Post-Surgery Rehabilitation

A surgery can occur for various reasons: an accident, a bad fall, chronic joint pain, and more. Even when the surgery goes well and leaves only a small scar on the body, post-surgery rehabilitation with physiotherapy is generally necessary and highly recommended.

Surgeries are often performed under local or general anesthesia, which reduces the sensation of pain immediately afterward. However, pain alone is not a complete indicator of healing. During surgery, the body is incised or manipulated at various levels to repair the injury. For example, in an arthroscopy—a minimally invasive procedure guided by a camera—the instruments pass through the skin, muscles, or tendons to reach the cartilage needing repair. In a more complex procedure, such as fracture repair, a scalpel cuts through skin and muscle layers, and surgical tools are used to align and stabilize the broken bone, often with metal implants. In both cases, a visible scar remains from the reattachment of tissues after surgery.

After surgery, inflammation, joint stiffness, reduced strength, and impaired balance are common. The surgeon may provide a protocol that the physiotherapist will explain and follow to ensure optimal rehabilitation. Post-surgery physiotherapy generally aims to reduce inflammation, eliminate the need for walking aids (cane, crutches, walker), restore full range of motion in the operated area, rebuild muscle strength in both affected and surrounding muscles, and improve joint proprioception while reducing pain. All of this supports a successful surgical outcome. Together with your physiotherapist, you will establish a treatment plan that respects your goals, limitations, and the surgical protocol if applicable, all geared toward returning to a healthy, active, and injury-free life.

Preoperative Physiotherapy: To optimize rehabilitation, a consultation with a physiotherapist before surgery can be very beneficial. Studies show that post-operative outcomes are generally better when the patient has minimal functional limitations before surgery, including joint range of motion, muscle strength, and muscle recruitment in joints near the surgical site. Your physiotherapist can guide pre-surgery exercises, ensure you understand and are prepared for the rehabilitation process, and establish initial contact before your operation. In other words, pre-operative assessment can help you recover faster and regain functional abilities more easily after surgery.

 

Common Surgeries Treated in Physiotherapy:

• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction
• Achilles tendon repair
• Rotator cuff repair
• Acromioplasty
• Meniscectomy
• ROFI (plates and screws) for ankle or wrist
• Hallux valgus correction
• Shoulder instability (Bankart repair, labrum repair)
• And more

 

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