Are You Still Struggling After Surgery?
I recently returned to Australia to help my mother with her rehabilitation after her hip replacement. During this time, she noticed some key differences between the rehabilitation she received in the hospital, the post-operative care from her physiotherapists, and the approach I used to support her recovery at home.
Why Post-Surgery Rehabilitation Can Be Challenging
Rehabilitation after surgery is crucial, but it doesn’t always go as smoothly as we might hope. There are several reasons why recovery can feel more difficult than expected, and understanding them can help you take more control over your healing process.
Limited Time and Resources in Hospital Settings
Hospital-based physiotherapists are often under significant time pressures due to the high volume of patients they need to see. This isn’t a reflection of their dedication or skill—rather, it’s the reality of a stretched healthcare system that requires physiotherapists to work with as many patients as possible each day. As a result, the rehabilitation programs offered tend to focus on general recovery needs rather than addressing more individualized concerns.
Standardized Exercises for Common Recovery Needs
The exercises prescribed in hospitals are typically designed to address the most common post-surgery issues that most patients experience. While these exercises can be effective for many, they may not be tailored to specific challenges that some individuals face. For example, if you have particular mobility restrictions or pre-existing conditions, a more customized rehabilitation plan might be necessary to support your full recovery.
The Importance of Understanding Your Pre-Surgery Activity Level
Your baseline level of activity before surgery plays a significant role in determining how your rehabilitation will unfold. For individuals who have been sedentary due to pain or other factors, rehabilitation exercises may need to start more gradually. It’s important to build up strength and mobility in a way that is tailored to your starting point, which may require a more individualized approach than what is typically provided in a hospital setting.
Progressing Towards Your Specific Goals
Even after being cleared to resume normal activities, there may still be additional steps you need to take to meet your personal goals. For instance, someone hoping to return to running after hip surgery might be cleared to walk without pain, but the transition from walking to running requires a series of specific progressions. Running places much higher demands on the body than walking, particularly in terms of force and impact. To return to running safely, your body must be prepared to handle these increased loads. This often involves a more structured progression that many standard rehabilitation plans don’t fully address.
Personalized Plans for a Fuller Recovery
Osteopathy can help you find your entry point into care and guide you on progressive treatment plan, through the use of manual therapy to reduce pain and improve range of motion. Along with a tailored and progressive strengthening and mobility program. This program will always be discussed with you so you understand the steps needed to be taken now, and also in the future to achieve your goals and beyond.
Meet Colin
Colin Trigellis-Smith is an Osteopathic Practitioner who has worked extensively with professional golfers. Colin utilizes a range of manual techniques to reduce pain and increase range of motion, and programmes specific movements and exercises after the manual treatment to facilitate more robust and efficient movement patterns and provide prolonged relief.
