Prehabilitation and Rehabilitation: Your Complete Guide to Surgical Success

Whether you’re preparing for upcoming surgery or beginning your recovery journey, our comprehensive physiotherapy approach ensures you achieve the best possible outcomes through evidence-based care tailored to your specific needs.

30%

Shorter Hospital Stays

40%

Improved Recovery Speed

50%

Reduced Complications

60%

Faster Post-Surgery Recovery

Ongoing Monitoring and Adjustment

While many patients believe they can manage their recovery independently once they leave the clinic, research consistently shows that professional guidance throughout the surgical process is essential for optimal outcomes. Your body’s healing process is complex and unpredictable—what feels right to you may actually be hindering your progress or setting. you up for setbacks. Our physiotherapy team provides the expert eye needed to assess your progress, identify potential issues early, and adjust your program as your tissues heal and strengthen.

Regular reassessment ensures your program evolves with your recovery:

Weekly progress reviews in early stages
Exercise progression based on healing milestones
Communication with your surgical team
Return to activity and sport clearances
Long-term maintenance program development

Why Choose Our Comprehensive Approach?

Evidence-Based Practice & Advanced Technology: All treatments based on latest research and clinical guidelines, supported by digital health platforms
Individualised Care: Every program tailored to your specific needs and goals
Chronic Pain & Complex Case Specialists: Expert management of persistent pain and complicated recovery patterns that other clinics often struggle with
WorkCover & Insurance Expertise: Highly experienced in managing WorkCover claims and dealing with insurance companies, ensuring seamless approval processes and comprehensive reporting
Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Close communication with surgeons, pain specialists, and other healthcare providers
Experienced Team: Senior physiotherapists with advanced training in surgical rehabilitation and complex pain management
Comprehensive Support: From pre-surgery preparation through complete recovery, including difficult cases others may refer elsewhere

Prehabilitation: Preparing Your Body for Success

Pre-operative physiotherapy, often called prehabilitation or "prehab," is increasingly recognised as crucial for optimising surgical outcomes. This specialised approach focuses on preparing your body for surgery through targeted exercises, education, and conditioning. Your ability to build strength, improve mobility, and prepare your body for surgery leads to faster, smoother recovery.

Research shows patients who engage in prehabilitation experience:

Shorter hospital stays (up to 30% reduction)
Fewer complications
Faster functional recovery
Better long-term outcomes
Reduced post-operative pain

Common Types of Prehabilitation

Orthopaedic Prehab - Strengthening muscles around the surgical site, improving range of motion, and teaching post-operative exercises before joint replacements, ACL repairs, or spinal surgeries. This approach can significantly improve recovery speed and outcomes by up to 40%.

Cardiac Prehab

Cardiovascular conditioning before heart surgery to improve exercise tolerance, reduce complications, and enhance recovery. Particularly important for high-risk patients, reducing complications by up to 50%.

Pulmonary Prehab

Breathing exercises, airway clearance techniques, and respiratory muscle training before thoracic, cardiac, or major abdominal surgeries. It helps prevent post-operative pneumonia and respiratory complications.

General Surgical Conditioning

Overall fitness optimisation, core strengthening, and mobility training before major procedures. Improves physical resilience and reduces complication risks.

Neurological Prehab

Focusing on maximising existing function and preparing for post-operative rehabilitation needs before planned neurosurgical procedures.

Additional Supportive Prehabilitation Services

Hydrotherapy - Excellent for improving cardiac fitness, strength, and mobility while minimising joint stress through buoyancy. Particularly beneficial for:

Chronic pain patients who struggle with land-based exercise
Post-surgical patients requiring protected weight-bearing
Cardiovascular conditioning without joint impact

Fitness and Weight Management - Supporting patients who need to:

Reduce BMI before surgery for optimal outcomes
Improve muscular strength and endurance
Enhance cardiovascular fitness

Mobility Aid Assessment - Pre-surgical provision and training with:

Walking aids, crutches, wheelchairs and mobility scooters
Protective equipment (moon boots, braces)
Home modification recommendations

Education and Training- Comprehensive preparation including:

Post-operative expectations and timeline education
Pain management techniques and early mobility strategies
Proper body mechanics and movement re-educatio

Chronic Pain and Complex Injury Prehabilitation

Understanding Complex Pain Conditions For patients with chronic pain or complex injuries, prehabilitation takes on critical importance. Chronic pain conditions often involve:

