Post-Surgery Return to Sports: When and How
The unthinkable happened. You were in the middle of a game when you suffered a major injury–maybe you ruptured your ACL or dislocated your shoulder. Regardless, you had to undergo surgery to repair the damage, and now your thoughts are on one thing: a post-surgery return to sports.
You’re certainly not alone. Many injured athletes opt for surgical treatment so they can continue playing their favorite sports. Unfortunately, recovering from orthopedic surgery can be a challenging process that lasts several months–especially if you’re trying to get back in the game.
A successful post-surgery return to sports involves hard work and extensive physiotherapy with the team at Momentum Health. Understanding the steps involved and the timeline for recovery can make a significant difference in achieving a smooth and effective comeback.
Today, we want to share a step-by-step guide to help you understand what to expect as you work toward a return to the game. If you’d like more personalized information, schedule an appointment today at our Momentum Health Clinic in Alberta!
A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Post-Surgery Return to Sports
Step 1: A Customized Post-Surgical Rehabilitation Program
Following a well-structured physiotherapy plan is the first step in the post-surgery recovery process. At Momentum Health, we customize our plans to the needs of each patient based on your surgery, ability levels, and overall recovery goals.
However, these plans do focus on gradually restoring strength, mobility, and stability in the affected area. Initially, the focus is on reducing swelling and pain while improving range of motion. Gentle exercises and treatments help ensure the healing process starts on the right foot.
Step 2: Building Strength
As your recovery progresses, so does your rehabilitation plan. We’ll adjust your rehabilitation program to include more intensive exercises to build muscle strength and enhance joint stability. At this point, we may begin tailoring exercises to help ensure you’re adequately prepared for the demands of your sport.
Step 3: Improving Functionality
Functional training is crucial for a successful post-surgery return to sports. This type of training focuses on exercises that mimic the movements and activities specific to whatever it is you play, which helps improve the strength, mobility, and coordination needed for optimal performance.
Functional training ensures that the recovery process is not just about rehabilitation but also about preparing the body to handle the physical demands of sports activities. It can also help identify and correct any movement patterns that might have contributed to your injury in the first place.
Step 4: A Personalized Return-To-Sport Schedule
By this point, your rehabilitation is almost complete. You may no longer require regular physiotherapy sessions. However, it’s also not a great idea to just dive back into the game, as doing too much too soon can dramatically increase your odds of developing another injury.
A return-to-sport schedule helps you safely ease back into your chosen sport. We’ll tell you what training you can start again and suggest modifications for any particularly risky movements. Eventually, we can assess and clear you for full participation.
Maximize Your Post-Surgery Return to Sports!
At Momentum Health, our multidisciplinary team is your partner in health, combining knowledge and skill across fields to ensure you receive the most effective and personalized care possible. We understand athletes, and we know you’re eager to get back in the game. However, patience is critical–and so is the hard work of post-surgical rehabilitation. But if you follow the process and don’t overextend yourself, you can maximize your surgical outcomes and start playing once again.
If you’d like to start post-surgical rehab at our Alberta clinic, schedule an appointment today.