Why post-surgical rehab matters more than the surgery
The surgery fixes the structure. The rehab is what gets you back to your life, and at Rehab n Run, that rehab is built on the Dynamic Systems Approach: training your nervous system, not just your tissue, so the recovery transfers to real-world demands. The strongest predictor of how you'll do at month 6 isn't who did your operation. It's how well you executed your rehab in the weeks after. We treat that fact with the seriousness it deserves.
At Rehab n Run we've seen the same pattern over and over: patients leave hospital with a discharge sheet, do a few weeks of cautious movement, then drift. The pain settles, life takes over, and the rehab loses momentum. Six months later they're still guarding the leg or the shoulder, still nowhere near their pre-injury baseline. That's the gap we close.
Surgeries we routinely rehab
- ACL reconstruction: dedicated 9-month return-to-sport rehab with objective dynamometer strength testing. See our full ACL programme
- Meniscus repair & meniscectomy: load management, swelling control, regaining full range
- Total knee replacement: early mobility, strength rebuilding, getting back to walking, gardening, work
- Partial knee replacement (UKR): faster recovery curve than total knee, but the strength block at month 3 is what most patients skip
- Rotator cuff repair: phased sling/movement protocol, restoration of range and strength, return-to-overhead activities
- Shoulder stabilisation / labral repair: gradual return-to-load, sport-specific shoulder retraining
- Hip arthroscopy / labral repair: early protected loading, glute and hip stability rebuild
- Total hip replacement: restoring confidence in walking, climbing stairs, getting back to independence
- Hip fracture (hemiarthroplasty & ORIF): two different operations, two different recoveries. The first six weeks decide everything
- Femur fracture (IM nail / plate fixation): six months to fully back, the strength gap closes at month nine
- Achilles tendon repair: strict early-stage protocol, calf strengthening, eventual return-to-running
- Ankle fracture ORIF: the plates and screws hold the bone. The next twelve weeks decide whether you walk normally for life
- Tibial plateau fracture: 6-12 month recovery, weight-bearing protocols and quad rebuild
- Bunion surgery (hallux valgus): six weeks in a post-op shoe, four to six months for the foot to settle
- Lumbar spine surgery: microdiscectomy, fusion, decompression. Graded loading, core retraining, return-to-work
- Lower limb amputation rehab: pre-op conditioning, prosthetic gait training, alongside your surgical and prosthetist teams
Surgery-specific recovery guides
For each major procedure we rehab, we've written a detailed recovery guide covering what to expect at each phase, the milestones that matter, and the warning signs we're watching for. Patients and family members find these useful for setting expectations before and after surgery.
- Knee: ACL reconstruction · meniscus surgery · total knee replacement · partial knee replacement · tibial plateau fracture
- Hip & femur: total hip replacement · hip fracture (hemiarthroplasty vs ORIF) · femur fracture
- Shoulder: rotator cuff repair · pec tear recovery
- Foot & ankle: ankle fracture ORIF · achilles rupture · bunion surgery (hallux valgus)
- Other: lower limb amputation after diabetes
How a structured post-surgical program works
Phase 1. Protect (weeks 0-6)
The goal isn't strength yet. The goal is to protect the surgical repair, manage swelling, restore early range of motion, and prevent the secondary stiffness that wrecks long-term outcomes. We see you weekly in this phase, work within your surgeon's protocol, and prescribe gentle exercises you can do at home twice a day.
Phase 2. Restore (weeks 6-12)
Once the repair is structurally safe, we start loading it. Range of motion is pushed to functional minimums. Quad and glute strength rebuilding (for lower-limb) or rotator cuff retraining (for shoulder) becomes the focus. You'll feel like progress is fast in this phase, because it is.
Phase 3. Rebuild (months 3-6)
Strength matching the other side. Single-leg control. Sport-specific or work-specific drills. This is where the Dynamic Systems Approach really starts working for you. Variable loading, different surfaces and speeds, problem-solving drills that train your body to handle the unpredictability of real life. For ACL patients this is where we re-introduce hopping, jumping and change of direction. For shoulders, throwing and overhead loading. For spinal patients, controlled return to lifting.
Phase 4. Return (months 6+)
Objective testing against the uninjured side. Functional and sport-specific clearance tests. For ACL: hop tests, isokinetic strength testing, on-field drills. For shoulder: throwing progressions. We don't sign you off until you meet the criteria, but once you do, we sign off properly, with a return-to-sport letter for your coach, club or employer.
The right rehab plan doesn't speed up the timeline. It makes sure the timeline actually ends. Drift in the middle months is what costs people their return.
Working with your surgical team
We coordinate directly with your surgeon's rooms. We follow the protocol they sent home with you. If we have concerns or need to deviate from the protocol, we flag it with them. Not behind their back. If you're between the hospital and your first appointment with us, you don't need to wait until the staples come out: we can see you for a session pre-surgery to set expectations and start prehab strengthening, which dramatically improves post-surgical outcomes.
Funding your rehab
- Private health insurance: most extras policies cover physio. We process HICAPS on the spot. Bring your card.
- Workers' compensation: fully claimable with a SIRA-approved provider number. Call us first and we'll walk you through it.
- Compulsory third-party (CTP) / motor vehicle: covered by the at-fault insurer. We'll handle the paperwork.
- DVA (Department of Veterans' Affairs): gold and white card holders welcome. Pre-approval is fast.
- Medicare CDM (formerly EPC): five visits per year with a GP referral, if your GP has put you on a chronic disease plan.
- NDIS: self- and plan-managed clients welcome.
Booking your first post-surgical session
The earlier we see you, the better the outcome. Many patients book their first session before surgery happens. For a prehab plan and to know what to expect. Others book within the first week post-op. There's no such thing as "too soon to start" with post-surgical rehab in Liverpool. If you're already months out and feel like progress has stalled, that's a common starting point too. We'll reassess and rebuild your plan from where you actually are now.
