Physiotherapy is an important element of private joint surgery in Gloucestershire. But what will your physiotherapy involve, and can you expect a similar level of post-operative attention if you have your hip or knee replacement on the NHS? Alex Dodds, joint surgeon for Cheltenham and Gloucester, explains.
*photo courtesy of Albina Gavrilovic via shutterstock
What is physiotherapy?
We tend to assume a level of knowledge regarding physiotherapy, but the reality is that until you’ve had it few people actually understand what the purpose of physiotherapy is, or what’s involved.
The role of the physiotherapist is to restore or increase movement and function. This might be after an injury or operation, but it could also help you live with a condition. Following joint replacement, your physiotherapist will provide treatment (in the form of advice, goal setting and specific, tailored exercises that help restore your joint’s range of movement and build muscle strength.
Why is physiotherapy important?
If you’ve had joint surgery, your physiotherapy will present several benefits. First, there’s the immediate post-op period, where your body has to become familiar with the implant used as part of your hip or knee replacement. You effectively have to train your body to work with the implant and physiotherapy can help with this, especially in ensuring the joint can achieve a full range of motion.
Then there’s muscle strength. No one undergoes a knee or hip replacement lightly. By the time yours becomes essential, it’s likely that you will be far less active than you once were and this can lead to muscle weakening, because you’re simply not able to use the joint in the way you once were. Strengthening the muscles around the joint is important in terms of regaining movement, but it’s also important to help protect the joint from further injury.
Finally, it’s important not to underestimate the confidence that physio can bring, as it helps people leave their walking frames and sticks behind and return to everyday activities faster.
How soon will you notice the effect of physiotherapy?
Recovery takes time, but a patient will see the most dramatic benefit from physiotherapy in the first six weeks. After that, improvements will be more gradual (although still noticeable). You may still be feeling the benefit of physiotherapy after 12 months.
It’s important to note that the full effect of physio is not achieved purely through the exercises and manipulations carried out by the physical therapist, but through the exercises they give you to complete on your own. It’s important you play your part in your own recovery.
Will you get physiotherapy after joint replacement on the NHS?
Well, sort of. As the NHS website notes: “Before you leave [hospital], a physiotherapist or occupational therapist will talk to you about managing daily activities and home exercise programmes.”
This is one of the big differences between the private setting and the NHS. That’s not a criticism – we all know there’s a finite pot of money and resources to go round – but a procedure on the NHS will generally give you advice about physiotherapy. It won’t usually include an actual physio session unless there are any movement complications following your operation.
A private joint replacement in Gloucestershire, on the other hand, will include one or two sessions with a physiotherapist for the first few weeks.
That is, I feel, extremely important, and it’s certainly something for which my patients are grateful.
Book your appointment at my Cheltenham hip and knee clinic now or call 01242 246549.