The Road to recovery doesn’t have to wait until after surgery. In fact, two aspects of the surgical experience critical to achieving a successful recovery are pre- and post-operative rehabilitation.

A pre-operative physiotherapy rehab program is an exercise-based program that is custom designed by a physiotherapist for individuals who plan to have a major surgery in the near future.

The evidence that if cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is measured preoperatively, it is predictive of complications in the postoperative period is compelling, with several studies demonstrating this across different types of surgeries.

Getting pre-operative physiotherapy rehabilitation can be one of the best decisions a person can make for his or herself prior to undergoing a major surgery.

Pre-operative exercise reduces the length of stay both in Intensive Care facilities and in hospital.

Pre-operative physiotherapy rehab packs a powerful punch of benefits that many people are totally unaware of. This is probably because not nearly as many people receive physiotherapy rehab before a surgical procedure as they do after. If you are scheduled to have major surgery, consider pre-operative physiotherapy rehab for yourself.

Working with a physiotherapist prior to surgery will not only make your body stronger; it will also prepare your mind for what to expect after surgery and will teach you how to help yourself.

Physiotherapy is typically indicated following an orthopedic surgery such as operations on the hip, knee, shoulder, wrist, hand, neck, foot, ankle, and spine to facilitate a speedy recovery. Physiotherapy can start anywhere from a few hours to a few days after surgery and in some cases there may be a period of immobilization following surgery.

A patient’s ability to regain motion, strength and ultimately return to their daily activities depends on physiotherapy. The body will not regain normal motion without specific retraining.

Physiotherapists are specifically trained to restore range of motion and strength without compensation and to prevent re-injury during the recovery process. The therapist can also provide the patient with specific guidelines to allow optimal healing.

It also exerts beneficial effects on physical fitness and postoperative outcomes measures across various surgical fields, including cardiac surgery, orthopedic surgery, abdominal surgery, thoracic surgery, vascular surgery and urologic surgery.