What is physiotherapy after surgery?
It is the guided recovery that takes you from the ward back to doing things for yourself. A physiotherapist helps you move safely, ease pain and swelling, regain strength and range of movement, and return to daily tasks.
It works alongside your surgeon, not instead of them. Your surgeon decides what is safe and when. We turn those instructions into a plan you can follow in your own house.
Which operations do we help with?
We see people after joint replacements, ligament and tendon repairs, fracture surgery, spinal operations and other procedures. Pages for the common ones are below.
- Knee replacement and hip replacement.
- Hip fracture repair.
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and meniscus surgery.
- Rotator cuff and shoulder surgery.
- Spinal surgery.
- Fracture recovery after plates, screws or a cast.
If your operation is not listed, ask us. We will say if it needs a specialist team beyond ours.
Why is home a good place to recover?
Because the real test is not the clinic corridor. It is the step at your front door, the low bed, the bathroom floor that stays wet and the squat toilet.
At home, we practise getting out of your own bed, using your own stairs and turning in your own kitchen. Terrace houses in Ipoh have bedrooms upstairs, so we plan the stairs with you early. Our guide on stairs after surgery in Ipoh terrace houses goes through this.
Home is also easier on tired patients. There is no car ride, no waiting room and no need to arrange a driver.
What happens at the first visit?
We begin with your papers: the discharge summary, the operation note if you have it, and the medicine list. We then look at the surgical area for swelling and skin changes, without touching the wound, and check your pain, movement, strength and balance.
We watch how you get in and out of bed, stand, walk and manage the stairs. Then we agree on goals, show you the first exercises and tell you what to avoid.
If anything in your papers or condition worries us, we say so and help you contact your surgeon.
How do we work with your surgeon?
Your surgeon’s instructions come first. These may include weight-bearing limits, movement restrictions, wound care and the date of your next review. We follow them exactly and ask for clarification if the paperwork is unclear.
A clinical practice guideline from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) on physical therapist management of total knee arthroplasty exists, and was revised in 2026 [1]. Guidelines like this are a useful reference, but your own surgeon’s plan is what we follow.
Our page on surgeon rehabilitation instructions explains what to ask before you leave hospital.
What can you do before and during the first week?
If you have not yet had the operation, a few weeks of preparation can make the first days easier. See prehabilitation before surgery.
After the operation, a few things help straight away:
- Set up one floor for the first days if the stairs are hard.
- Put what you need within reach: water, phone, medicine, glasses and the remote.
- Remove loose rugs and clear a path to the toilet.
- Keep walking aids where you can reach them from the bed.
- Follow the pain medicine plan from your doctor.
The full list is in after-hospital checklist for Ipoh families.
When should you call the surgeon or go to hospital?
Call your surgeon, or go to the emergency department, if the wound is hot, red or leaking. Go too if you have a fever or a swollen, painful calf. Also go for chest pain, sudden breathlessness, or numbness and weakness that is new.
These need a doctor first. We would rather you call than wait for your next physiotherapy session.
Where do we visit, and how is it priced?
We arrange home visits across Ipoh for patients discharged from any hospital, whether Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Fatimah Hospital, KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital or Pantai Hospital Ipoh. Our Canning Garden centre is opening soon for the later stage of recovery.
Prices differ between home and centre. Send the operation and your area on WhatsApp, and we reply with a quote. If you plan to claim from insurance, see our insurance page.