Up until I destroyed my knee playing rugby, I had zero familiarity with the term prehab. I’ve heard of rehab, of course, but prehab is a term that has become rather well-known to me with my injury, and because I had no idea what the hell it involves, I thought I would offer an explanation in case anyone else out there is scratching their heads at the word.
Prehab, in my own words, involves preparing an element of the body prior to surgical intervention. It often involves physiotherapy, which is how I’m going about it, and the idea is to ensure that whatever it is that requires surgery is as strong as possible before the surgery is performed.
Check out the following information, about the importance of prehab, from physiod.com.
“1. Pre-hab decreases recovery time.
“Having strong and toned muscles before surgery helps you get back to your routine much quicker. Your recovery should go much smoother than it would without physiotherapy treatment if you choose to complete a pre-hab program before your surgery.
“2. Physiotherapy can decrease your risk of developing complications after surgery
“Physiotherapy techniques (especially those that incorporate exercise routines) can help you increase your strength and endurance. As a result, general immunity will improve, making infection following surgery far less likely.
“3. Pre-hab can help relieve your pain early on.
“No matter what your surgery is for, our physiotherapist may be able to assist lessen your current suffering as well as the likelihood of you being in severe pain afterward through pre-hab. To assist alleviate or eliminate your pain, a range of approaches such as exercise, massage, or cold and heat treatments may be used.
“4. PT can improve your stamina
“Whatever operation a person requires, they virtually always feel a loss of strength and control over their bodies and energy levels following the procedure. Pre-hab, on the other hand, can assist in reducing the amount of power and control before surgery by strengthening a person’s flexibility. Physical activity before surgery will boost general stamina and make the procedure considerably simpler.
“5. Rehabilitation before surgery improves the overall outcome of the operation
“The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) states that pre-hab can improve the overall outcomes of surgery, and can even help in saving money if everything goes smoothly. The stronger you are before the surgery, the more likely the surgery will be successful.
“6. There is a chance you may be able to avoid surgery completely!
“You read that correctly! There is potential that your pre-hab therapies may be so effective in relieving your pain and general condition that you will be able to skip surgery entirely.
“Some patients discovered that their pre-surgical therapy treatments worked marvelously and were effective enough to cancel their operation. If your health improves significantly after beginning physiotherapy, you should contact your doctor about future treatment choices and the potential of avoiding surgery!” the web page explains.
There’s your newly learned knowledge for the day, my friends.
Photo by yury kirillov on Unsplash
