The overall goal of spine surgery is to get to the root of the problem, while at the same time causing the least amount of disruption to the patient’s lifestyle. Spine surgery is typically a choice of last resort after all nonsurgical methods have been exhausted.
- Achieve faster full benefit from the spine procedure.
- Patients return to activity safely without re-injury.
- Achieve proper body alignment and balance.
- Swift Institute PT offers customized patient exercise programs that provide long-term benefit.
- Aids in relief of pain and fatigue following surgery.
When surgery is the right course of action, it is essential for you to play an active role in your post surgical recovery. The ideal time frame for entering physical therapy is 2-3 weeks after surgery.
One of the key features that sets Swift Institute apart from other offices is its spine-specialized physical therapy department. Patients will be connected with a physical therapist who has advanced training in techniques for spine and aiding in post-operative recovery. The physical therapists at Swift Institute have skills and techniques that are specifically oriented at post-op rehabilitation— including the relief of pain and return to activity.
Achieve optimal recovery following surgery
Participation in post surgical physical therapy allows the patient to obtain the full benefit from the spine procedure. In short, physical therapy and appropriate exercise can help patients recover from spine surgery as quickly and completely as possible.
Physical therapy and exercise help the body achieve proper alignment and balance. A procedure that involves your spine can be similar to when you replace the tires on your car — without proper alignment—the tires will not last as long or wear evenly. A physical therapist’s role following a spine procedure is to help with the alignment and balance of the body to ensure patients achieve the full positive effects of the spine surgery.
About Manual Therapy for Post-Op Recovery
The physical therapists at Swift Institute have advanced, hands-on skills that can help relieve post surgical pain and provide the movements needed to help muscles, tissues and spinal structures recover. Manual therapy relates to the use of a therapist’s hands to achieve pain relief. By using specific techniques, the spine therapist can relieve pain through hands-on movements applied to vertebrae and soft tissue areas. This is achieved not passively, with a modality such as ice or heat, but through actively moving the joints and tissues.
Inspire Fitness FT2 Functional Trainer
The Swift Institute Physical Therapy clinic includes an Inspire Fitness FT2 Trainer which allows the physical therapists to direct post-op spine patients as they relearn functional movements and simulate work duty activities in a supported and assisted manner. These specialized movements help to maximize muscle stability and control of the surgical region, especially in the first three months after surgery.