Recovering from joint replacement, fracture surgery or another major operation follows a fairly predictable rhythm — even though every patient heals at their own pace. Here's a general week-by-week picture of what our post-surgery rehabilitation service looks like at home.
Week 1: Gentle mobility and pain management
The focus is protecting the surgical site while preventing stiffness — gentle range-of-motion exercises, careful positioning, and pain-aware movement. A home-based therapist can adjust intensity in real time based on how you're actually feeling that day, rather than a fixed clinic schedule.
Weeks 2–3: Building tolerance
As swelling reduces, exercises progress to light strengthening and longer movement sequences. This is often where home rehabilitation shows its advantage — consistency matters most here, and not having to travel means sessions rarely get skipped.
Weeks 4–6: Functional movement
Exercises start mimicking real daily movements — getting up from a chair, climbing steps, reaching overhead — tailored to what you actually need to do at home. Your therapist reassesses progress and adjusts the plan.
Weeks 6–12: Strength and independence
For most joint replacements and major surgeries, this phase focuses on rebuilding strength and confidence for full independence, with a gradual reduction in session frequency as you progress.
Where Ayurveda fits in
Some patients benefit from combining physiotherapy with supportive Ayurvedic therapies like Njavarakizhi once cleared by their surgeon — see our rehabilitation service for how the two are coordinated.
Getting started
If you or a family member has surgery coming up or recently completed, book a home physiotherapy assessment to build a recovery plan matched to the specific procedure and your home environment.