Physical Therapy in Napa County, CA Speeds Healing After Surgery

Physical therapy is frequently prescribed after surgery. Many patients feel reluctant about it because movement is often the last thing they’re interested in. Even if you are concerned about discomfort or simply wish to be left alone to recover, rest assured that physical therapy treatments are in your best interest. Here are five ways physical therapy in Napa County, CA helps the healing process:

• Surgery preparation: Doctors not only prescribe physical therapy after surgery, but also before. This is a good way to prepare patients for recovery exercises and collect data on joint mobility. If your treatment takes this direction, it will be easier to see improvements after you undergo surgery. That allows for a smoother transition between surgery and recovery, which reduces frustration and increases a sense of empowerment.
• Faster recovery: It is becoming more common for physical therapy to start as soon as the recovery room. This has been shown to shorten hospital stays and make regular therapy appointments easier after a patient returns home. With some procedures, this is not possible, and patients spend time resting at first because of pain or the requirement that they must stay immobilized. Once this period ends, you start moving again with supervision. As you move, you will struggle initially, and then start to feel better.
• Better mobility: Being bedridden does little to help mobilize joints and prevent muscle atrophy. Skipping out on physical therapy often results in more pain and long-term consequences that can make just walking across a parking lot impossible. Lower extremities especially require movement to recover. Every physical therapy treatment plan is based on the individual and their current fitness level. As you gain range of motion, the program adapts to push you to another level. This helps you return to 100 percent or close to it!
• Proper healing: Another danger of staying still for too long is scar tissue. It will build up around the surgery area and restrict mobility and range of motion. For some patients, it becomes inflamed and causes long-term pain that leads to more opioid usage. The exercises promoted in physical therapy prevent the buildup of scar tissue. This is especially true with joint replacement, because artificial joints do not work the same as the original ones. You must move to get used to them, but also to prevent scar tissue from growing around them. The more you move, the easier it gets, so any frustration will be brief.
• Mental benefits: Suffering injury and pain can lead to depression. It is easy to consider a situation hopeless if it seems like a joint replacement does not feel quite right or if your athletic ability is reduced after an ACL repair or other knee surgery. Physical therapy counters these mental barriers by keeping you engaged. As you begin to see even the smallest amount of progress and feel better, it will be easier to stay accountable to your recovery. Research shows that when patients remain engaged with their rehabilitation, they do better in the long run. Stay on track even when you feel hopeless, and you will see benefits—even if it seems that the tough days outnumber the good ones.

Focus Forward Wellness & Physical Therapy offers physical therapy in Napa County, CA for injury recovery, improved movement and general wellness. Call us today to schedule a consultation.

Categorised in: Physical Therapy

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