Recovery Begins Now: How Pre-Surgical Physiotherapy Improves Outcomes
When preparing for surgery, many people focus on post-operative recovery—but what you do before surgery can be just as important. Pre-surgical physiotherapy, or "prehabilitation," is a proactive approach to improving strength, mobility, and overall health before undergoing a procedure. By optimizing physical readiness, people can experience smoother surgeries, faster recoveries, and fewer complications. In this blog, we’ll explore the benefits of pre-surgical physiotherapy, what to expect from a program, and how starting early can make a significant difference in your surgical outcome.
How Pre-Surgical Physiotherapy Improves Surgical Outcomes
Engaging in physiotherapy before surgery can lead to significant improvements in surgical outcomes by addressing both physical and psychological factors. Some of the main ways it contributes include:
Strengthening Support Structures: Building strength in muscles surrounding the surgical site helps protect joints, bones, and soft tissues during the healing process.
Maintaining Range of Motion: Pre-surgical exercises help preserve flexibility and mobility, making it easier to regain full function afterward.
Improving Circulation and Endurance: Cardiovascular exercises boost overall health and enhance circulation, which is essential for tissue healing after surgery.
Educating Clients on Post-Surgical Exercises: Familiarizing clients with the exercises they will perform after surgery promotes quicker adherence and smoother progression.
Reducing Pain and Swelling Post-Op: Better pre-surgical fitness is associated with less pain and swelling during the recovery period.
Shortening Hospital Stays: Stronger, better-prepared individuals often meet discharge goals more quickly, leading to shorter hospital stays and faster returns to daily life.
Overall, pre-surgical physiotherapy prepares the body and mind to handle surgery more effectively, setting the stage for a more efficient and less complicated recovery.
Types of Surgeries That Benefit Most From Pre-Surgical Physiotherapy
While many types of surgeries can benefit from pre-surgical physiotherapy, certain procedures particularly stand out due to their heavy demands on the musculoskeletal system. Some of the surgeries that benefit most include:
Orthopedic Surgeries: Procedures like total knee replacement, hip replacement, shoulder surgery, and ACL reconstruction are greatly aided by prehabilitation programs focused on strength, mobility, and balance.
Spinal Surgeries: Pre-surgical physiotherapy for spinal fusions, laminectomies, and discectomies helps maintain core strength and spinal mobility, easing the post-surgical recovery process.
Cardiac Surgeries: Building endurance and improving respiratory function before heart surgery improves outcomes and reduces the risk of complications.
Abdominal Surgeries: Improving core strength and learning breathing techniques support recovery after surgeries involving the stomach or pelvic area.
Shoulder and Rotator Cuff Repairs: Prehabilitation exercises enhance shoulder stability, making rehabilitation more effective and reducing the risk of stiffness post-surgery.
Almost any major surgery requiring significant downtime or rehabilitation can benefit from a structured pre-surgical physiotherapy plan tailored to the individual's needs.
How Early Should You Start Physiotherapy Before Surgery?
The best time to begin pre-surgical physiotherapy is as soon as your surgery is scheduled. Starting early—ideally four to six weeks in advance—gives your body the chance to build strength, improve flexibility, and address any physical limitations that could interfere with recovery. It also allows time to learn proper movement techniques, breathing strategies, and post-surgical exercises in a calm, structured setting. This preparation not only improves physical readiness but also enhances mental confidence going into surgery.
Early sessions give therapists the opportunity to identify and address secondary issues, such as muscle imbalances or poor posture, that might otherwise complicate healing. Conditioning the body in advance can also reduce the likelihood of delays if poor fitness would otherwise impact surgical eligibility. Even if there's limited time before surgery, starting physiotherapy—even just a week or two beforehand—can still offer measurable benefits. A proactive approach ensures you go into surgery with a stronger foundation, both physically and mentally, which supports a faster, safer recovery.
Pre-Surgical Physiotherapy Sessions: What to Expect
Pre-surgical physiotherapy sessions are personalized to match each person’s condition, surgical plan, and recovery goals. A typical session may include:
Comprehensive Assessment: The therapist evaluates strength, flexibility, joint mobility, balance, and functional limitations related to the upcoming surgery.
Goal Setting: Together, the therapist and client set clear goals based on the type of surgery and individual lifestyle needs.
Exercise Prescription: A tailored program of strengthening, stretching, and cardiovascular exercises is developed to target areas critical for recovery.
Education and Training: People are taught proper movement techniques, post-surgical positioning, breathing exercises, and strategies to manage swelling and pain.
Home Exercise Plan: People are given exercises to perform at home to maintain progress between sessions and build consistency leading up to surgery.
