Morningside Heights Physical Therapist on the Role of Prehabilitation in Strengthening Surgery Outcomes
Surgery places a great deal of physiological stress on patients. When patients' bodies are not strong enough to handle this stress, they may not fully experience the intended benefits of the surgery. Worse, the surgery may harm them more than it helps them.
Park North Physical Therapy in Morningside Heights, NY, discusses the concept of "prehabilitation" in strengthening surgery outcomes and why patients should take it seriously before planned surgeries.
What Is Prehabilitation?
While rehabilitation helps the body recover from surgery, prehabilitation is the process of preparing the body for surgery. When high-risk patients are not physically healthy enough to recover from surgery, physical therapists can help them strengthen targeted areas, overcome physical limitations, and improve their whole-body health in advance of the procedure.
How Does Prehabilitation Impact Surgery Outcomes?
Exercise prehabilitation improves postoperative outcomes by adequately strengthening the body to handle the stress of the surgery. Specifically, this process promotes the following benefits:
- Reduces surgery complications: Strengthening targeted areas in advance of the surgery can help patients avoid straining their incision sites or overusing their muscles during recovery, preventing surgery complications down the line.
- Speed up recovery: Healthy bodies heal faster than unhealthy ones. Prehabilitation can improve a patient's functional capacity and help them recover from surgery faster.
- Promote mental well-being: Surgery also takes a mental toll on patients, but prehabilitation can help patients feel confident going into surgery and motivated to complete rehab exercises after surgery to aid recovery.
Key Components of Prehabilitation
Physical therapists develop custom prehabilitation interventions for each patient based on their current health and the surgery they are undergoing. Some of the key components of prehabilitation in strengthening surgery outcomes include the following:
- Targeted muscle strengthening: Patients should strengthen the areas around the surgery site and the areas they will need to use more while recovering. For example, in prehabilitation before a knee replacement surgery, physical therapists will help the patient strengthen both legs.
- Cardiovascular training: Heart health is crucial in any surgery that requires the use of anesthetic agents, as these can cause cardiac depression and hemodynamic instability. Physical therapists help boost heart health through aerobic exercises.
- Range of motion exercises: Patients also need flexibility to prevent joints from tightening up during surgery recovery. Stretching exercises can help promote a better range of motion and circulation.
Contact Park North Physical Therapy in Morningside Heights, NY for Prehabilitation Services
Park North Physical Therapy in Morningside Heights, NY, understands the benefits of prehabilitation in strengthening surgery outcomes and advises all surgery patients to consult a physical therapist to learn whether they are physically ready for the surgery. Interested parties can contact Park North Physical Therapy today at 212-222-6525 to learn more about prehabilitation.
