Rehabilitation and return to activity in Torremolinos

What good rehabilitation looks like

Rehabilitating means giving a joint, tendon or muscle back the ability to do what you need, from walking without pain to getting back to competing. We see people recovering from a knee or hip replacement, an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, meniscus surgery, a fracture, shoulder surgery or foot surgery, such as bunion surgery.

Each process is organised in phases. First, protection and control of pain and inflammation, respecting the surgeon’s instructions. Then, regaining mobility and activating the muscles. Later, strengthening with progressive loads. Finally, functional or sport-specific return to activity: specific movements, jumping, changes of direction or going back to your job. Timescales depend on the surgery and on each person, which is why we do not give fixed dates without getting to know you.

We do not progress by the calendar but by criteria: range of motion, strength compared with the healthy side, movement control, swelling and tolerance to load. With those tests we decide when to increase the demands and when you are ready to be discharged. Many relapses happen from going back too soon, which is why the final part of the return to activity is so important.

We work in coordination with your orthopaedic surgeon: we follow their protocol, let them know how you are progressing and consult them when a doubt arises. Musculoskeletal ultrasound helps us observe tendons and muscles and guide some treatments.

We also support basic neuromuscular rehabilitation and exercise programmes after hospital stays or illnesses that have caused loss of strength. If we notice warning signs (swelling and pain in the calf, fever, a wound that looks bad, disproportionate pain), we refer you immediately to your doctor.