Don’t Wait to Bounce Back: Why Pre-hab is Your Secret Weapon
Do you have a surgical operation scheduled soon? If so, you might be worried about recovery time, especially if you have a physically demanding job or play a sport. You may be anxious about the effects of demanding activities on your joints and muscles, or concerned about overcompensation in other areas if you already have an injury. If you identify with any of these scenarios, preventative rehabilitation or “pre-hab” may benefit you.
Participating in pre-hab therapy has several advantages. It can help the body heal faster and avoid injuries, all while speeding up recovery time and reducing your odds of needing inpatient rehabilitation by 73%!
Pre-hab is divided into two categories: Pre-hab for injury prevention and pre-hab for surgical recovery. If you’ve got surgery on the books or you participate in a job or sport that is exceptionally hard on your body, look no further for help.
Yes, physical therapy can help prevent injury.
Physical therapy treatments typically aim at mobility improvement and pain relief through strength and balance training. Pre-hab can help you improve your physical abilities in your sport or occupation while simultaneously reducing your risk of injury.
Pre-hab is an excellent resource for those prone to injuries or who are at risk of developing them. When you see a therapist for this kind of care, you’ll get a complete evaluation geared towards figuring out where your trouble areas are and what your treatment plan will entail. These plans are comprehensive and usually include a combination of exercises, stretches, and pain-relieving procedures that target the areas most likely to be injured.
Military personnel, for example, are more likely to suffer foot, knee, hip, and back problems as a result of the rigors of training and combat. People can avoid many of these injuries with pre-hab, which teaches proper form, core strengthening exercises, and lifting techniques to keep service members solid and healthy. Firefighters, manufacturing workers, and other personnel in physically demanding jobs are in the same boat!
Pre-hab therapies can help both professional and amateur athletes. Their treatment will focus on identifying and correcting faulty techniques through conditioning exercises. Their physical therapists will also pay closer attention to the areas of their bodies that are constantly pressured or overworked by their sport, assessing their risk of injury and devising a plan to mitigate that risk.
Recovering after surgery doesn’t have to take months!
When people learn they most likely need surgery to correct a health issue, their mind almost immediately goes to recovery time. Questions arise, some of the most common ones being: “How long am I going to have to take off work? What about my kids? Who is going to take care of the house? When is there ever going to be a good time for this?” Faced with the knowledge of time spent in a rehabilitation hospital, many people delay surgery out of fear for the long, difficult recovery ahead.
Enter pre-hab! Pre-hab provides patients with the strengthening exercises and pain-relieving techniques they need for a smooth and speedy recovery. Choosing preventative rehabilitation can help significantly reduce recovery time. If you are stronger before surgery, you will meet your physical milestones much quicker after surgery, decreasing your recovery time by days or even weeks!
Recover faster by scheduling an appointment today!
Do you want to start working on your preventative rehabilitation plan? If that’s the case, don’t wait to schedule your initial evaluation.
We’ll find out the appropriate treatment for your unique needs so we can help you get back on your feet and achieve your physical objectives. To get started, give us a call at your nearest Elliott Physical Therapy location today!