Altered movement patterns and compensation strategies
Muscle weakness and imbalances
Reduced functional capacity
Pain sensitisation and fear avoidance behaviours
Psychological factors affecting recovery

The Collaborative Pain Management Approach - Most pain specialists recommend comprehensive physiotherapy assessment and treatment before interventional procedures. Success of pain management interventions relies heavily on:

Proper rehabilitation and patient education going into procedures
Understanding your current capabilities and movement patterns
Addressing underlying biomechanical issues
Building resilience for post-procedure recovery

Pain Specialist Interventional Procedures We Support:

Diagnostic and therapeutic nerve blocks
Neuromodulation procedures
Pulsed radiofrequency nerve blocks (RFN)
Spinal cord stimulator (SCS) trials and permanent implants
Dorsal root ganglion stimulator implants
Cortisone/corticosteroid injections (shoulder, hip, knee)
Hyaluronic acid (HCLA) injections
Epidural steroid injections

The Treatment Window Strategy
Procedures like cortisone injections provide a temporary 4-6-week window of reduced inflammation. We utilise this period to maximise treatment benefits, restore normal movement patterns, and build strength in previously painful areas.

Complex Case Management - For patients with multi-level problems or failed previous surgeries, we provide:

Comprehensive movement analysis
Graded exposure therapy for movement fears
Pain science education
Multimodal pain management strategies
Coordination with multidisciplinary teams
Realistic goal setting and expectation management

In-Hospital Care

During your hospital stay, you'll receive important early rehabilitation care from in-house hospital physiotherapists that set the foundation for your recovery. In hospital you'll receive:

Immediate Post-Operative Care (24-48 hours)

The first 24-48 hours after surgery are critical for preventing complications and setting the foundation for your recovery. Early mobilization and proper movement education during this period can significantly reduce your risk of blood clots, chest infections, and other post-surgical complications. Expert guidance from the moment you wake up helps you move safely while protecting your surgical site.

Early mobilisation protocols
Breathing exercises to prevent chest complications
Safe transfer training (bed to chair, bathroom, walking techniques)
Pain management education for movement
Initial wound protection strategies

Discharge Preparation

Proper discharge planning is essential for a smooth transition from hospital to home, and many patients feel anxious about managing their recovery independently. We ensure you're fully prepared with the knowledge, equipment, and confidence needed to continue your recovery safely at home. This comprehensive preparation helps prevent readmissions and sets you up for successful rehabilitation.

Home environment and mobility assessment
Equipment prescription and training
Initial home exercise instruction
Safety education for your specific procedure
Follow-up appointment scheduling

Seamless Transition to Home Care: Once you leave hospital, it's important to follow up with us to manage your rehabilitation plan. As your mobility and strength improves, so too will your plan-your physiotherapist will adjust your exercises and load each week to ensure optimal progress and prevent setbacks.

Post-Surgery Rehabilitation: Your Recovery Journey

Our experienced physiotherapists offer personalised treatment plans designed to help you achieve optimal recovery and return to daily activities safely and efficiently. Post-surgical physiotherapy has been proven to accelerate recovery by up to 60% compared to natural healing alone.
Every rehabilitation program considers your unique circumstances, challenges, and goals. Our comprehensive assessment process ensures your treatment plan is specifically designed around your individual needs, surgical requirements, and life demands such as:

Your specific surgery type and surgeon's protocols
Pre-existing conditions and chronic pain history
Personal goals and functional requirements
Psychosocial factors affecting recovery
Home and work environment demands

Progressive Treatment Phases

Protection Phase (0-2 weeks): Focus on healing, pain management, and gentle mobility
Motion Phase (2-6 weeks): Restoring range of movement and addressing scar tissue
Strengthening Phase (6-12 weeks): Progressive loading and functional strength
Functional Phase (3-6 months): Return to activities, sports, and work-specific tasks

Specialised Post-Surgical Services

Orthopaedic Rehabilitation

Orthopaedic surgeries represent the majority of procedures we see in our clinic, and our physiotherapists have extensive experience in managing these recoveries. From routine arthroscopies to complex joint replacements and trauma reconstructions, we understand the specific rehabilitation requirements for each type of orthopaedic procedure and work closely with your surgeon to ensure optimal outcomes.

