If you are planning to have surgery, physiotherapy can help. Physiotherapy is recommended post-operatively after many procedures including shoulder surgery, spinal surgery, hip, knee and ankle surgery. Pain, swelling, reduced movement and strength are some of the common post-surgical symptoms that a physiotherapist can help you with to enable you to improve your level of function. While the benefits of physiotherapy after surgery seem fairly obvious, many people do not consider physiotherapy before an operation. Pre-operative physiotherapy has been shown to improve surgical outcomes moderately after hip and knee joint replacement and after ACL reconstruction (see here).
Remember that there is often a non-surgical treatment option and the benefits and risks of both should be discussed with you by a healthcare professional to enable you to make an informed decision. In recent years the outcomes of physiotherapy have been shown to be as effective as many surgical procedures in conditions of the knee and shoulder for example (see here). If you would like an honest opinion on whether rehabilitation or surgery may be a better option, come in for an assessment and for some advice. We have relationships with local orthopaedic surgeons and can refer you for an opinion."
