Having Surgery? Talk To Us About Your Post-Surgical Care

Dr. Frank J. Scerbo, PT, DPT, MS, CSCS//

If you and your doctor have decided you need surgery, we want to remind you that both pre-surgical physical therapy and post-operative rehabilitation can help with the recovery process. Today, let’s focus on post-surgical care. After your surgery, our personalized rehabilitation programs at Scerbo Physical Therapy & Sports Rehabilitation will help you heal properly and reduce pain, improve flexibility, strength, and mobility, and restore function.

What types of surgery can benefit from physical therapy?
After surgery on almost any part of the body, physical therapy can help you recover. Highly active sports, physically strenuous work, and accidental falls are common causes of injuries that may require surgery. Your Scerbo physical therapist will develop a rehab program that is specific to your type of surgery and your recovery goals.

Some of the most common orthopedic surgeries include:

• Shoulder surgery, including rotator cuff repair
• Back & spine surgery
• Joint surgery, including knee and hip replacements
• Ankle or foot surgery
• Hand surgery

But it hurts!
Most surgeries cause at least some level of pain, inflammation, restricted movement, and swelling. Exercises prescribed by your doctor, and even daily tasks like getting dressed, walking, sitting, and standing may feel like impossible challenges because of weakness and pain. Your experienced Scerbo PT knows how to help you learn how to do these things safely and without pain as you recover.

How long will rehab take?
If you’ve recently undergone surgery, it will take time to regain function and mobility in the affected area. Your physical therapist will assess your function following the initial post-operative review with the surgeon. This may involve looking at pain and swelling, as well as your ability to move and maintain balance and mobility. The type and length of rehabilitative care will depend on these assessments and the kind of surgery completed.

What’s the long-term plan?
It will take time to regain function and mobility after surgery. In addition to your sessions, your physical therapist will provide instructions for exercises to do at home that will help restore and improve your flexibility and range of motion. Your PT will show you how to safely relieve pain using exercise and movement to limit your need for opioid pain medications.

Our post-surgery commitment
At Scerbo, we are experts in the field of post-surgical recovery. Our goal for all our patients is to improve quality of life and restore function, and wherever possible to help athletes get back to doing the sports they love while reducing the risk of re-injury. If there’s a surgery in your future, call us or stop by for a consultation. (Remember, you don’t need a doctor’s prescription to start physical therapy in New Jersey.) Know that we’re here for you, before and after your procedure.