Weeks 1–2
Pain
Calm swelling and pain.
Hands-on work calms swelling and pain starting your very first visit, whether you’re heading into surgery or already past it.
What We Treat
Pre/Post Surgery Rehab treatment in Louisville.
Surgery on the calendar, or just behind you. Walk in stronger and come out with a clear plan, one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy.
Sound Familiar?
Does this sound like you?
- Surgery on the calendar, and you want to walk in as strong as possible
- Just had surgery and no idea what “normal” progress is supposed to feel like
- Cleared to move again, but quietly worried about re-injuring it
- Stiffness or weakness that’s more than anyone warned you about
- A surgeon’s handout of exercises that doesn’t feel like enough guidance
- Wanting a real plan instead of guessing your way through recovery
Two or more? Keep reading.
Why It Happens
Recovery speed after surgery isn’t random. A few things drive it.
Going into surgery, the strength and mobility you carry in matters. Prehab builds that foundation, and it usually shows up in how fast you bounce back afterward. Coming out of surgery, it’s rarely the repair itself slowing you down. More often it’s swelling, scar tissue, and the body’s own protective guarding getting in the way.
That’s exactly why a cause-first evaluation matters, whether you’re heading into surgery or already past it. It sorts out what’s really going on and builds a plan around exactly where you are right now, not a generic recovery timeline.
The Honest Truth
Waiting doesn’t pause your recovery. It just makes it harder.
If you keep waiting
- You go into surgery weaker than you needed to be
- Stiffness and scar tissue keep setting in the longer you wait
- You fall further behind the timeline your surgeon expects to see
If you start this week
- Your prehab or rehab plan starts on visit one
- Hands-on work on swelling and motion starts the same visit
- You get a plan with an endpoint, not an open tab of visits
Nobody regrets starting too early. Every week, someone in our clinic says they regret waiting.
How We Fix It
The same four phases. Built for your surgery.
Every plan has an endpoint. Here’s what the four phases look like before or after surgery.
Weeks 2–6
Prime
Restore your range of motion.
Targeted mobility work restores range of motion in the joint or area your surgery affected.
Weeks 6–10
Perform
Rebuild strength for your goals.
Progressive strengthening builds around your specific surgery, so you’re training for the goals that matter to you.
Weeks 10+
Prevent
Return with confidence.
You return to full activity with a plan to avoid re-injury: that’s the endpoint, not just another appointment.
Brad helped me fix a knee issue I had experienced for a number of years. More importantly he gave me a plan moving forward to help keep my knees healthy.
Shared by Phil E.
Before: a longstanding issue with no plan going forward
Now: a plan to stay healthy going forward, not just a one-time fix
Knee health
Ongoing plan
Questions, Answered
What people ask before booking for surgery recovery.
Starting before surgery, often called prehab, gives you a head start. Building strength and mobility beforehand often means an easier recovery. It’s never too late to start, though. If you’re already past surgery, we build your plan from where you are today, starting with a cause-first evaluation. Either way, you’re one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy, every visit.
Generally, as soon as your surgeon clears you for therapy. Every surgeon’s protocol and procedure is different, so we work around whatever timeline they’ve set. Once you’re cleared, we start right away with a cause-first evaluation and build your plan from there.
It varies by procedure. Every plan runs through the same four phases: Pain, Prime, Perform, and Prevent. How long each phase takes depends on your surgery and how you’re progressing. Either way, you get a plan with an endpoint: you’ll always know which phase you’re in and what’s left, not an open-ended string of appointments.
Book Your Visit
Ready when you are.
Request a time and a real person calls you back, usually within two business hours. No phone tree. No ‘someone will reach out.’ Just a plan.
- Hours Monday–Friday, 8:00am–6:00pm
- (502) 509-3136 Prefer to talk now? Call us.
- Same-week appointments available
5.0 · 213 Google reviews
Typical response: under 2 business hours
Step 1 of 5
Request sent.
That’s the hard part done. We’ll call during business hours to lock in your time. Most people are on the schedule same week.
Visit Us
Care this good, this close.
Focus Physical Therapy
- 3010 Eastpoint Pkwy, Louisville, KY 40223 (opens in a new tab)
- (502) 509-3136
- info@physicaltherapylouisville.com
- Monday–Friday, 8:00am–6:00pm