Jenny Sutcliffe © 2013.  All rights reserved.                                                                       Terms of Use | Cookies & Privacy Policy                                                                                   View Web Design

Home About Me Physiotherapy Books Location Contact Me

Pre-operative care & post-operative rehabilitation

I see a lot of patients before and after knee and hip replacements, for example, and knee, ankle and shoulder surgery – often after a referral from their consultant. Pre-operative treatment and preparation is likely to make your post-operative recovery and return to normal life much quicker.

    It’s important that before an operation your muscles are in the best possible condition so that you have the ability to recover from surgery as soon as possible. Pre-operatively, I will assess you and give you a series of exercises that you should perform at least three times a day to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint to be replaced or operated on. I’ll also tell you what you can expect immediately after your operation.

    Post-operatively, I’ll follow the individual protocol that your surgeon sets out for you. In the first few days, I’ll show you how to limit swelling and bruising at the site and I’ll stress which movements should not be attempted for instance, after a hip replacement you shouldn’t bend your more than 90º from the waist or knee, so you’ll need to sit in a high chair and not bend forward at the waist on standing up from the chair.

    After the first week I’ll give you an intensive exercise routine to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint involved and, in the case of hip and knee replacements,  to re-educate correct standing and walking patterns. My aim is for each patient to be walking correctly and independently by the follow-up six-week surgeon’s appointment. Click here for what to expect.







RD Body Maintenance Manual #RD