Pre-Operative Care

Our pre-operative care is specially designed by our therapists to help you before surgery and improve your outcome after surgery. The goals of pre-operative care include:

  • Mentally preparing for surgery
  • Reducing pain and inflammation before the operation
  • Improving muscular control for faster recovery
  • Educating patients on immediate post-surgical exercises and precautions
  • Increasing overall well-being and fitness

Post-Operative Care

For many illnesses and injuries, surgery is often a necessary solution. Depending on the severity of the illness or injury, surgery can be nerve wracking. Physical therapy can improve the recovery and healing process after a major surgery. This is known as post-operative care, or post-surgery, recovery or rehabilitation. There are typically three stages in post-operative rehabilitation.

  1. Immediately following surgery, the first stage is when the body is ultimately immobilized as the body goes through a basic healing process. The swelling will go down and the initial pain of surgery will recede.
  2. Now the work starts! The patient’s physical therapist will work with him or her to design a plan involving progressive exercises that will begin to strengthen the body, rebuilding the patient’s range of motion and overall stability.
  3. With time, the patient will be able to return to their normal pre-surgery level of physical activity, whatever that may have been for them. This is the ultimate goal of post-operative care, and physical therapy as a whole.

There are several benefits to going through post-operative care with a physical therapist, including:

Proper Healing and Faster Recovery Time

After a surgery, having a personalized physical therapy plan can help ensure that your body heals properly. Examples of this include decreasing scar tissue, restoring joint motion and function, and retraining muscles.

Another benefit is a faster recovery time. For example, a total joint replacement can take a huge toll on the body, but it has been proven if one begins physical therapy following such a major surgery (even as early as waking up from the anesthesia!) the patient tends to have both shorter hospital stays and faster recoveries overall.

Regain Mobility

Knee and hip surgeries require physical therapy more than anything else to help regain your mobility. Physical therapy will help you return to anything, from normal every day walking, to something more physically challenging – such as running a marathon!

Patient Participation

Research has shown that patients who actively participate in their recovery process typically have better outcomes and recovery experiences than those who don’t. Spending time with a physical therapist can help the patient know which methods for recovery will work best for them and also how to maintain that level of health after, if not increase their overall health afterwards.

These are some of the major benefits of physical therapy after a major surgery:

  • Helps with circulation after surgery – preventing blood clots.
  • Posture, balance, and coordination improvement and training.
  • Gait analysis and training.
  • Self-care training.
  • Manual therapy techniques.
  • Home exercise education.
  • Pain control and management.
  • Improved flexibility.
  • Reduced risk for postoperative pulmonary complications (PCCs).

Some doctors may even prescribe a few sessions of physical therapy before the operation to help strengthen your body and find out more about what the recovery process may end up looking like for you. For example, it’s been found that back surgery patients who have undergone physical therapy have had a quicker recovery time than those who hadn’t gone through post-operative rehabilitation.

It’s important to remember and keep in mind, however, that a surgery may last a few hours, but appropriate rehabilitation and recovery time will look different for different people and procedures, possibly taking anywhere from a few weeks to a year to complete. This is why it’s important to speak with your doctor and physical therapist before the surgery so you know what you can expect in terms of recovery time. Understanding what to expect can help you mentally and physically prepare for what’s ahead. While the time frame is something to keep in mind, post-operative rehabilitation is always worth the time it takes to maintain and improve a person’s overall health, both now and in the future.

