By Bethany Village exercise physiologist Craig Cole.
As our body ages, there is the possibility of a body part starting to wear out. Be it the knee or hip needing replacement or strengthening up of the rotor cuff or whatever area is suffering from injury, the possibility of surgery exists. We all know that post surgery, physical therapy rehabilitation is inevitable and a very good choice. It is a very beneficial process to help an individual regain strength and range of movement to carry out their daily activities. A concept that most people don’t think about or realize exists is
something called pre-habilitation. This is a process of doing what is within reason under physician recommendation to help strengthen up the area around an injured joint or muscle to help speed up the recovery process during post surgery rehabilitation. A person that regularly exercises stands a better chance of a faster surgical recovery than those that do not. Focused exercise to prepare for hip or knee replacement is even better. In a study conducted by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, researchers found that surgical candidates that participated in a six week pre-habilitation program consisting of water and land based exercise reduced their odds of
needing inpatient therapy by 73% (Arthritis Foundation, Pre-hab for Surgery; Rizzo, Terri).
Bethany is very fortunate to have an excellent Physical Therapy staff and also the benefit of the Village Fitness Center. Utilizing the resources available to you is important to maintain a certain lifestyle in the event a surgery is discussed by your physician. Make sure to discuss available options to help yourself prior to a medical procedure. Preparation is key!
