Rehabilitation after orthopaedic surgery helps you regain movement, strength and function safely. After a total knee replacement, for example, a clinical practice guideline recommends physical therapist–supervised exercise, including progressive strengthening and functional training. McKelvie Physiotherapy provides guided recovery after hip, knee, shoulder, back and other orthopaedic surgery, always following your surgeon’s protocol and restrictions, with one-on-one sessions that progress as you heal.
At a glance
- Who it’s for
- People recovering from hip, knee, shoulder, back and other orthopaedic surgery
- What it involves
- Supervised, progressive exercise and functional training, plus hands-on care and a home program
- The evidence
- After a total knee replacement, a clinical practice guideline recommends physical therapist–supervised exercise, including progressive strengthening
- Your surgeon’s plan
- Rehabilitation follows your surgeon’s protocol and any movement or weight-bearing restrictions
- At McKelvie
- 60-minute one-on-one physiotherapy assessment ($120) in Pickering; no referral needed
Rehabilitation after surgery
After orthopaedic surgery, your body needs time — and the right kind of activity — to heal and regain strength. Physiotherapy guides that process, helping you move safely, reduce pain and stiffness, and rebuild the strength and function you need for daily life, work and sport.
We provide rehabilitation after hip, knee, shoulder, back and other orthopaedic surgery, including:
- Joint replacements, such as hip and knee replacements
- Ligament and tendon repairs, such as ACL or rotator cuff repairs
- Spinal surgery
- Fracture repairs and other orthopaedic procedures
Contact your surgeon or doctor if you notice
Increasing redness, heat or swelling around the wound, fever, wound discharge, calf pain or swelling, or sudden shortness of breath (seek emergency care for this). These can be signs of infection or a blood clot and need medical attention first.
How physiotherapy helps
Rehabilitation always follows your surgeon’s protocol and any limits on movement or weight-bearing. Within that plan, your physiotherapist will progress:
- Exercise — restoring range of motion, then building strength and endurance. After a total knee replacement, for example, a clinical practice guideline recommends physical therapist–supervised exercise, including progressive strengthening and functional training (Jette et al., 2020).
- Functional training — walking, stairs, getting in and out of a chair or car, and returning to work and sport.
- Hands-on care — manual therapy and soft-tissue work to ease stiffness and pain.
- A home program — exercises you can do between visits so you keep progressing.
Assess
Your surgery, your surgeon’s protocol, and how you’re moving now.
Restore
Range of motion, strength and walking, progressed safely as you heal.
Return
Functional training to get you back to work, sport and everyday life.
Why choose McKelvie Physiotherapy after surgery?
- One-on-one care in private rooms — longer appointments, never rushed or double-booked.
- Guided, progressive rehab that follows your surgeon’s protocol.
- Registered physiotherapists experienced in post-surgical rehabilitation.
- Massage therapy and lymphatic drainage under the same roof, which can help with swelling after surgery.
- Direct billing to most major insurers — and no referral needed.
Sources
- Physical Therapist Management of Total Knee Arthroplasty. Physical Therapy (Jette DU, et al.), 2020.