Prehabilitation
What is it?
Preoperative rehabilitation or prehabilitation describes a set of interventions that we can undergo before having a medical procedure or surgical intervention. Often, this may involve maintaining or improving joint mobility, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. Creating a home exercise program which can be done safely and with a minimal discomfort can be achieved by substituting aggravating activities with pain free movements. Incorporating lower impact exercise such as water walking, bike riding and even marching on the spot can help you optimise physical fitness before you undergo surgery.
Besides exercise training the prehabilitation process might also include nutritional support, psychological support and/or coaching towards a healthy lifestyle.
Why bother?
We often hear and understand the importance of rehabilitation exercises post-surgery or after an injury. However, many people neglect how crucial prehabilitation is. It is vital to prepare our body for the period of reduced physical activity after surgery. Getting your body as strong as you can will enhance the recovery process. It has been shown in many recent studies that an appropriate prehabilitation reduces the risk of possible complications and side effects, improves functional recovery and reduces hospital length of stay.
How can I start?
It is a good idea to have a clear goal - an activity you would like to come back to post surgical intervention. This will give you a clear sense of direction and will add an element of purpose to your exercise routine.
For best results come and see one of our physiotherapists for an individually tailored prehab exercise program and guidance.
Does it actually work?
Research has shown positive implications of preoperative exercises for those undergoing ACL reconstruction surgeries. Participants who completed muscle control and quadriceps exercises, balance training and stretching exercises before ACL repair had better strength and knee function after even at 2-years post-surgery! Most importantly, those who completed pre operative training returned to their sports and activities sooner.
Furthermore Australian researchers have found that individuals with Osteo Arthritis awaiting knee replacements were shown to be able to comfortably delay their knee surgeries by an average of 2 years after undergoing a course of physiotherapy. This shows that prehabilitation will not only set you up to have better outcomes after surgery but can also help people to live more comfortably as they wait for their seurgery to take place.
Get in touch with us today or book online to start your prehabilitation journey.
Giesche F, Niederer D, Banzer W, Vogt L (2020) Evidence for the effects of prehabilitation before ACL-reconstruction on return to sport-related and self-reported knee function: A systematic review. PLOS ONE 15(10): e0240192. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240192
