Pre & Post Orthopaedic Surgery Rehabilitation
Surgery is a significant step, but the work that surrounds it matters just as much as the procedure itself. Whether you are preparing your body for an upcoming operation or working through the weeks and months of recovery afterwards, expert physiotherapy at the right time can make the difference between a good outcome and a great one. At Prime Sports Physiotherapy, we provide specialist orthopaedic rehabilitation at our clinics in Edinburgh and the Lothians, guiding you through every stage of your surgical journey.
Pre-operative physiotherapy
The period before surgery is not one to sit still. Pre-operative physiotherapy, sometimes called prehabilitation, focuses on building strength, mobility, and function ahead of your procedure. Arriving at surgery in the best possible physical condition has been shown to improve post-operative outcomes, reduce recovery time, and support a smoother rehabilitation process. Your physiotherapist will assess your current function, identify any areas to address beforehand, and put a structured plan in place to prepare both your body and your mind for what lies ahead.
Post-operative rehabilitation
The window after surgery is not passive. It is where outcomes are made or lost. Our post-operative rehabilitation programmes are built around you, your surgery, your goals, and your timeline, not a generic protocol pulled from a textbook. We work to criteria-based milestones rather than simply counting down the weeks, ensuring you progress when your body is genuinely ready rather than when the calendar says so.
We support rehabilitation following a wide range of orthopaedic surgeries including ACL reconstruction, knee replacement, meniscal surgery, hip replacement and resurfacing, rotator cuff repair, shoulder stabilisation, ankle stabilisation, ligament and tendon repairs, and spinal surgeries such as discectomy and spinal fusion.
What does an appointment involve?
Your first appointment begins with a thorough assessment of your surgery, your current level of function, and your goals for recovery. From there, your physiotherapist will design a rehabilitation programme that evolves with you at every stage. Treatment draws on hands-on therapy to manage pain and restore movement, structured rehabilitation sessions to progressively rebuild strength and function, load management to protect healing tissue, and a personalised home exercise programme to support your progress between appointments. Where appropriate, we also integrate performance testing to objectively measure your readiness to return to full activity. Where your surgeon or consultant has provided a specific post-operative protocol, we follow it closely, working within their guidelines to ensure your rehabilitation is safe, appropriate, and fully aligned with your clinical care.
We understand that surgery and the recovery that follows can be hard in ways that go beyond the physical. Being unable to do the things you normally take for granted, whether that is driving, working, caring for your family, or simply getting a good night’s sleep, takes a real toll on mood, confidence, and wellbeing. Feeling frustrated, anxious, or low during recovery is completely normal, and we take that seriously. We take the time to listen, to acknowledge the full picture of what you are going through, and to support you not just as a patient but as a person with a life that matters and people who depend on you.
Who is it for?
Our orthopaedic rehabilitation service is suitable for anyone preparing for or recovering from orthopaedic surgery, regardless of age or activity level. You do not need a referral to book, and we are happy to work alongside your surgeon or consultant to ensure your rehabilitation aligns with their recommendations.
If surgery is on the horizon, or already behind you, we are here to help you recover, perform, and thrive.
