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Pre Operative Physiotherapy London

If you’re looking for pre-operative physiotherapy to help you prepare for surgery and optimise your recovery, look no further!!

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Just call my London team on
0207 175 0150 or use the form below and let me help you get better.

Just call my London team on 0207 175 0150 or use the form here.

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Why choose me for Pre-Operative Physiotherapy?

If you’re considering undergoing orthopaedic surgery, such as a hip replacement, knee replacement, ligament reconstruction, or bunionectomy, it’s crucial to find a skilled physiotherapist to work with you pre-operatively.

Pre-operative therapy can help optimise your recovery and improve outcomes by addressing any pre-existing conditions, improving strength and range of motion, and preparing you mentally for the surgery. A great surgeon alone is not enough; successful pre & post-operative rehabilitation is just as important as the surgery itself.

As skilled physiotherapist I can tailor a treatment plan to your specific needs, ensuring you achieve the best possible recovery outcome. I am trusted by London’s top sports doctors and orthopaedic surgeons and specialise in helping patients with complex cases achieve optimal recovery.

To book an initial assessment simply call my team on 0207 175 0150

What can you expect from my physio assessment?

  • When you first come to see me for a pre-operative physiotherapy assessment, we will discuss exactly what your surgeon plans to do – which structures they plan to repair or replace etc and how, and we will discuss the likely effect of this on your body – both immediately after the operation and in the longer term.  This may include going through clinic letters and MRI reports and scans.
  • We will discuss the possibility of me coming to observe the surgery (link to blog post) – it’s not always possible, but when it is, it’s useful for me to be able to see exactly what happened inside your body, and to discuss with your surgeon how they envisage your recovery, and to talk about the quality of the tissue inside your joints, as this all helps me to optimise your rehabilitation plan.
  • We will discuss your surgical goals and assess your body in its current state, to work out what the deficiencies are that might be causing immediate issues, and that might affect your post-operative recovery.
  • We will put together a treatment plan to get you as strong and as pain-free as possible before your operation.  This not only prepares you for a better post-operative outcome but can also make the operation itself easier for your surgeon.
  • Finally, we will put together a plan for your immediate post-operative treatment, so that you know which exercises to do and which equipment you might need, such as muscle stimulators, braces, crutches or cryotherapy devices – as well as shower stools, grab rails and extra pillows!

What treatment techniques do I use?

  • The treatment I provide before your surgery may include hands-on manual therapy to alleviate any barriers to achieving high-quality, functional movement. We may work on reducing swelling, muscle tension, joint stiffness, and other related issues.
  • If any other part of your body is overloading or triggering your painful area, we will also work on rehabilitating that, so that the area to be operated on is offloaded as much as possible, to prepare for surgery and healing.
  • We will develop a set of “prehab” exercises to help you reduce swelling and stiffness, and improve proprioception and strength – the idea is to get your body to be functioning as optimally as possible before the surgery, so that the surgery itself is less traumatic for your body and easier to recover from.
  • We will also develop an early post-operative series of exercises which I will ask you to practise before your operation, so that the movement patterns are ingrained in your nervous system. These exercises will be the first ones you do when you wake up from your surgery but before you come to see me for post-operative physiotherapy, so that the first few days after the surgery are as productive and as conducive to good quality healing as possible.
  • If there are other members of your support team that you want to involve (surgeon, family members, therapists, personal trainers etc) then we can also include them in any decision making.  The optimal surgical outcome depends not only on the surgeon, but on you, me and anyone else involved in helping you – so the more communication there is, the better everyone can help.
Pre surgery physiotherapy assessments are 90 minutes

Follow-up sessions if required are usually an hour – it’s important to me to be very thorough, as I want to be the last physiotherapist you need.

Pre operative physiotherapy or post operative physiotherapy?

Pre-operative physiotherapy serves two primary goals:

Firstly, it aims to prepare you for the upcoming surgery by strengthening your muscles and improving your movement patterns. The stronger and more coordinated you are before surgery, the faster your recovery is likely to be as you are likely to experience a certain amount of strength, flexibility, and coordination loss during the initial post-operative period.

Secondly, pre-operative therapy familiarises you with the rehabilitation exercises you will need to do after surgery. While it may not be advisable to visit the clinic immediately after surgery, we can work with you online or via a home visit. By teaching you these exercises beforehand, your body can better remember how to do them even when feeling groggy after undergoing a general anesthetic. This helps facilitate an easier transition into post-operative rehabilitation.

