The Importance of Proper Rehabilitation After Surgery

Sports injuries are usually suffered during competition or after overuse wear and tear. After surgery for your sports injury, our orthopedic surgeon in NYC, Dr. Neil Roth is likely to prescribe physical therapy for you. If you do not then you are running serious risks to your body and may even make your injuries worse. Injuries resulting from lack of proper physical therapy rehab is most common after you receive surgery on the shoulder, knee, hip, elbow, foot, ankle, hand, or wrist. These joints you get surgery on will need rehabilitation to get back in working order, and without it, you run the risk of loss of mobility and use, as well as reinjury. For an orthopedic surgeon in NYC that can help treat your injuries and provide you with the proper rehabilitation after your surgery, reach out to us at the New York Sports Medicine Institute and get the help you need!

Benefits of Proper Rehabilitation After Surgery

Our expert orthopedic surgeon in NYC is likely to tell you that if you begin your rehab after your surgery you will:

  • Restore normal movement in your injured area
  • Build up strength in the surgically repaired area and surrounding muscles
  • Ease any pain or swelling
  • Let you go back to normal activities
  • Help with circulation so you can avoid blood clots
  • Help avoid re-injury

Post-rehab, or post-surgery rehabilitation, is about creating a balance of rest and exertion so you can build strength in the area you need to rebuild, while also allowing your body to heal. It can be easy to stay inactive, but this increases your risk of experiencing atrophy. At the same time, you may overexert yourself if you try to do too much after your surgery and end up hindering your healing and rehabilitation process. Your physical therapist and your orthopedic surgeon should work together to build the correct rehabilitation plan that will get you back on your feet, and let you continue your healthy life. To speak with an orthopedic surgeon in NYC who can work with physical therapists to help build the perfect rehab plan for you, contact us at NYSMI and get back on your feet!

What Rehab or Therapy Do I Need?

It is important to start the rehabilitation process as soon as you can after surgery. Sometimes, depending on your surgery and if you are not in too much pain, you could start rehab the day of your operation. Rehab would include:

  • Lightweight training exercises to strengthen the body – This will help restore normal function to the body and improve the muscles surrounding the surgically repaired area. 
  • Stretching the muscles and joints – Stretching will help restore your range of motion and flexibility of the muscles.
  • Ice and heat application – This is important for warming and cooling the muscles. It can stimulate blood flow and decrease any swelling. If you are not sure when to apply ice or heat, consult your orthopedic surgeon in NYC or physical therapist.

In addition to different parts of rehab, there are different types of therapies your orthopedic surgeon may prescribe to you. The different types of therapies include:

  • Physical therapy- This would focus on building strength and range of motion in injured areas or joints that have been operated on. This type of therapy is the most common and often given first after surgery.
  • Occupational therapy- this type of therapy focuses on performing certain tasks after your surgeries, such as walking up stairs or being able to do your own housework. You can also learn how to better modify your environment or activities to make them easier to perform and get back to living a normal life.
  • Speech therapy- this therapy is more common when you have surgery on the head or neck. You may develop issues with talking, swallowing, or being able to communicate, and speech therapy focuses on what you can do to resolve and fix these issues.

There are many different types of rehabilitation processes you can use to get back to living a normal and healthy life. You should speak with your surgeon and physical therapist to learn what types of therapies you need and are right for you. To speak with an orthopedic surgeon in NYC and figure out the best rehabilitation plan for you, reach out to us at NYSMI.

How Can an Orthopedic Surgeon in NYC Help ME?

If you have recently received surgery, then it is important to strengthen your body to avoid any post-surgery complications. If you have had a surgery but never went through a rehab process, speak with your orthopedic surgeon about rehabilitation plans that would be right for you. At the New York Sports Medicine Institute, we understand that everyone’s surgery is different and everyone will rehab differently. Our orthopedic surgeon in NYC is able to recommend what routine would be right for you and put you on the right path to feeling healthier than ever, and get you back to your favorite activities. For more information visit us online or call our NYC office at 212.861.2300.

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