Below are some of the Post-Operative Care treatments we specialize in

Total Knee Replacements

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Total Hip Replacements

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Shoulder Surgeries

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Back Surgeries

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Neck Surgeries

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Meniscus Repairs

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ACL Reconstructions

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Rotator Cuff Repairs

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Heart Surgeries

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Achilles Repairs

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Happy Customers

Testimonials

I love the staff here! They are all so pleasant, kind, and caring! They all have good knowledge of physical mechanics. Tim is good at assessing my pain and knowing what to assign me to do. I like the style of exercises, rather than chiropractic manipulation.
Shelley Page
Shelley Page
16:36 17 May 23
I’ve been a patient for on going medical reasons I love coming to Flicker Physical Therapy they are so nice and helpful and are so professional they treat me so well and care for my needs and concerns they are understanding of my disabilities, anxiety and are willing to accommodate my scheduling that works best for me!! 10/10 would recommend coming to this place!!
Allyson Riley
Allyson Riley
02:42 17 Feb 23
These people have been awesome to work with after my double knee replacement. Thanks everyone for getting me on my feet again in the time I spent with your great staff
Tab Fleming
Tab Fleming
17:15 25 Jan 23
Tim, Pam, and the other staff are tremendous! They know their jobs and do all in their power to treat everyone to the best of their ability. I would highly suggest them. They even do home visits.
Carla Parrish Aylworth
Carla Parrish Aylworth
06:12 02 Nov 22
After my prior physical therapist retired I was unsure where to go after my knee replacement. Let's start off with the good. I worked mainly with Paige and Matt. They were both extremely knowledgeable and knew just how to motivate me to push through the pain. Once the pain decreased they made it fun to be there. Matt helped me with my goal of being able to run again and I hadn't been able to run for years. Now for the bad....there is none. I highly recommend Flicker to anyone needing help getting back on their feet. I pray that I won't need to go back but I would look forward to it if I did.
Leo Snell
Leo Snell
20:04 14 Oct 22
Amazing skills and service. Helped me recover from an ACL injury in 3 months. Came in 48 hrs after the injury and their care and expertise made all the difference in my recovery. Like all physical therapy you have to work hard at home too but their phone app exercises help you know what to do to be successful at home. Their physical therapists and assistants all take great interest in their patients and really know what they are doing. Great one on one care. Physical therapists are very involved in the experience.
Alisha Bailey
Alisha Bailey
16:29 23 Feb 22
I progressed from a walker to a quad cane to a hiking pole to my bicycle because of Flicker Physical Therapy. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Need I say more?
Scott Stone
Scott Stone
17:05 06 Dec 21
I have been a patient with Flicker physical therapy for 3 months. After having two TKR’s I needed a lot of help to get moving! I have had incredible therapists in my Home health recovery and afterward in their clinic. I have always been treated with respect and taken care of beyond what I could have imagined! Thanks to Tim, Trina, Pam, Ryan, and Brekell specifically for all your patience and hard work to get me walking again! I highly recommend Flicker Physical Therapy for PT! Sincerely,Vanessa Treadwell
Highly recommend Flicker for all your PT needs. Very professional and work as a team. They are very good at explaining exactly what they are doing and why. I was there for both of my knee replacements and would go back if I ever need PT again.
Stephen L. Fuda
Stephen L. Fuda
22:19 07 Mar 20
Jarrod Brownsberger
Jarrod Brownsberger
18:25 04 Feb 20
I had a knee replacement and everyone at Flicker Physical Therapy has been amazing!! I would recommend anyone who needs physical therapy go there! No matter who you work with, you’ll be glad you did. Thank you everyone at Flicker. I appreciate all of you and the wonderful job you do.
Wendy Johnson Baker
Wendy Johnson Baker
18:47 22 Oct 19
The staff at Flicker are all amazing; everyone is so friendly and helpful.
Shannon Paulson
Shannon Paulson
01:31 16 Oct 19
I have been going to them since April. I felt very comfortable and informed every time. One on one care has been exceptional. They listen to what you are saying and change the plan if needed. The entire staff is friendly and very knowledgeable. I would recommend them in a second,
Teresa Martin
Teresa Martin
15:03 13 Aug 19
They took such good care of husband after knee surgery!
Barbara Houser
Barbara Houser
00:01 13 Aug 19
Would recommend Flicker Physical Therapy. Jarrod helped me get my shoulder back in working condition after surgery. He was very efficient and did great job. Everyone was friendly and caring. Good job Flicker and physical therapist Jarrod.
Steven Allbright
Steven Allbright
00:23 18 Jun 19
They are professional and very detailed. No doddling around, they get right to working with your injury, they don't push you past your limit.
Jolene Kiggins
Jolene Kiggins
03:54 22 May 19
The staff are all knoweldgeable, friendly and welcoming. I'm always impressed with the different techniques they use on my therapy. Unlike other places where they have you doing the same things over and over with very little variety. I also like the way they show special care to the elderly clients. I would highly recommend Flicker PhysicalTherapy !
Tru To Mee
Tru To Mee
19:22 04 Feb 19
Had physical therapy, after a total knee replacement, with physical therapist Mike. The best experience I've ever had. One on one personal attention to specific needs. He's very personable & easy to talk to. He made me feel comfortable, confident & relaxed in the approach we took to gain strength back in my knee. I wish I could keep him for myself. Lol
Lora Ellis
Lora Ellis
14:02 19 Jul 18
Not thrilled about having to do therapy afterward my at home therapy for three weeks. (Had hip replacement done). However, with bursitis in hip that travels down leg, the therapy seems to be helping very much . Mary is really patient with me and she explains things to reassure me. I still have a way to go . I would recommend Dr Flicker and his wife's place if you need help in this field.
Jane Lash Green
Jane Lash Green
21:38 27 Jul 17
Everyone was very nice and professional. Thank you for everything you had done for me. You all feel like family And I will be back if I ever need physical therapy again. Thank you Kylie you are Awsome.
Paula Blackner
Paula Blackner
18:27 24 Mar 17
they are really nice. i like the place. they seem to understand the fact that i was abused and scared of trying things new. i am glad my doctor refered me to this place 🙂
Jewels Summers
Jewels Summers
13:41 20 Mar 17
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