When planning to undergo surgery, patients can speed up post-surgery recovery by preparing both physically and mentally.
Prehab can quicken the healing process and help minimize the loss of function following surgery.
By working with a Bryan LifePointe exercise specialist, patients will receive the support, guidance and knowledge to improve their health and fitness leading up to surgery.
Nick Reimers is here to explain that Prehab is available as an eight-week or 12-week program and is flexible to meet the
specific needs of each patient.
Selected Podcast
A Successful Recovery Outcome Begins Before Surgery
Featured Speaker:
Learn more about Nick Reimers
Nick Reimers, exercise specialist, Bryan LifePointe
Nick Reimers is an exercise specialist at Bryan LifePointe.Learn more about Nick Reimers
Transcription:
A Successful Recovery Outcome Begins Before Surgery
Melanie Cole (Host): When planning to undergo surgery, patients can speed up post-surgery recovery by preparing both physically and mentally. Prehab can quicken the healing process and help minimize the loss of function following surgery. My guest today is Nick Reimers. He's an exercise specialist and in charge of the prehab program at Bryan LifePointe. Welcome to the show, Nick. People have heard the term rehab for years but what is prehab?
Nick Reimers (Guest): Well, Melanie, prehab is a pre-operative exercise program here that is geared towards preparing to go for surgery, whether it's improving muscular strength or cardiorespiratory fitness or any number of comorbidities, such as diabetes or along those lines, to help improve those risk factors to help them have a positive outcome.
Melanie: So, what kind of surgeries would prehab be indicated for?
Nick: Well, what we're looking for when we're doing our prehab program is people geared toward total knee surgeries, total hip surgeries, or any surgery that a doctor feels that they need to improve their physical fitness going into surgery to help them have a positive outcome.
Melanie: So, what's involved and how early do you start prehab? If you know you're going to have a knee replacement in six weeks or so, how much time does somebody need to start prehab before they go into surgery?
Nick: Well, the way we have geared our program is we want to have enough time to see positive changes in health outcomes. If it's weight change or improvements in strength, or improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, we like to go about 12 weeks out with our program to allow for significant changes. We want to have positive outcomes with this program.
Melanie: So then, what's involved? Somebody comes to see you and what can they expect?
Nick: Well, we'll start the program. For the first four weeks, we'll focus on kind of an aerobic-based training type of program where we'll focus on improving their stamina. We'll try to get them up and going and that's going to help us with the benefits we'll do later on in the program. Then, we'll work more into muscular strength while doing flexibility training the entire time.
Melanie: So, if someone has limitation, as in the case of maybe hip surgery or knee surgery, can they still do this cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory type exercise? What do you do with someone that has limitations?
Nick: Well, we just have to find appropriate exercise. When we're looking at somebody that has limitations--for instance, if they have knee pain, hip pain, or there are any contraindications for doing the big exercises, we have a number of machines and services here at Bryan LifePointe that we can accommodate almost any type of demand, whether it's getting in the pool and doing aquatic exercise to minimize impact or if it's hopping on a New Step or some type of low-impact exercise device that will help us complete exercise without exacerbating pain.
Melanie: How do you measure whether or not they're having good results while they're doing this program?
Nick: Well, Melanie, what we do is we start with a pre-assessment. We go through and we do some base testing like range of motion of strength, height and weight--those types of things. At the end of the program, we do those same assessments, those same tests to see what kind of progress. Then, ideally, we'll test them later on to determine their surgery outcome.
Melanie: Do people tend to do well in this program even if they're nervous about surgery, Nick? That that's what they're thinking about in getting all of the things they want to think about before they go into surgery? Are they thinking about themselves and their own health?
Nick: Well, surgery is a big process and it creates a lot of fear in a lot of patients who are thinking about going through it. So, our goal here is to help them, to teach them, to prepare them physically and mentally. So, as they go through this program, we're going to help them understand that they can exercise, that we don't have to be fearful of doing activity of all the positive benefits that it has to our health. As soon as they start to overcome that fear, then they can look forward to having a successful surgery.
Melanie: What about things like dietary considerations or weight loss before surgery, Nick? Is that something that's involved in prehab?
Nick: Absolutely. We have options with our programs, both our 8-week and our 12-week program, where we incorporate working with a dietitian, so that helps us come up with a plan of action as far as the nutrition to help them have success in weight loss.
