Rehab Select Blog

If joint replacement surgery is in the cards for you, chances are you'll have a lot of questions about your upcoming procedure – and that's a good thing. Learning as much as you can about the procedure – including how to best prepare for surgery, what you can expect during your procedure, and the challenges you can expect to face during recovery and rehabilitation – can ease your mind as the process moves forward. To help you along, here are 3 things to know before you go in for joint replacement surgery.

If you are in the planning phase of an upcoming joint replacement surgery, you should know that how your recovery and rehabilitation period is handled is extremely important to a successful outcome. For that reason, learning about and carefully planning for that period is as essential to the process as surgical planning is. After all, you'll certainly be anxious to get back on your feet and back to life as quickly as possible. Short term rehab is an important option to consider in terms of helping you do that.

When your life is interrupted by illness or an accident and you need expert rehabilitation services, occupational therapy (OT) can help you regain the life skills necessary to get back to your day-to-day routine and recover your independence. Just as physical therapy helps you regain your range of motion and mobility and cognitive therapy fires up your brain, occupational therapy helps you perform those daily tasks that are seemingly out of reach.

If you'll be headed to rehab after surgery, good for you! A stay in short term rehab can definitely help you get off on the right foot once you're discharged from the hospital, offering the care and support you need to make the most of your recovery. However, while many think of a rehabilitation center as just another hospital – and there are some similarities – you'll find that there are many differences too. Knowing what to expect from your stay can make the transition from hospital to rehab easier and more comfortable.

Finding the right environment for your short-term rehabilitation can be a little confounding. Even if your surgeon or insurance provider favors one possibility, you know the center needs to be an ideal fit in order for a successful recovery. Weighing your options takes time, but it may be the best approach.

Osteoporosis is a condition that results in the weakening of an individual's bones. Typically, this occurs in the latter stages of life. Those that have osteoporosis have a higher risk of experiencing a bone fracture. In fact, because their bones are weakened, there's a chance that they may damage one of their joints – knee, wrist, and hip fractures are some of the more common osteoporosis-related injuries, which often necessitates joint replacement surgery.

Orthopedic rehab begins almost immediately after surgery to repair a hip fracture. Some patients will spend from 4 days to a week or longer in the hospital after hip replacement. Although complete recovery is very gradual and can take a year or more, patients are encouraged to sit up in a chair just a few hours after surgery. For maximum improvement, patients must maintain focus and faithfully devote their energy to the rehab program designed especially for them.

Occupational therapy is designed to improve patients' lives by helping them regain the ability to perform important daily tasks after an illness, surgery, or accident. People of any age may need occupational therapy, but seniors make up the majority of patients – and they may also see the greatest results.

Dementia of any origin can be a devastating diagnosis for families to receive. Although some forms of dementia are not typically preventable, there are other types – such as vascular dementia, which is directly related to cardiovascular health – that may be avoided.

Car accident injuries can be life-altering. As a person starts to rebuild their normal life after a car accident, injuries can require ongoing medical care and adjustments in day-to-day life. For many people struggling with car accident injuries, rehabilitation is an important part of the recovery process. Going to short term rehab helps improve recovery outcomes after car accident injuries so that individuals can get back on their feet more quickly.