What Is Ortho Prehab?
Ortho Prehab (“prehabilitation”) helps you get stronger, fitter, and better prepared — whether you’re waiting for surgery or managing arthritis without surgery.
Think of it as training before a major event.
Just as a runner trains before a marathon, your body needs preparation before a major operation. The fitter you are, the better you feel, recover, and move.
Even if you don’t need surgery, these exercises can still reduce pain and improve mobility.
Who is it for?
This is for patients who have knee or hip arthritis or are on the waiting list for knee or hip replacement surgery. If you are on the waiting list for surgery, the programme will make you fitter and healthier for surgery.
Even if you are not listed for surgery but have been diagnosed with hip or knee arthritis, then the exercises will decrease your pain and make you more mobile.
The Current Situation
- 835,000 patients were waiting for orthopaedic surgery as of March 2024.
- Many of these are waiting for hip and knee replacements.
- 45% have been waiting over 52 weeks.
- Patients often become weaker and less fit while waiting.
What should ideally happen?
Patients should have access to exercise therapy while on the waiting list. This could be:
- Group exercise classes
- Online programs
- Community-led by exercise therapists
Can I Exercise if my arthritis is bad?
Yes, you can exercise even if your arthritis is very bad and even if your X-ray has shown bone-on-bone.
Osteoarthritis is wrongly called “wear and tear” arthritis. That is not strictly true.
Your body isn’t like a car or a shoe. It heals, repairs, and adapts.
Movement increases:
- Blood flow
- Nutrient delivery
- Cartilage nourishment
- Joint repair
Being sedentary makes symptoms worse, not better.
What happens if I don’t exercise?
If you do not exercise, your pain will increase, and your mobility will decrease. When your mobility decreases, your heart and lungs do not work well. Having a healthy heart and lungs is important before surgery.
Low fitness levels before surgery raise the chance of:
- Pneumonia
- Blood clots
- Heart problems
- Longer hospital stays
- Higher infection risk