Post-surgical rehab is structured physical therapy after an operation: knee and hip replacements, rotator cuff repairs, ACL reconstructions, and meniscus surgery. The job is to protect the repair, restore motion and strength, and get you driving, sleeping, and working again on the timeline your surgeon set.
Surgery fixes the structure. Rehab restores the function. Most surgical outcomes are decided in the 12 weeks after the operation, which is why nearly every joint replacement and repair protocol calls for supervised physical therapy starting within days, not weeks.
Who it is for: patients coming out of a knee or hip replacement, rotator cuff repair, ACL reconstruction, or meniscus surgery, whether the operation was last week or 6 months ago and progress has stalled. If your new knee is getting stiff instead of better, that is exactly the visit to book.
There is also a before. Patients who strengthen for 4 to 6 weeks ahead of a scheduled replacement consistently move through the first post op month faster. If your surgery date is already on the calendar, a short prehab block is one of the highest return investments available, and Texas direct access means you can start it without a referral.
This page covers the service and the logistics. For week by week recovery education, what 90 degrees means, and when you can drive, sleep on your side, and tie your shoes, read the post-surgical recovery guide.
Plan on about 60 minutes, one on one with a doctor of physical therapy. A family member is welcome in the room.
Bring your surgeon's protocol and operative note if you have them. If not, we request them before your evaluation and follow them to the letter.
Range of motion in degrees, swelling, incision healing, and strength where your phase allows testing. Every number is dated so progress is visible week to week.
Swelling management, gentle range work, and walking mechanics start at the first visit, inside whatever restrictions your protocol sets.
3 to 5 exercises matched to your protocol phase. In the early weeks, the home program is most of the recovery; we keep it short enough that you actually do it.
We send progress notes to your surgeon before each follow up, so your 2 week, 6 week, and 12 week checkups run on real data instead of memory.
The short version is below. The full recovery education lives in the condition guides. These three groups cover most of our post op caseload, not all of it; if your operation is not listed, call 903.492.5215 and ask.
2 to 4 months of PT is typical after a replacement. The guide covers the week by week reality.
Read the guide PillarSling weeks, sleep positions, and the slow early phase that protects the repair while it heals.
Read the guide PillarReconstruction and scope recovery, from first steps through tested return to sport.
Read the guidePhysio+ coordinates with orthopedic surgeons across Tyler and Longview. Your surgeon's protocol governs the plan; we do not freelance timelines. Progress notes go to the surgeon's office ahead of your follow ups, and if anything looks off (the incision, the swelling pattern, a knee that will not hit 90 degrees on schedule) we call the office the same day, not at the next checkup.
That loop protects you in both directions. Your surgeon sees objective range and strength numbers before you walk into the follow up, and you never get caught between two providers giving different instructions.
We also track progress in the units that matter to you, not just degrees on a chart. For a typical knee replacement that means walker to cane around week 2 to 3, driving at 2 to 4 weeks once you are off narcotics and can brake hard, 90 degrees of bend by week 4 to 6, and stairs, church pews, and golf after that. When a milestone slips, you and your surgeon both hear about it early, while there is still time to change course.
Tim Hu, PT, DPT, OCS, CDN is orthopedic residency trained and an APTA Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist. Post-surgical care here is one on one with a doctor of physical therapy for a full hour, every visit. No handoff to a tech after 10 minutes, no shared appointment slots, and the same clinician from evaluation to discharge.
Expectations get managed here too, on purpose. Between 5 and 20 percent of knee replacement patients report some regret, and the common thread is surprise: recovery hurt more and moved slower than anyone told them. We cannot make week 2 pleasant. We can tell you exactly what week 2 looks like before you get there, and show you the numbers that prove week 6 is coming. Sleep gets the same treatment; it is the top complaint after shoulder surgery, with 41 percent of rotator cuff patients reporting sleep problems post op, so positioning and pillow setups are part of the plan, not afterthoughts.
Timing matters after surgery, so we hold evaluation slots for post op patients and can usually start within days of discharge. Both clinics sit inside training facilities, which matters most at the end of rehab: the last phase happens on real equipment, and discharge means a gym plan, not a goodbye. We see patients at 2 clinics: 140 E Eagle Spirit Dr, Lindale, TX 75771 inside Fusion Athletic Club, and 6421 South Broadway Avenue, Suite 600, Tyler, TX 75703 inside B-Fit Tyler. Call or text 903.492.5215 or email hello@physioplustx.com.
For most knee replacements, within the first week, often day 2 to day 3. Your surgeon's protocol sets the exact start date, and we follow it.
Post op rehab is uncomfortable, especially early knee flexion work. Pain that spikes and settles within a few hours is normal. Pain that climbs for days, fever, or calf swelling is not. Call us or your surgeon.
Yes. More is not better after a replacement; swelling is the speed limit. We dose the work so you progress without paying for one session for 3 days.
2 to 4 months is the common range, tapering from 2 to 3 visits a week down to independent gym work.
Your surgeon's protocol and operative note if you have them, your med list, and loose clothing that clears the incision. If you do not have the protocol, we request it for you.
Most post-surgical rehab is covered with a surgeon's referral. Plan details, self pay rates, and HSA and FSA options are on our insurance page.
After surgery you will usually have one. If you are pre op, or months out and stalled, Texas direct access allows up to 30 days of care without a referral under HB 4099. Details on our direct access page.
Fresh out of surgery, or 3 months out and stuck? 60 minutes with a doctor of physical therapy gets you measured numbers, a phase assessment, and a plan your surgeon signs off on.
Scar, capsule, and joint work for the post op knee or shoulder that is stiffening up.
See the service ServiceThe core service: evaluation, loading, and progression for everything that is not post op.
See the service ServiceCold exposure some patients use for post session soreness during heavier rehab phases.
See the service