Prehab Training

What Is Prehab?

Prehabilitation is structured physical therapy and training before surgery. The evidence is consistent and intuitive: patients who enter surgery with less swelling, better range of motion, and stronger muscles recover faster and hit rehab milestones sooner.

The Core Goals

• Calm the joint down — reduce swelling and inflammation with activity modification, ice/elevation, and gentle motion.
• Restore range of motion — regaining full extension before ACL surgery, for example, is one of the best predictors of regaining it afterward.
• Wake up the muscles — quad activation and strength work for knee patients; scapular and cuff work for shoulders. Muscles you keep before surgery are muscles you don't have to rebuild after.
• Maintain your engine — low-impact aerobic work (bike, pool, upper-body circuits) keeps your overall fitness from evaporating while you're injured.

How It Works in Practice

Even a few weeks of focused prehab makes a difference. Dr. Mitchell's team can connect you with a physical therapist — locally or in your home community — and share the plan so everyone is working from the same playbook. Our published rehab protocols give you and your therapist a preview of exactly what the post-operative road looks like.

Prepare Your Head, Too

Learn the post-op plan before surgery day: practice with crutches if you'll need them, set up your home (clear walkways, ice ready, prescriptions filled), and know what the first two weeks look like. Patients who know what's coming recover with far less stress.

This page is general education, not medical advice or an individualized plan. Nutritional needs and training progressions vary — always follow the specific guidance of your surgeon, physician, physical therapist, or dietitian, and do not start, stop, or change any supplement, medication, or diet based on this page without discussing it with your primary care physician and surgical team first.