Prehabilitation is the term given to rehabilitation that takes place even before a surgical procedure is undertaken. The most common examples of Prehab are prior to a hip or knee replacement, which are both extremely common surgeries in Australia.
The concept of Prehab is that the stronger the muscles are that surround the joint before the operation, the better the patient is after surgery and the faster and more complete the recovery process. This is sound reasoning and one which we have seen hold true many times over here at The Glen Back Care & Sports Therapy.
We encourage all of our patients whom are about to undergo a hip or knee surgery to perform specific exercises in the 4-6 weeks prior to the operation to maximise their muscle strength. Interestingly, on a number of occasions those patients have improved sufficiently that they have actually been able to postpone or cancel their joint replacement surgery because they felt they did not need it anymore!
If you have a hip or knee joint causing you problems and are considering surgery, make a booking with one of our experienced physiotherapists to discuss what Prehab could do for you. They will put you on the right track with appropriate exercises and who knows, maybe you will be one of the lucky ones that can avoid surgery altogether!