Monitoring and Progression: Progress is monitored, and exercises are modified as the individual’s condition evolves in the lead-up to surgery.
The ultimate aim of each session is to empower people with the tools and physical capacity they need to recover more effectively and return to their daily activities with confidence.
The Role of Exercise in Pre-Surgical Physiotherapy
Exercise is the core of most pre-surgical physiotherapy plans, as it directly prepares the body to handle the physical stress of surgery and the demands of recovery. Through tailored routines, people build strength in muscles that support the area being operated on, which helps preserve joint function and post-operative stability. Stretching and mobility work improve flexibility, reducing the risk of post-surgical stiffness and promoting smoother movement. Cardiovascular training boosts circulation, which plays a key role in oxygen delivery and tissue repair during healing. Functional exercises help reinforce healthy movement patterns and neuromuscular control, making it easier to regain coordination and confidence after surgery.
Just as important, these sessions introduce people to the exercises they’ll use in recovery, allowing them to practice in advance and build familiarity. This makes post-operative rehabilitation less daunting and more effective. Every program is adjusted to the individual’s needs, ensuring safety, gradual progression, and alignment with both the upcoming surgery and long-term recovery goals.
What to Expect During a Pre-Surgical Physiotherapy Session
Pre-surgical physiotherapy sessions are personalized and designed to evolve as surgery approaches. A typical session includes a combination of assessment, targeted exercise, and education. Here’s what to expect:
Initial Assessment: The physiotherapist will evaluate mobility, flexibility, strength, balance, and cardiovascular fitness to determine baseline function.
Goal Setting: You and your therapist will identify specific goals based on your surgery type, timeline, and functional needs.
Custom Exercise Program: You'll be guided through exercises that target areas relevant to your surgery, focusing on strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Technique Coaching: Instruction in proper form for movements and breathing techniques that will also be used during post-operative rehab.
Pain and Swelling Management: If applicable, techniques like ice, elevation, or taping may be included to reduce discomfort and inflammation.
Home Program Prescription: You'll leave with a structured exercise routine to follow between visits to ensure continued progress and consistency.
Ongoing Monitoring: Each session may involve progress checks and exercise modifications to match your improvements and surgical timeline.
The experience is designed to be educational, empowering, and focused on helping you feel confident and physically ready for a successful recovery.
Surgeries That May Not Require Pre-Surgical Physiotherapy
While many surgical procedures benefit from pre-surgical physiotherapy, there are situations where it may not be necessary. These include:
Minor Outpatient Procedures: Surgeries involving minimal tissue disruption, such as minor arthroscopies or simple soft tissue repairs, may not require prehabilitation.
Emergency Surgeries: Urgent procedures like appendectomies, trauma repairs, or emergency cardiac surgeries often occur without the opportunity for pre-surgical preparation.
Certain Minimally Invasive Surgeries: Surgeries performed through very small incisions with limited impact on muscle or joint structures might not warrant structured physiotherapy beforehand.
Low-Impact Surgeries in Healthy Individuals: People who are already physically active and undergoing low-risk procedures may not need a formal prehabilitation program.
Even in these cases, a brief consultation with a physiotherapist can still be helpful to discuss general strategies for protecting mobility and optimizing recovery.
Possible Risks or Side Effects Associated With Pre-Surgical Physiotherapy
Pre-surgical physiotherapy is generally considered very safe and beneficial when properly supervised by trained professionals. However, as with any physical activity, there are some considerations to keep in mind:
Temporary Muscle Soreness: It is common to experience mild soreness after starting a new exercise program, particularly if muscles are being challenged in new ways.
Overexertion Risks: Without proper guidance, individuals could overdo exercises, potentially leading to fatigue or minor strains.
Medical Contraindications: Individuals with unstable medical conditions, uncontrolled blood pressure, or severe cardiovascular disease may require modified or limited programs.
Adherence Challenges: Maintaining consistency with exercises between sessions is critical, and lack of adherence can reduce the potential benefits of pre-surgical physiotherapy.
Surgical Changes: If surgery plans change (such as a different procedure being performed), physiotherapy goals and exercises may need to be adjusted accordingly.
Working closely with a physiotherapist ensures that programs are tailored, safe, and modified as needed to suit the individual’s evolving needs.
Let Us Guide You Through Recovery
Preparing your body before surgery is one of the most effective ways to ensure a smoother, quicker recovery. Pre-surgical physiotherapy provides the strength, flexibility, and confidence you need to face surgery and rehabilitation with a strong foundation.
If you're considering surgery and want to optimize your outcomes, book an appointment with the team at Kneaded Carein Brantford to learn how personalized pre-surgical physiotherapy can support your journey to recovery.