November 2022 | Rehab for Life

Rehab Before Surgery: Everything You Need to Know

November 28, 2022/in Prehab/by Rehab for Life

If you’ve ever been told that you’ll need surgery, chances are you’ve heard about the benefits of prehabilitation. Prehabilitation refers to the treatment that takes place before surgery. There are many ways to prepare yourself physically for surgery. Some people choose to exercise regularly, while others prefer to work out with weights or use stretching exercises. Physical therapists can offer advice and guidance throughout the entire process.

Physical therapists can educate patients on how to prevent complications during recovery. They can teach you how to manage pain, avoid injury, and improve strength and flexibility. These techniques can make the difference between feeling good and feeling great after surgery.

Why Choose Prehab Physical Therapy?

There are many benefits to engaging in physical therapy prior to your operation, including:

• Improving range of motion and flexibility
• Strengthening muscles and joints
• Reducing swelling and inflammation
• Preventing future injury
• Increasing overall strength
• Decreasing risk of infection
• Improving sleep quality
• Preparing you for postoperative care
• Helping you recover faster

What Can Pre-hab Do for You?

Pre-habilitation refers to exercise programs that strengthen muscles and joints, improve balance, increase endurance, and reduce pain. These types of programs are typically used before major orthopedic procedures such as total knee arthroplasty (TKA), total hip arthroplasty (THA), and shoulder arthroscopy.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada examined the benefits of a pre-surgery physical therapy program compared with no such intervention. The team studied the effects of a five-week pre-habilitation program on patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery. They found that those who participated in the pre-surgery program experienced significant improvements in pain levels, function, and quality of life following their operation. In fact, the study authors noted that people who engaged in the pre-surgeries had greater gains in physical function and quality of life than people who underwent standard care alone.

The study included 160 patients who were randomly assigned to either a pre-surgery group or a control group. All participants completed a questionnaire regarding their health status and level of activity before the start of the study. Afterward, each patient received either a pre-surgery program or a placebo pill. Participants in the pre-surgery group attended five weekly sessions designed to prepare them for their upcoming operation. Those in the control group received information about how to manage their recovery without any additional treatment. At the end of the study, the researchers measured the patient’s physical functions and quality of life.

They found that people who engaged in a pre-surgery program reported less pain, better overall function, and improved quality of life following their operations. Additionally, the study revealed that patients who took part in the pre-survey program were able to recover to normal functional capacity sooner than those who did not receive any pre-surgery preparation.

Benefits of Physical Therapy Before & After Surgery

Physical therapists have been using pre-surgical physical therapy programs for years. However, this type of rehabilitation is often overlooked because it’s not considered routine practice. But there are several reasons why these programs should be an integral part of every patient’s surgical plan.

Here are some of the benefits of pre-surgical and post-surgical physical therapies:

• Improve Range of Motion

One of the most common complaints after joint replacement surgery is limited range of motion. This occurs when the surgeon removes too much bone from the affected area. As a result, the patient may experience stiffness and swelling. A pre-surgery physical therapist will help restore full mobility to your joints so that you can begin exercising again.

• Reduce Pain

Patients who undergo joint replacement surgery often report experiencing severe pain during their recovery period. By engaging in pre-surgery physical therapies, you can reduce the amount of pain you feel while recovering.

• Enhance Recovery Time

Pre-surgery physical therapy helps patients get back into shape faster. It also reduces the risk of complications like blood clots, which can occur if you don’t exercise properly.

• Prevent Soreness

Soreness is one of the most common side effects associated with joint replacement surgery. If you engage in pre-surgery exercises, you’ll be able to avoid soreness and other symptoms that could interfere with your ability to fully recover.

• Avoid Complications

If you’re having trouble walking or moving around, it might mean that you’ve developed a complication like deep vein thrombosis (DVT). These conditions can cause serious problems if they aren’t treated quickly. Physical therapy can help prevent DVT by improving circulation and reducing swelling.

Get Started Today

Rehab For Life provides excellent service and care, continuing to demonstrate our commitment to our patients and community. Contact us today to get started!

How Aquatic Therapy Can Help You Accelerate Recovery From Surgery

November 15, 2022/in Aquatic Therapy/by Rehab for Life

If you have surgery coming up, you might be worried about how long it’ll take to recover & get back to your normal routine. Fortunately, there are options to help make recovery as easy as possible for our bodies. Aquatic therapy is an excellent route to consider if you’re looking for a way to minimize pain, accelerate recovery, and reduce the risk of complications.

Here’s a deeper look at how aquatic therapy can benefit you after surgery!