Melanie: And then, you mentioned mental, getting ready mentally. How do you help somebody get ready mentally for surgery and that fear that goes along with it?
Nick: Well, the way that we go through our health coaching is we like to set goals. We like to create some goals and some expectations with our clients of what they're to anticipate as far as their exercise; what to anticipate as far as their surgery and then with this program, it leads into some of the other services that Bryan Health provides, like our joint class and our pre-operative exercise education to help them get prepared. When they feel more prepared for the surgery, when they know what to anticipate, they're going to be more comfortable going into that surgery.
Melanie: So, does prehab ever stop, Nick? How soon before the surgery do you say, "Okay, you've done enough now. Now, you just need to rest it up before surgery"?
Nick: Well, we would like to go as close as what the doctor would allow us. This exercise is something that we want them to continue to do right up until surgery and then even after surgery and when they complete their rehab, to continue on with exercise and, hopefully, they take on those behavior change skills and continue exercising, right up to and after the surgery.
Melanie: So, tell us about the Bryan LifePointe Prehab program, Nick. Tell us, how does somebody sign up?
Nick: Well, the best way to get started in the prehab program is to ask their physician if it's something that's appropriate for them. If it they've been working with a physician and they decided that surgery is something that might be appropriate, but maybe down the road a little bit, to have the physician put the client in contact with us here at LifePointe. They can call us here at Bryan LifePointe. Our phone number is 402-481-6300, and they can get a hold of me, Nick Reimers, and then, what we'll do is, we'll get in contact with physicians and start the process of enrolling them into prehab.
Melanie: That number, again, is 402-481-6300 and you can look for Nick Reimers because he will help you get ready. In just the last few minutes, give us your best advice about prehab and why people should really consider it and why they should come to Bryan LifePointe for their prehab.
Nick: Well, Melanie, the biggest thing is, when we develop something like arthritis, when we have an injury, when we have pain, the fear is that if we do something, it's going to cause more pain. When, in reality, doing regular physical activity, doing appropriate exercise, actually helps. It helps manage the physical signs of arthritis, but also the psychological effects. It keeps you from getting depressed and keeps you from feeling like you're disabled. We want people to understand that they can exercise at any point in their physical health spectrum. They can have positive success with exercise.
Melanie: Thank you so much. What great information. You're listening to Bryan Health Radio and for more information about the prehab program, you can go to BryanLifePointe.com. That's BryanLifePointe.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
A Successful Recovery Outcome Begins Before Surgery
Melanie Cole (Host): When planning to undergo surgery, patients can speed up post-surgery recovery by preparing both physically and mentally. Prehab can quicken the healing process and help minimize the loss of function following surgery. My guest today is Nick Reimers. He's an exercise specialist and in charge of the prehab program at Bryan LifePointe. Welcome to the show, Nick. People have heard the term rehab for years but what is prehab?
Nick Reimers (Guest): Well, Melanie, prehab is a pre-operative exercise program here that is geared towards preparing to go for surgery, whether it's improving muscular strength or cardiorespiratory fitness or any number of comorbidities, such as diabetes or along those lines, to help improve those risk factors to help them have a positive outcome.
Melanie: So, what kind of surgeries would prehab be indicated for?
Nick: Well, what we're looking for when we're doing our prehab program is people geared toward total knee surgeries, total hip surgeries, or any surgery that a doctor feels that they need to improve their physical fitness going into surgery to help them have a positive outcome.
Melanie: So, what's involved and how early do you start prehab? If you know you're going to have a knee replacement in six weeks or so, how much time does somebody need to start prehab before they go into surgery?
Nick: Well, the way we have geared our program is we want to have enough time to see positive changes in health outcomes. If it's weight change or improvements in strength, or improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, we like to go about 12 weeks out with our program to allow for significant changes. We want to have positive outcomes with this program.
Melanie: So then, what's involved? Somebody comes to see you and what can they expect?
Nick: Well, we'll start the program. For the first four weeks, we'll focus on kind of an aerobic-based training type of program where we'll focus on improving their stamina. We'll try to get them up and going and that's going to help us with the benefits we'll do later on in the program. Then, we'll work more into muscular strength while doing flexibility training the entire time.
