Post-Op... Don’t Stop. And why “Prehab” makes for better Rehab.
Whether you tore an ACL this ski season or decided that off season was a perfect time for that rotator cuff repair, many of you have had orthopedic surgery in the last 12 months.
After your surgery and initial physical therapy sessions, you’re hopefully feeling better and more capable everyday. But just because your therapy sessions have ended and you finally have full joint motion and can sleep without waking up from pain, does that mean you are ready to fully return to your sport?
That’s where I (Lexi!) come in! MountainFit offers that next push to get you sport-ready so you can hit the trails with confidence. And most importantly, I want to work with you to reduce your risk of re-injury.
So, what does it look like to work with MountainFit to get back on the mountain?
Comprehensive assessment of your strengths, weaknesses, imbalances and ailments that would a) limit your performance and b) increase your risk of re-injury.
Hands-on therapy to relieve musculoskeletal tightness and pain, reduce scar tissue, and improve tendon health.
Sport-specific movement programming to resolve any strength imbalances and to get your body ready for the exact sport(s) you intend to participate in.
Ex: We never prescribe generic movements. We show you exercise and stretches that are specific for your body and the demands of your sport or the activities you do during your day.
For surgery, ”Prehab” is a newer term in sports medicine, and it may sound confusing- why would I rehab before my surgery? Well, research has shown that early implementation of rehab programs increases the chances of full recovery. So what does Prehab look like? Just because you tore your ACL doesn’t mean you can’t still strengthen your quad muscles. Strength and range of motion are major pieces of Prehab programs. The stronger and more mobile an injured body part and its surrounding areas are, the better prepared it can be for post-surgical rehab.
There are also phenomenal mental benefits of Prehab. Focusing (training) a certain body part or muscle prior to surgery can help the neuromuscular retraining of that same body part or muscle after surgery. So when you do your quad strengthening exercises prior to surgery, the pathways in your brain might have an easier time recreating these same strengthening exercises post-exercise.