Minimize or Eliminate Pain

Many of the therapeutic approaches used in physical therapy target the nervous system to modify pain signals to the brain and reduce edema, inflammation, and stiffness. An aquatic physical therapist can teach you exercises in the water to manage your pain and possibly lessen your reliance on painkillers. By reducing the force of gravity on your body, you can move more easily and with less pain. This protects your joints by minimizing weight-bearing stress.

Accelerate Recovery

While recovering from an injury where you are restricted from fully bearing weight on a joint, the water provides an environment that decreases or eliminates your body weight forces. The non-invasive and drug-free services and techniques of aquatic therapy can enhance self-healing power and work with your body to heal. Your therapists can help you stay on track during your recovery period so that you can regain and maximize strength, range of motion, balance, and more.

Reduce the Risk of Complications

While in the pool, your body is constantly responding to the pressure and movement of the water around you. This helps to improve your reaction time, strengthen your muscles, and improve your balance and coordination of movement.
Infection, range of motion limitations, hardware malfunction, and postsurgical bleeding are all potential problems following any surgical procedure. However, it’s important to understand that each patient is unique and requires individualized care.
As such, your surgeon might ask you to take certain precautions or limit your activities following your surgery. If your surgeon asks you to do anything like avoid lifting heavy objects or walking up stairs, your therapist can teach and demonstrate appropriate techniques and modifications.

Why Choose Rehab For Life?

Rehab for Life is the only therapy clinic in the Tri-State area to have two adjustable, warm water, Endless Pools utilizing remote control variable currents and treadmills. Our pools are expertly designed to facilitate easy entry/exit from each pool with our hydraulic pool lift. Clients use these unique features and other specialized aquatic equipment coupled with the expert guidance of our knowledgeable therapists to help them achieve their therapy goals and vastly improve their quality of life.

Whether you are trying to improve your balance, pain, mobility, strength, weight, or just feel better, we are here to support you and help you get back to YOU! If you have a question for our Rehab for Life team members, contact us and we will get back to you within the next business day. If you want an immediate answer, please give us a call at 812.401.5210.

Why Aquatic Therapy is Good For Sports Injuries

November 1, 2022/in Aquatic Therapy/by Rehab for Life

When it comes to injuries sustained during athletic activities, there are many different types of ailments that can occur. Some people recover quickly while others take longer to heal. One of the biggest questions that arise from these injuries is how long it takes to fully recover.

The length of recovery varies depending on the type of injury sustained. A torn ligament, such as a hamstring, typically takes 3 to 6 months to heal completely. However, a muscle tear or strain can take up to 9 months to heal. In addition, some injuries, like shoulder dislocation, can take anywhere from one week to several months to heal.

The good news is that aquatic therapy accelerates the rehabilitation time and patients see improvements in a shorter amount of time.

Advantages of aquatic therapy for an injured athlete

Aquatic therapy is becoming increasingly popular among athletes and those recovering from injuries. Water provides many benefits including increased mobility, decreased inflammation, improved range of motion, and increased blood flow. These are all factors that make aquatic therapy ideal for injured athletes.

In addition, there are several advantages to aquatic therapy over traditional forms of physical therapy such as dry land exercises. Patients are able to move freely while being immersed in warm water without experiencing pain. This makes aquatic therapy one of the best ways to rehabilitate an injury because it allows the person to move without having to worry about pain.

Other benefits of aquatic therapy include:

Buoyancy: The buoyancy of the water takes the weight off your body, which means less impact and strain are placed on your body during exercises. This makes exercises underwater easier and allows you to perform some movements that you wouldn’t be able to on land.
Resistance: Water provides more resistance than air does, and it does this without the full weight of your body. When combined with the buoyancy of the water, you can perform functional exercises while improving your range of motion and strength.
Increased circulation: The heat and hydrostatic pressure of the water increase blood circulation and flexibility while decreasing swelling.

What injuries can benefit from water therapy?

Hydrotherapy can treat a wide range of physical injuries, including:

Bruising and swelling
Back pain
Musculoskeletal conditions – such as ankle sprains, groin sprains, and frozen shoulder
Post-surgery for conditions like ACL reconstruction, knee replacement, and hip replacement

Why choose Rehab For Life?

Rehab for Life is the only therapy clinic in the Tri-State area to have two adjustable, warm water, Endless Pools utilizing remote control variable currents and treadmills. Our pools are expertly designed to facilitate easy entry/exit from each pool with our hydraulic pool lift. Clients use these unique features and other specialized aquatic equipment coupled with the expert guidance of our knowledgeable therapists to help them achieve their therapy goals and vastly improve their quality of life.

If you’re interested in learning more about aquatic therapy in the Evansville area, please contact us. We’re here to help you every step of the way!