What is Prehab?
Prehab is participation in physical therapy prior to surgery. If you are planning to get surgery to recover from an injury, it’s highly recommended to undergo a prehab program as a proactive approach to your recovery. Establishing a solid foundation prior to the operation can significantly improve your overall performance and decrease barriers to recovery following surgery.
Research backs prehab as an incredibly beneficial practice for athletes recovering from injuries – including everything from ACL injuries to labrum repairs and all other injuries requiring surgery.
How Does Prehab Help?
For an athlete that is used to the daily grind of strength and conditioning and participating in sport, the body adapts to meet the physical needs. When an injury occurs and an athlete is forced to go days and even weeks without physical activity, the body may atrophy in many important muscle groups.
Going into surgery with a physically stronger body will allow you to hit the ground running when you begin your post-surgery rehab and will facilitate faster recovery for your body.
Additionally, beginning the rehab process prior to your surgery will allow our doctors of physical therapy to answer any questions and establish a timeline for return to activities post-op.
Herlong Sports Physical Therapy is here to help you build a strong foundation to prevent muscle atrophy and improve your range of motion. We will create a comprehensive plan to line you up for a successful pathway to complete recovery from the injury post-surgery. Our physical therapists will lead you through a series of exercises related to your specific injury to strengthen areas around the injury.
What Does Prehab Look Like?
New patients at Herlong Sports Physical Therapy will undergo a complete evaluation by a doctor of physical therapy, assessing the injury and creating a comprehensive plan for recovery.
If surgery is required for the full recovery from your injury, we will include prehab as part of your recovery process. During prehab, we will lead you through exercises designed to strengthen the muscles around the injured area, allowing them to better support the injury and building a foundation for a faster and healthier recovery.