Surgery repairs the structure. Rehabilitation determines what you get back. Without a structured programme afterwards, stiffness and muscle weakness commonly persist and the result of an otherwise successful operation is quietly compromised.
What is post-surgical rehabilitation?
Post-surgical physiotherapy follows the protocol set by your surgeon and progresses you through it safely: protecting the repair in the early phase, recovering movement before it is lost to scar tissue, then rebuilding strength and function until you return to ordinary life.
Conditions we treat
- Total knee and hip replacement
- ACL and other ligament reconstruction
- Rotator cuff and shoulder surgery
- Fracture fixation and post-immobilisation stiffness
- Spinal surgery — discectomy and fusion
- Arthroscopic procedures
Signs you should not ignore
- Stiffness that is not improving week on week
- Marked muscle wasting around the operated area
- Difficulty bearing weight or using the limb normally
- Swelling that persists well beyond the early weeks
- Uncertainty about what you are allowed to do
- Loss of confidence in the operated joint
Our treatment approach
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1
Protect the repair
Early movement and swelling control strictly within the surgeon's restrictions.
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2
Recover range
Regaining movement in the window before scar tissue makes it far harder to get back.
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3
Reactivate the muscles
Waking up muscles that shut down after surgery, starting with the ones that shut down first.
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4
Progressive strengthening
Loading the joint steadily as healing timelines allow.
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5
Functional retraining
Stairs, walking, lifting, driving — the specific things you need to do again.
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6
Discharge and maintenance
A long-term plan so the gains hold once the sessions stop.
What treatment achieves
- The full benefit of the surgery actually realised
- Less stiffness and scar-tissue restriction
- Faster, safer return to walking and daily tasks
- Clear boundaries — you know what is safe at each stage
- Reduced risk of complications from immobility
Prevention & self-care
- Begin rehabilitation as early as your surgeon permits
- Follow the restrictions exactly — they exist to protect the repair
- Do the home exercises daily; frequency matters more than intensity
- Manage swelling with elevation and ice as advised
- Bring your operation notes and any protocol to the first session
How many sessions will I need?
This depends on how long the problem has been present, its severity and how consistently you can follow your home programme. After your first assessment you will be given a realistic estimate rather than an open-ended course of treatment.