It’s that time of year again: people all over, Irish or not, celebrate the history, mythology, and “good luck” of the Emerald Isle. This is, of course, St. Patrick’s Day. People love talking about the “luck of the Irish,” especially if you have something in your life that you think could use a little luckiness! Getting better after surgery, however, should never be left up to luck, and it certainly doesn’t have to be. That’s what post-surgery physical therapy is for—helping you recovery completely and getting back to your regular activities.
Recovering after surgery isn’t “lucky.” It all depends on how well you take care of yourself, and whether or not you complete your therapy. Physical therapy is key because your body doesn’t immediately return to its pre-surgery or pre-injury strength and power. Your joints and limbs have to heal first, and then rebuild strength in the stiff and sometimes atrophied tissues.
After all, you have to keep your affected structures still and limit their use while you recover. Running on a knee that’s still healing, trying to rock climb after shoulder surgery, or throwing a ball around with an elbow in a cast is a good way to damage those sensitive tissues again. Hopefully you’d know better than to try that! Time and rest restores them. After that, you have to recondition them.
Depending on the procedure, you might begin your therapy right away to work on your range of motion, or you might need a little time. Either way, once the incision has healed over and the affected tissues have mostly recovered, you can begin reconditioning them to handle daily activities and any sports you do. You’ll need to stretch out tightened tissues to regain flexibility and range of motion. Exercises rebuild muscles to handle more strenuous work. Eventually your body grows re-accustomed to daily stressors.
In the end, your post-surgery recovery isn’t about luck at all. It’s all about how much you invest in therapy to rebuild your strength after the procedure. Our team at Castle Pines Physical Therapy can help you make sure you fully recover after surgery—no lucky clovers needed. Just call (303) 805-5156 to reach our Castle Pines, CO, office for more information.
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