Do you have an upcoming surgery? Most people look for a physiotherapist after their operation — but there is a great deal to be gained from starting before it.
What is prehab?
Prehab is short for prehabilitation: the process of getting you as healthy as possible before your surgery. It is a tailored programme designed to improve your fitness and your functional ability before the procedure.
- Shorter hospital stays
- Fewer post-operative complications
- A faster recovery
Preoperative rehabilitation is just as important as post-operative
Before orthopedic surgery it helps to understand that your overall health and fitness will shape your recovery. A prehab programme prepares your body for the stress of surgery and builds the strength that carries you through it — and out the other side.
Surgery usually means an incision into a specific part of the body, and the muscles around that site lose strength, movement and function. Building extra muscle beforehand helps you hold on to that strength and speeds your recovery.
Eight benefits of prehab
- Pain relief before surgery
- Better endurance
- More muscle strength
- Improved range of motion
- Less post-operative stiffness
- Shorter recovery time
- Lower risk of post-operative complications
- Less anxiety about the procedure itself
What prehab consists of
- A mix of modalities, exercises and manual techniques, all chosen for your situation
- An early focus on reducing swelling, improving range of motion and building strength
- Education about the procedure itself and the steps that lead to a full recovery
A prehab programme aims to get you to a healthy body weight, increase your cardiovascular endurance and strengthen the muscles around the surgical site. The recommendation is at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, aerobic and strengthening both. The pictures below show the range of what that can look like here.
When to start
Whether you are going in for cardiovascular surgery, orthopedic surgery, cancer treatment or a day procedure, prehab can help. Starting four to six weeks before your scheduled date has been shown to improve recovery times. Every programme is built from a thorough assessment by a physiotherapist or kinesiologist.
The benefits that are not physical
Exercise brings obvious physical gains, but there are emotional ones too. A supportive environment takes the edge off the anxiety around an operation. It also gives you time to arrange any equipment you will need, learn about the procedure, and build a clear picture of what recovery will involve.
If you have a date booked, there is still time to prepare for it. Call LiquidGym at 613-820-8228.
References
- Wynter-Blyth V, Moorthy K. “Prehabilitation: preparing patients for surgery.” BMJ 2017; 358.
- Durrand J., Singh S. J., & Danjoux G. (2019). “Prehabilitation.” Clinical Medicine (London), 19(6), 458–464.