Quick Links -------------------- ACL Rehabilitation Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) ACL Reconstruction Ankle Articular Cartilage Lesions Arthritis of the Knee Arthroscopy Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery Certified Trainers Common Motocross Injuries Dr. Mark Sanders Elbow FAQ Forum: (Houstonmotocross.com) Forum: (Thumpertalk.com) Fractures and Dislocations Hand Knee Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) Occupational Injuries Patellofemoral Disorders Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Reconditioning and Exercises Rotator Cuff Tear Sanders Clinic Shoulder Shoulder Instability Testimonials (General) Testimonials (Motocross) Testimonials (Parents Talk) Torn Cartilage (Meniscus) Total Knee Replacement Wrist Language Spanish Health & Fitness Forums

Houston Orthopaedic Surgeon Prescribes His Patients Prehab Before Orthopedic Surgery

When an injured patient is diagnosed and needs orthopedic surgery, they are often referred to the Sanders Clinic for Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. Dr. Mark Sanders is a well known and respected Houston Orthopedic Surgeon, but heand his staff are also known for their effective rehabilitation programs. At the Sanders Clinic, rehabilitation often begins before a patient even undergoes surgery. Other Houston orthopedic surgeons may write a patient off and leave them to fend for themselves until after the operation. However, by doing this, they miss a significant opportunity to work with the injured client on prehab – preparation leading up to surgery. A well designed and executed prehab program can lead to a quicker recovery and reduce the amount of post rehabilitation necessary for a client to return to their normal active lives. At the Sanders Clinic for Orthopaedic Surgery, patients receive a custom designed prehab program to prepare them mentally and physically for surgery, so that the chances of a successful outcome are maximized.

Mental Prehab for Orthopedic Surgery

Once a patient is told he or she needs orthopedic surgery, they can often become scared or nervous and as a result they may forget to ask the surgeon the right questions. Prehab allows Dr. Sanders to explain the procedure in detail and gives the patient time to fully understand and question what will happen during the surgery and what will be expected of them afterwards. This process also calms the patient’s fears and allows them to go to surgery with a positive mental attitude. This mental preparation enables the patient to be both confident and realistic about setting and achieving post-operative goals.

Physical Prehab for Orthopedic Surgery

Dr. Sanders requires all his patients to undergo several elements of physical prehab before they can have orthopedic surgery. They include:

Restore Range of Motion

As the pain and swelling start to reduce, the patient needs to begin gentle mobilizing and stretching exercises to restore a normal range of motion. Having full range of motion before an orthopedic surgery ensures that the patient will have it post-surgery. At the Sanders clinic patients are guided thru these prehab exercises by a licensed trainer.

Gain Muscular Control of the Injured Limb

The pain and swelling of an injury can cause reflex inhibition (reflex weakening) of the muscles surrounding the injured area. Neuromuscular control needs to be restored prior to surgery in order to facilitate muscle recovery post-operatively. The stronger the muscles are, the faster they will recover afterwards. Prehab strengthening exercises for all injuries are supervised by licensed trainers at the Sanders clinic.

By having patients undergo prehab before orthopaedic surgery, the patient will feel more confident on the day of surgery and will be motivated to work harder at the post-op program to achieve the best possible results. The length of each prehab program depends on the person and type of injury. For more information about prehab prior to Orthopaedic surgery contact Houston Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Mark Sanders at 1-888-8 DR MARK.