Do you have a major surgery scheduled soon? Are you looking for an edge in your healing and ways to speed up your recovery? One of the safest and most effective places to rehabilitate after an injury is in a pool. At Total Performance our physical therapists can help guide you through your recovery, in and out of the water, to ensure you get back to your everyday life as soon as possible!
People often worry about how long it will take them to get back to normal life after surgery. People often try to put off having a necessary surgery because of the interruption to their typical routine, including work responsibilities, caring for family, socializing with friends, working out, and traveling on vacation.
Occasionally, operations are the best option for your long-term health and well-being. When this is the case, it is essential to consider all possible options to help your body heal as quickly as possible. Our Total Performance physical therapists are highly skilled at assisting people in getting the results they are seeking.
Our team has extensive experience treating musculoskeletal conditions before and after surgery. We will use all the tools, including aquatic therapy, to ensure you get the results you deserve!
If you or a loved one has surgery scheduled on the calendar, it\’s a good idea to get your first physical therapy session scheduled for after your operation so we can make sure you get off to a good start after surgery!
Call our clinic today to request an appointment and learn more about how aquatic therapy can help you get an edge in your recovery!
The benefits of physical therapy after surgery
There are dozens of benefits to receiving physical therapy after major surgery. Individualized post-surgical rehab with our highly trained physical therapists minimizes your pain, accelerates your recovery, and reduces the chances of post-operative complications.
Physical therapy can help ensure your results by checking for and eliminating the following post-operative complications:
- Infections
- Blood clots
- Prevention of adhesions and scar tissue formation
- Prolonged impairment of function
Physical therapists understand the typical stages of healing and how to ensure you follow them for optimal results. Our Total Performance team will guide you through the steps necessary to get you back to doing what you love!
The ways aquatic therapy can help you after surgery
Aquatic therapy is a unique intervention used by physical therapists trained to utilize water\’s natural properties to achieve therapeutic benefits. Aquatic-based exercises take advantage of the inherent properties of water, including buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, and natural resistance, to effectively achieve rehabilitation goals.
Our physical therapists at Total Performance use aquatic therapy exercises to assist our patients\’ healing and maximize outcomes throughout their rehabilitation after surgery. Our aquatic therapy programs will begin after the surgical wound is fully closed to ensure you are ready to get in the water.
We will use the natural properties of water to help improve your mobility, strength, postural awareness, coordination, and endurance. Our therapist will design exercise programs tailored to your specific needs so we can safely challenge you without provoking your pain.
Our therapists will manipulate currents in the water to increase or decrease the intensity of your exercises. We can also use paddles, gloves, and noodles to increase the intensity of your movements.
In addition, by altering the depth of water you perform your exercises, we can increase or decrease the loading on your joints. For example, when you are chest-deep in water, the effects of gravity are significantly reduced.
For individuals that had surgery on their lower extremities, we can completely unload the pressure on their lower body by having them exercise in deep water where their feet don\’t touch the bottom at all. This is also effective for people after back surgery that need to unload the spine by performing deep water traction.
Swelling is a common issue that causes pain and limits joint mobility. Fortunately, the natural pressure of water can help reduce joint swelling. Swelling after surgery is a standard limitation that can delay recovery. Just by getting into the water, the naturally occurring hydrostatic pressure can help reduce swelling and improve circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Aquatic therapy is also a safe alternative or beneficial component to effective pain management after an operation. The support of the water can help influence the sensation and reduce the intensity of pain, making exercise in the water a valuable tool for recovery, especially early on in the process!
Request your first appointment at Total Performance today!
Water\’s natural properties set the stage for a therapeutic environment. Aquatic therapy at Total Performance is an effective way to implement exercise, improve your function and help you get back to an active lifestyle.
Water\’s natural properties support you by reducing the effects of gravity, reducing pain, and improving circulation to ensure your results without added strain. If you have surgery coming up and want an edge in your recovery, call Total Performance today and request an appointment!
Sources:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6314737/
- https://journals.lww.com/ajpmr/fulltext/2018/02000/Aquatic_Exercises_in_the_Treatment_of_Low_Back.7.aspx
- https://dptportfolios.web.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2565/2022/04/Aquatic-Intervention-for-Patients-with-LE-OA.pdf
- https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/95/10/1433/2686492
- https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/90/7/1014/2737793
- https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/24/1557.citation-tools