Melanie: So, if someone has limitation, as in the case of maybe hip surgery or knee surgery, can they still do this cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory type exercise? What do you do with someone that has limitations?
Nick: Well, we just have to find appropriate exercise. When we're looking at somebody that has limitations--for instance, if they have knee pain, hip pain, or there are any contraindications for doing the big exercises, we have a number of machines and services here at Bryan LifePointe that we can accommodate almost any type of demand, whether it's getting in the pool and doing aquatic exercise to minimize impact or if it's hopping on a New Step or some type of low-impact exercise device that will help us complete exercise without exacerbating pain.
Melanie: How do you measure whether or not they're having good results while they're doing this program?
Nick: Well, Melanie, what we do is we start with a pre-assessment. We go through and we do some base testing like range of motion of strength, height and weight--those types of things. At the end of the program, we do those same assessments, those same tests to see what kind of progress. Then, ideally, we'll test them later on to determine their surgery outcome.
Melanie: Do people tend to do well in this program even if they're nervous about surgery, Nick? That that's what they're thinking about in getting all of the things they want to think about before they go into surgery? Are they thinking about themselves and their own health?
Nick: Well, surgery is a big process and it creates a lot of fear in a lot of patients who are thinking about going through it. So, our goal here is to help them, to teach them, to prepare them physically and mentally. So, as they go through this program, we're going to help them understand that they can exercise, that we don't have to be fearful of doing activity of all the positive benefits that it has to our health. As soon as they start to overcome that fear, then they can look forward to having a successful surgery.
Melanie: What about things like dietary considerations or weight loss before surgery, Nick? Is that something that's involved in prehab?
Nick: Absolutely. We have options with our programs, both our 8-week and our 12-week program, where we incorporate working with a dietitian, so that helps us come up with a plan of action as far as the nutrition to help them have success in weight loss.
Melanie: And then, you mentioned mental, getting ready mentally. How do you help somebody get ready mentally for surgery and that fear that goes along with it?
Nick: Well, the way that we go through our health coaching is we like to set goals. We like to create some goals and some expectations with our clients of what they're to anticipate as far as their exercise; what to anticipate as far as their surgery and then with this program, it leads into some of the other services that Bryan Health provides, like our joint class and our pre-operative exercise education to help them get prepared. When they feel more prepared for the surgery, when they know what to anticipate, they're going to be more comfortable going into that surgery.
Melanie: So, does prehab ever stop, Nick? How soon before the surgery do you say, "Okay, you've done enough now. Now, you just need to rest it up before surgery"?
Nick: Well, we would like to go as close as what the doctor would allow us. This exercise is something that we want them to continue to do right up until surgery and then even after surgery and when they complete their rehab, to continue on with exercise and, hopefully, they take on those behavior change skills and continue exercising, right up to and after the surgery.
Melanie: So, tell us about the Bryan LifePointe Prehab program, Nick. Tell us, how does somebody sign up?
Nick: Well, the best way to get started in the prehab program is to ask their physician if it's something that's appropriate for them. If it they've been working with a physician and they decided that surgery is something that might be appropriate, but maybe down the road a little bit, to have the physician put the client in contact with us here at LifePointe. They can call us here at Bryan LifePointe. Our phone number is 402-481-6300, and they can get a hold of me, Nick Reimers, and then, what we'll do is, we'll get in contact with physicians and start the process of enrolling them into prehab.
Melanie: That number, again, is 402-481-6300 and you can look for Nick Reimers because he will help you get ready. In just the last few minutes, give us your best advice about prehab and why people should really consider it and why they should come to Bryan LifePointe for their prehab.
Nick: Well, Melanie, the biggest thing is, when we develop something like arthritis, when we have an injury, when we have pain, the fear is that if we do something, it's going to cause more pain. When, in reality, doing regular physical activity, doing appropriate exercise, actually helps. It helps manage the physical signs of arthritis, but also the psychological effects. It keeps you from getting depressed and keeps you from feeling like you're disabled. We want people to understand that they can exercise at any point in their physical health spectrum. They can have positive success with exercise.
Melanie: Thank you so much. What great information. You're listening to Bryan Health Radio and for more information about the prehab program, you can go to BryanLifePointe.com. That's BryanLifePointe.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.