PRE/POST SURGICAL REHABILITATION

The research is clear that those that go into elective surgery more prepared and in better physical condition have better outcomes. At Hardiman Performance we strive to ensure that our patients are informed of all the options regarding their condition and what would be required from them in each instance. Surgery is often sold as the miracle cure, but this is, in many cases a long way from the truth. We educate our patients arming them with the tools to make an informed decision that will suit them best.

Pre and post-surgery we are available to optimise our patient’s recovery and get them on the path to being themselves again. The honest truth is that a lot of hard work is required post-surgery, especially for those who are wishing to return to sport. In most cases a combination of at home and supervised rehab is beneficial and advised.

Please contact us if you require any additional information about how we can help you prepare for or recovery from surgery.

ARTHRITIS

There seems to be a lot of confusion about Arthritis and how best to manage it throughout not only the general population but also the medical and allied health community as a whole.
There are two types of arthritis which are commonly spoke about.

1. Osteo-arthritis
2. Inflammatory-arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type and typically relates to joints which are exposed to high load, have experienced previous trauma, or had previous surgeries. It is an independent area specific process impacting solely the joint with symptoms.
Diagnosis of Osteoarthritis (OA) is made using case history, examination findings and an x-ray. There are some problems however with medical diagnosis and management of OA.

Changes seen on x-ray consistent with OA in those with symptoms are also found on x-rays in those without symptoms/no history of symptoms. We now know that many of these changes are normal age-related changes and are not typically associated with pain.
Many patients and clinicians are unaware that the most evidence based to the treatment of OA is regular exercise (supervised/unsupervised/rehab) and weight loss.

The combination of the above means that many are diagnosed with OA when that is not the cause of their symptoms. This group may be offered either no care or care which is highly invasive and not required (joint replacements). The same applies to those who genuinely suffer with OA. Often this group are not offered the support or information they need to manage their conditions and improve their quality of life.

Inflammatory arthritis refers to several different conditions which are systemic in nature and impact several joints in your body at any one time. These conditions include but are not limited to Rheumatoid Arthritis, Spondylarthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis Psoriatic-arthritis and reactive-arthritis.