Rehabilitation is about enabling and supporting individuals to recover or adjust, to achieve their full potential and to live as full and active lives as possible.

We at Borders Physio can assist you with your rehabilitation, which can be prior to or following a surgical procedure, as well as after an injury. There is evidence to suggest that rehabilitation prior to a surgical procedure, also known as prehabilitation, can improve your outcomes following surgery, which can be a reduction in pain and increase in function sooner after the procedure, as well as long term better outcomes. This is true for many procedures, such as ACL reconstruction, hip or knee replacement surgery to name a few. It can also build your relationship with your therapist which can also be an important part of your journey.

The aims with prehabilitation will be to optimise your condition, such as strength, fitness and possibly movement of the joint involved. Discussions can also be had regarding what to expect following the procedure, but also to familiarise yourself with some of the exercises which can often be similar both pre and post-operative.

Post-operative rehabilitation is essential in the majority of cases following surgery.

This will often take place within 2 weeks of the surgery, to ensure that appropriate progress is being made and that you’re not having any problems or concerns. This can often be organised prior to the surgery taking place. In some instances, depending on the type of surgery that you have undergone, a delay may be required before rehabilitation starts, as the area of surgery needs extended protection. However, there are often other areas that can be focused on, such as the elbow, hand and wrist if it is shoulder surgery that has taken place, and a period of immobilisation of the shoulder is required. Cardiovascular fitness will also be considered at the earliest opportunity if this fits within the requirements of the programme which will have been agreed.

The aims of post-operative rehabilitation will be to assist in regaining movement, strength and the function of the body parts involved. Very early in this process, a discussion will be had to agree on goals that you will want to achieve, and how these will be linked to specific elements of the rehabilitation programme.