Pre-& Post-Surgical Care

Pre- and postsurgical care ensures you’re as fit as possible before you undergo your procedure and recover quickly afterward. Tiffany Zarcone, PT, DPT, and her team at Clifton Physical Therapy in Clifton, New Jersey, offer expert care before and after surgery. Their support helps you build strength and muscle tone, keeps you flexible to reduce the risk of tissue wastage, and positively affects your mental well-being. Call Clifton Physical Therapy to learn how to benefit from pre- and postsurgical care, or schedule a consultation online today.

What is pre- and post-surgical care?

Presurgical care prepares you for an operation, while postsurgical care helps you recover afterward.

In both cases, the Clifton Physical Therapy team designs custom programs that ease pain, optimize outcomes and help you return to an active life more quickly.

Why do I need pre- and post-surgical care?

Before surgery, you’re likely experiencing pain and some loss of function or limited mobility. It can be difficult to keep fit in this situation, and pain can make you feel so miserable you have no interest in trying. However, the less fit you are before surgery, the longer it takes to recover and the more likely you are to experience complications.

After surgery, movement is important to keep your blood flowing so oxygen and substances vital for repair can get to the healing tissues. It’s also essential to keep moving so the muscles don’t waste away and your connective tissues (tendons and ligaments) don’t shorten from lack of use. These changes can lead to long-term pain and stiffness that hampers your recovery.

What does pre- and post-surgical care involve?

The Clifton Physical Therapy team designs every pre- and postoperative program to a patient’s unique needs. Some of the rehabilitation techniques they may use include: 

• Muscle strengthening
• Active and passive stretching
• Endurance training
• Balance training
• Therapeutic massage
• Electrical stimulation
• Acupuncture
• Cupping
• Suspension therapy

Suspension therapy is an innovative approach that reduces physical stress and resistance. Your therapist suspends you in an elasticated rope system that supports you while you exercise, reducing the impact of your weight and the pull of gravity.

When should I begin pre- and post-surgical care?

If you can’t exercise properly because of a health condition, getting physical therapy can be enormously helpful whether or not you’re due for surgery. However, preoperative care can begin in earnest as soon as you have a date for your procedure.

The sooner, the better is generally the case for postsurgical care. The faster you start moving, the more quickly you’re likely to recover, and research shows that patients who undertake postoperative rehabilitation typically enjoy better outcomes than those who don’t.

With suspension therapy, the Clifton Physical Therapy team can start patient rehabilitation immediately after surgery, even if they’re non-weight-bearing. Other physical therapy treatments can begin when a patient is bearing weight.

Call Clifton Physical Therapy or book an appointment online today to arrange expert pre- and post-surgical care.