Get back to moving normally after your surgery

No. Rehabilitation helps after abdominal, spinal, cardiac, gynaecological and cancer-related surgery as well as joint and tendon procedures. The focus changes with the operation: breathing and core control after abdominal surgery, graded walking and conditioning after a long hospital stay, strength and movement after joint surgery. What stays the same is a structured return to activity at a pace your body can handle.

Yes, in most cases. Early rehabilitation works around the wound rather than on it, using movement, swelling control and exercises for the surrounding muscles. Your physiotherapist will avoid the wound site and check for signs of infection at each visit. Hands-on work directly over a scar usually waits until the wound is fully closed and any sutures or clips have been removed.

A hospital sheet is a starting point, not a full program. It is generic, it covers the first weeks only, and it cannot progress with you. Rehabilitation adds measurement, so you know whether your strength and range are actually improving, and it increases the load as you meet each milestone. Bring the sheet to your first appointment and it will be built on.

That depends on your surgeon’s clearance and the physical demands of your job. Desk-based work often resumes earlier than manual work, though sitting tolerance, medication and driving all factor in. Your physiotherapist can help you plan a staged return, including reduced hours, lifting limits and modified duties, and can provide information to support your employer or insurer where needed.

Yes. Muscle responds to training at any stage, so strength and movement gained late is still strength and movement gained. People often arrive years after an operation with a persistent limp, ongoing weakness or a joint they have quietly stopped trusting. An assessment identifies what has not recovered, and a program targets it directly, even long after the tissue itself has healed.

Most of your program happens at home, between appointments. Clinic visits exist to measure your progress, correct technique and increase the load safely at the right time. Some stages also need equipment or hands-on input that is hard to replicate at home. A common pattern is regular visits early on, spacing out to reviews as you become confident running your own program.