Surgery is often necessary to repair serious injuries or treat end-stage osteoarthritis. However, it’s natural to be apprehensive about having surgery. In particular, you might wonder when post-surgical pain is likely to be the worst and what you can do about it. 

When is post-surgical pain the worst? 

Knowing exactly when post-surgical pain will be the worst for you is tough. The severity and length of time you’re in pain could depend on the type of surgery you’re having. These factors also tend to be different for each individual patient. 

However, there is some evidence that can help answer this question in a general way. One medical study reveals that 55% of patients reported that their worst pain was experienced within 48 hours of surgery. 

What can you do to reduce post-surgical pain?

Physical therapy is an effective option for treating post-surgical pain. In fact, pre-surgical rehab, or pre-hab, can help you decrease pain and other symptoms before surgery. One study reveals that just one or two pre-hab sessions reduced the use of post-operative care by 29% in patients who had total hip and knee replacements. 

Post-surgical rehab (PSR) can also be helpful for pain management. There are two techniques that can be particularly helpful. These are: 

2. Dry needling — One study shows that dry needling helps reduce pain after a total knee replacement. The study reveals that patients who used this technique had a more than 36-point drop in their pain scores after four weeks of treatment. 
3. Soft tissue mobilization — This is a type of manual therapy. Medical researchers have found that soft tissue mobilization (STM) can be helpful for post-surgical pain. One study reports that 10 sessions of STM allowed one patient to decrease her pain enough to return to normal activities. 

Turn to Rehab Access for help when your post-surgical pain is the worst

Want to line up effective physical therapy before your post-surgical pain is at its worst? Our team at Rehab Access is primed to assist you. We offer effective pre-hab and PSR plans, and our team personalized each plan to meet the patient’s specific needs. 

At Rehab Access, we offer options like virtual care appointments and at-home therapy sessions for those who are staying at home. Additionally, you can take advantage of our services even if you don’t have a doctor’s referral. 

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.