Foot and Ankle:

Fracture repairs (ankle, fibula, calcaneus), Achilles tendon reconstruction, bunion and forefoot surgeries, plantar fasciitis release or complex trauma reconstruction.

Knee:

Arthroscopic procedures and meniscus repairs, ACL/PCL reconstruction programs, total and partial knee replacement, patella realignment and tracking issues and multi-ligament injury rehabilitation.

Hip:

Total and partial hip replacement, hip arthroscopy and labral repairs, fracture repairs (femoral, trochanteric), hip pinning and complex trauma and revision hip surgeries.

Spine, Neck and Back:

Spinal fusion and disc replacement, laminectomy and decompression procedures, microdiscectomy rehabilitation, nerve decompression recovery and vertebroplasty and complex spinal reconstruction.

Shoulder:

Rotator cuff repair and reconstruction, shoulder replacement (total/reverse), arthroscopic procedures, labral repairs and instability and impingement and frozen shoulder release.

Elbow, Wrist and Hand:

Carpal tunnel and nerve releases, trigger finger and tendon repairs, tennis/golfer's elbow procedures, fracture rehabilitation (radius, ulna, scaphoid) and TFCC repairs and wrist arthroscopy.

Neurological Rehabilitation

Neurological procedures require specialized rehabilitation focused on retraining the nervous system and maximizing functional recovery. Following neurosurgery, stroke interventions, or nervous system procedures:

Motor relearning and neuroplasticity training,
Balance and coordination retraining,
Cognitive-motor integration,
Spasticity management.

Cardiothoracic Rehabilitation

Heart and lung surgeries demand careful, progressive rehabilitation to restore cardiovascular and respiratory function safely. After heart surgery, lung procedures, or thoracic operations:

respiratory function restoration,
cardiovascular conditioning programs,
graduated activity progression,
scar management and mobility,
return to work and activity planning.

Abdominal and General Surgery

Recovery from abdominal procedures focuses on core restoration while preventing common complications. Post-operative care for:

Hernia repairs and core reconstruction
Bowel surgery and adhesion management
Gallbladder and digestive system procedures
Complication prevention (pneumonia, blood clots)
Core rehabilitation and functional restoration

Gynaecological and Pelvic Floor

Women's health procedures require specialized understanding of pelvic floor function and core stability. Following procedures such as:

Hysterectomies and pelvic surgeries
Prolapse repairs and reconstructions
Caesarean sections and birth trauma
Pelvic floor dysfunction
Women's health and core stability issues

Chronic Pain and Complex Injury Rehabilitation

Our experienced physiotherapists offer personalised treatment plans designed to help you achieve optimal recovery and return to daily activities safely and efficiently. Post-surgical physiotherapy has been proven to accelerate recovery by up to 60% compared to natural healing alone. Every rehabilitation program considers your unique circumstances, challenges, and goals. Our comprehensive assessment process ensures your treatment plan is specifically designed around your individual needs, surgical requirements, and life demands such as:

Persistent Pain Management

For patients experiencing ongoing pain post-surgery or with complex chronic conditions:

Pain science education and reconceptualisation
Graded motor imagery and mirror therapy
Desensitisation techniques
Movement retraining and fear reduction
Flare-up management strategies

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Evidence-based treatment including:

Graded motor imagery protocols
Desensitisation and normalisation techniques
Progressive loading programs
Sympathetic nervous system regulation
Multidisciplinary team approach

Pain Specialist Procedure Rehabilitation

Post-procedural care for:

Nerve block and ablation procedures
Spinal cord stimulator optimization
Dorsal root ganglion stimulator adjustment
Injection site care and movement progression
Device-specific education and troubleshooting

Personalised Recovery Support

PhysiApp Exercise Prescriptions Designed for You.

PhysiApp is our digital exercise prescription platform that patients can access on their smartphones, tablets, or computers at home. This innovative app bridges the gap between clinic visits, ensuring you have professional guidance available 24/7 throughout your recovery journey.

Receive your customised exercise program through our online platform featuring:

Video demonstrations of prescribed exercises
Progress tracking and adherence monitoring
Exercise modification based on your recovery stage
Direct communication with your physiotherapist
Educational resources specific to your condition

Ready to Start Your Journey?

Whether you’re preparing for upcoming surgery or beginning your recovery, our experienced physiotherapy team is here to support you every step of the way.

1300 012 273