Prehab Jumpstarts Your Rehab
If you’re heading into surgery soon, you’re probably riddled with questions and concerns. Let JACO Rehab’s therapists on help you prepare!
Prehabilitation (prehab) is an opportunity to ask questions, set expectations, and feel confident before your surgery.
In fact, patients who participate in prehab sessions tend to have great outcomes!
Set yourself up for success. Keep reading to learn more and ask your doctor about booking a prehab session at JACO today.
See our latest webinar on prehab for total joint replacements!
Benefits of a Prehab Session
We’ve heard it before: Why do physical therapy BEFORE surgery when the surgery itself is going to set me backwards again?
It’s true – surgery may be a necessary trauma that will knock you back a few steps. However, patients who are appropriate for a prehab session may rebound much quicker.
This is especially true for patients awaiting a/an:
- ACL Repair or Reconstruction
- Total Knee Replacement
- Total Hip Replacement
But why?
Mental Preparedness
During a prehabilitation session, you have the opportunity to ask your physical therapists questions about:
- What to expect
- Post-surgical timelines
- What’s normal to experience (and what’s not)
- Any question that’s burning in your mind
There are no dumb questions. Surgery can feel scary. The better you feel about what’s to come, the more confident you’ll feel after surgery!
Related: 5 Ways to Get the Most out of Physical Therapy
Physical Preparedness
You’ll also work closely with your physical therapist regarding your body’s readiness. The stronger and more mobile you are as you approach your surgical date, the stronger and more mobile you’ll be when you emerge from surgery.*
*Keep in mind that your surgeon may have precautions, so muscle activation and mobility may be restricted for a short period of time depending on the protocol.
If you’ve been given one prehabilitation session, you and your therapist will work on…
- Establishing home exercises for before and immediately after surgery
- Learning self-care strategies after surgery
- How to walk using an assistive device after surgery
If you’ve been given multiple prehabilitation sessions, you and your therapist will work more heavily on…
- Range of motion
- Muscular strength and endurance
…to make sure you’re setting yourself up for success.
You Get to Try Us Out
Prehab and rehab usually occur in the same clinic, but not always.
Many who receive prehab have no idea what to expect in physical therapy, and that’s okay. Prehab allows you to see what it’s like and develop a relationship with a therapist or clinic prior to needing rehab. Therapists who have seen you prior to surgery have the opportunity to deeply understand your story, which is a major advantage during rehabilitation.
If you visit JACO Rehab for prehabilitation, we would love to help you, whether you stick with us for your rehab or not. However, our therapists do hope to continue where they left off.
Regardless, make sure you do physical therapy after your surgery, too. It’s vital to your success.
Ask Your Doctor About Prehab
Ask your doctor if you’re appropriate for prehabilitation and have them send your referral to one of JACO Rehab’s four locations: Honolulu, Waikele, Mililani, or Kapolei. Give us a call if you have questions about scheduling at (808)381-8947.
We’re looking forward to meeting you!