research indicates. There have been several studies concluding the benefits of medical massage in reducing post operative pain. Many patients acknowledge that a post surgical medical massage treatment is almost equivalent to a shot of morphine or a pain reliever.

#2 Massage helps reduce stress and anxiety. These stressed and anxious feelings are common before and after an operation and often make pain even harder to endure. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine’s Osher Center for Integrative Medicine published a study finding that shiatsu foot massage, Swedish massage, and acupuncture helped reduce pain and depression in postoperative cancer patients.

#3 Massage can prevent swelling. Swelling is natural after an injury or surgery. The lymphatic drainage massage is a particular technique used for swelling. It helps keep the lymphatic drainage system in order by clearing fluid cellular wastes which are clogged up and are causing the swelling. Massage can help ease the swelling by relaxing the muscles and ensure proper blood circulation.

#4 Massage ensures better blood and oxygen flow, decreasing infection risk and shortening healing time. For faster healing of wounds, proper blood and oxygen flow is critical. Keeping the blood flow at normal levels is important because it is the distributor of nourishment towards the affected area. This way it promotes cellular and tissue repair, and due to clotting, it protects the wound against foreign elements particularly of viruses and bacteria which can cause infections. The majority of the therapeutic massage techniques now promote good blood and oxygen flow throughout the body. Because of improved blood flow, medical massage therapy enhances nutrient delivery in the body thus shortening surgical healing time.

#5 Massage helps prevent scar tissue. Medical massage also helps breaking up scar tissue and preventing creation of more (excessive) scar tissue formation. This goes for internal scar tissue (adhesions) as well as scars on the outside of the skin.

#6 Massage helps promote flexibility and mobility. Medical massage also helps in promoting flexibility of the muscles and joints. Because a patient may be less active just before and/or after an operation, the muscles and joints get lazy and become stiff. Even if the patient is immovable yet, massage is the best alternative to relax and exercise those muscles and joints for flexibility and faster mobility.