Post-surgical recovery
Post-surgical PT done right.
The surgery was step one.
The surgeon fixed the structure. The rehabilitation determines whether you return to full function or settle for partial. Joint replacements, ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, spinal fusion, arthroscopic procedures: post-op PT here is hands-on, protocol-respecting, and built around actual progression, not generic milestones.
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The condition
Surgery fixes the structure. PT determines the outcome.
Every surgical procedure has a specific rehab protocol with time-based and functional milestones. Following the protocol is non-negotiable, but the protocol is the minimum. Within and beyond the protocol, the actual rehabilitation, manual therapy, mobility work, motor control, and progressive loading, is what determines whether you return to the function you had before the injury or never quite get back.
We work routinely with patients post-op from total knee and hip replacement, ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff and labral repair, spinal fusion and discectomy, ankle and wrist arthroscopy, and other orthopedic procedures. Each protocol gets followed; each patient gets the manual and progressive loading work that the protocol alone does not provide.
How we treat it
Hands-on within the protocol. Progression based on what your body actually does.
Manual therapy is appropriate at almost every phase of post-op recovery, adjusted to the surgical site and stage of healing. Scar mobilization, joint mobilization in surrounding regions, and soft tissue work on muscles that are guarding all contribute to the recovery. This is the part many post-op PT programs skip entirely.
Functional progression is built around what your body shows it can do, not a calendar. We use objective markers (range, strength, control, single-leg balance, return-to-sport testing where relevant) to determine when to advance each phase. The home program is built around the milestones for your particular surgery and stage.
Why it works here
Hands-on. One clinician. The whole recovery.
Standard post-op PT in busy clinics often becomes a checklist of exercises run by techs while the clinician moves between patients. The protocol gets followed, but the manual therapy, motor relearning, and individualized progression all suffer. Here, the same clinician manages your case from week one through return to full function. Sixty-minute sessions, mostly hands-on.
We coordinate with your surgeon when useful and follow the post-op protocol as the floor, not the ceiling. The goal is full functional return, not just meeting the protocol checkpoints. For ACL or sports surgery patients, that includes a return-to-sport progression with objective testing.
Questions
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When can I start PT after surgery?
It depends on the procedure. Some surgeries (total knee, ACL) start PT within days. Others (rotator cuff repair, spinal fusion) have a protected immobilization phase first. Your surgeon will give you the post-op timeline, and we work within that.
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Do you coordinate with my surgeon?
Yes, when it is useful. We follow the surgeon's protocol, can send progress notes if helpful, and ask questions when something in the protocol needs clarification. Most surgeons appreciate the communication when their post-op patients are progressing well.
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How long will recovery take?
Depends on the surgery. Total knee or hip replacement typically takes three to six months for full functional return. ACL reconstruction takes six to nine months for return to cutting sports. Rotator cuff repair takes four to six months. We can give you a realistic timeline at your first evaluation based on your specific procedure and starting point.