Why should you bother with physical therapy after foot surgery?

A serious car accident. A heavy object falling on your foot. Playing sports. Every one of these factors can lead to a serious foot injury that requires surgery to heal properly. 

There are many serious foot injuries that often need surgery. Some of these include serious foot fractures, muscle injuries and dislocations. It’s estimated that $7.6 billion was spent in the U.S. on foot surgeries to address these and other issues over a 10-year period. 

People who have foot surgery might be wondering why they should bother to have physical therapy afterward. There are many reasons why foot surgery patients should use post-surgical physical therapy. 

Three reasons to have physical therapy after foot surgery: 

1. You’ll need to rebuild muscle strength — There are 19 muscles in each of your feet, and there are another 10 muscles in the lower legs that help move and position your feet. Many of these muscles could be cut or damaged during a foot surgery. This can leave them weak. Physical therapists can prescribe therapeutic foot exercises that can help rebuild your foot muscle strength. 

2. You may have scar tissue to address — Scar tissue can develop in your foot as it heals from surgery. Helping to address scar tissue buildup is one reason to use physical therapy after foot surgery. Physical therapists have several techniques that can help break up scar tissue in your foot. 

For instance, they can use a manual therapy technique called soft tissue mobilization. This is often used for lighter concentrations of scar tissue. Tacking tougher scar tissue can be done using instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). 

3. You’ll need to redevelop your balance — A foot that’s recovering from surgery will have a tough time helping you keep your balance. For one thing, it may be less flexible. As previously mentioned, your foot muscles may also be weaker. Your physical therapist can include balance training in your recovery plan. This training is designed to help you redevelop good balance. 

Peak Performance offers physical therapy for before and after foot surgery

Determined to find effective physical therapy for after your foot surgery? That’s one type of care you’ll find at Peak Performance Sports & Physical Therapy. Our team excels at building personalized post-surgical rehab programs to help people recover from many types of surgery. Also, we can also help you prepare your foot and lower limb for surgery with pre-surgical rehab. 

Contact us today for more information about our surgery-related PT services or to schedule an initial appointment.