Proactive with a Purpose
Prepare your body for surgery
Sometimes, the body is unable to heal on its own due to too much stress or tissue breakdown from repetitive activities or a specific trauma. In these instances, surgery may be the best or only option for pain relief and recovery. Still, we believe our physical therapy skills allow for so much more than recovery after surgery.
Prehabilitation (or prehab) at IPA Physio is not just a set exercise program. It is an entirely new way to look at the body and to prepare its systems for surgery, thus improving the odds of optimal long-term outcomes.
Essentials Prior to Surgery
Your Body Needs Prehabilitation
Prehabilitation can be applied to individuals in the offseason preparing for a sport or activity (see Injury Prevention page), specifically those awaiting orthopedic surgery. The more conditioned the body is prior to surgery, the better it will perform and recover afterward.
At IPA Physio, your prehab begins with an in-depth, full body movement and strength analysis to identify problematic and dysfunctional areas. We then work with you to develop a program aimed at maximizing function around the surgical area and throughout your entire system. This approach helps to ensure your post-surgical success.
*In some cases, the prehab program has been so successful that patients actually cancel their scheduled surgery!
IPA Physio’s prehab program uses our FMT foundation to improve core and regional strength, coordination, proprioception, and stabilization of the problematic area to enhance its relationship with the rest of the body.
Areas of patient-specific, hands-on treatment include:
- Soft tissue Mobilization: Enhance mobility
- Functional Movement Patterns: Range of motion and movement activities
- PNF Techniques: Optimize stabilization, proprioception, balance, and strength
- CoreFirst Strategies®: Optimize your posture and movement strategies
Prehabilitation Proved
Studies consistently show prehabilitation is extremely valuable in attaining a successful surgical outcome. Here are just a few examples:
Knee ACL Repair Surgery: You might have what is known as a ‘quadriceps lag’ — that is, when you try to raise your leg straight in the air, you can’t control the knee and your leg bends slightly. Research shows that improving this condition before surgery leads to better outcomes after surgery.
Total Knee Replacement: If you’re looking to get back to activities quickly after a total knee replacement, strengthening is essential prior to surgery.
General Surgery: Even if you’re scheduled for a general surgery, prehabilitation can drastically improve your physical function afterward and increase your odds of a high-functioning life!
Let’s Use Movement as a Medicine
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