Of course this is not always going to be possible, especially if your surgery is unplanned and the result of trauma; but fortunately, many people who have trauma surgery do not have the prior issues of muscle weakness and joint stiffness that characterise patients who are undergoing elective surgery.

Where possible, I also like to join you and your surgeon, both in clinic and in theatre.  There are many reasons I do this, which I have explored more fully in this blog post but essentially, the more information I have, the better job I can do for my patients.  And in turn, the effort I put into collaborating with my surgical colleagues plays a big part in why they trust me to look after their patients: my physiotherapy efforts optimise the results of their surgery.

Physiotherapy Blog

As a leading Pre Operative Physiotherapist in London, I regularly write about injuries, treatment and assessment techniques.

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Nell Mead Physiotherapist
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Daniel L.
16:23 24 Dec 24
Nell is a genius. I rarely use that word but she is.I've seen dozens of physios, osteopaths, and other such practitioners, many of whom have worked for and with elite athletes and sports organisations, including national teams. Nell is the best by a distance.Her depth of knowledge, empathy, and ability to really relate to patients is second to none.She is extremely detailed and holistic, but also pragmatic, and combines her exemplary talents with a rare intellectual honesty and humility: she will not proffer easy answers to look smart in the moment, she will instead authentically investigate and let you know what she's seeing and where this leads her. She doesn't want to appear right, she just wants to find the truth.The first time I saw her, we spoke for a long time. I told her the entire history and context of the issue I was struggling with. When Nell sent the report after, it was 100% what I'd said. I've never seen this before. Normally these summaries are decent but a little off, not quite what you said, not quite what you meant, close but missing a few parts or misconstrued. Nell's was *exactly* what I'd relayed. She *truly* listened. Maybe that's part of what makes her so exceptional.If you can see her, do it. Physios don't get better than this.
Ashmi S.
16:43 19 Dec 24
Nell is a superstar, first time I saw her I limped into her office - barely able to walk and in a lot of pain. After a lot of work on both parts I managed to run for the first time in years. I still haven't finished my journey but thank you Nell from the bottom of my heart - you gave me my life back and returned mum back to my kids :) Also to anyone reading this review - buy her book - it's excellent!
AdeSte G.
05:11 29 Oct 24
Nell is on a different level/planet than sports physios I have used. She clearly has an understanding of how the whole body as a system functions. I was a little suprised at her detailed documentation of my lifestyle.Bottom line a sucessful diagnosis clearly explained with clear detail of the reasoning. Everything just fell into place. I feel as though I am getting my old body back. I am purchasing her book "How To Be Your Own Physio".
Lucy H.
17:04 06 Oct 24
Nell is incredible! After seeing three different physiotherapists without much progress, I finally found Nell, who not only identified the real root of my long-standing niggles and sports-related injuries but also helped me address them effectively. Her depth of knowledge is remarkable, and I always looked forward to our insightful conversations about the human body. Even eight months after being discharged, I still incorporate her exercises into my daily routine, and they've made a lasting difference. I can't recommend Nell highly enough!
Susie N.
05:42 18 Jun 24
I have experienced hip pain for 25 years and have seen so many different practitioners over the years and no one has effectively treated my symptoms and following a recommendation from an Sport's Physician, I saw Nell and she recognised that it was not my hips that were the problem but my left foot.Nell is thorough in her approach and has such a huge knowledge base and she looks at movement patterns that could be contributing to pain felt elsewhere in the body.I would recommend Nell to anyone who has complex and long-standing pain in their joints. After just 2 visits, I am feeling so much better and I have a plan that I follow at home to build up strength and stability. Nell is definitely the best physio you will ever see.
Matthew B.
10:32 19 Nov 23
I call Nell the final boss of Physios! When I first began seeing here I had a wide variety of problems and pain. She is reassuring, will try out innovative and new ways of treating you and is determined to find the underlying problems which need addressing.
Sarah P.
13:43 06 Nov 23
Nell is fantastic. I was referred to her by a shoulder surgeon because I'd had serious impingement for several years and other things (e.g. steroid injections) had not helped. At the first appointment I was unable to lift my left arm above chin height. Nell traced the cause to asymmetry from a broken collarbone 16 years earlier. She got the shoulder moving again and I am now rock climbing harder than I was before I got injured. Her combination of manual therapy in clinic and giving me exercises to do at home has proved very effective. Every few months I get some other injury (e.g. broken hand from a fall) and she helps me to promptly rehab it. I've seen a bunch of physios over my lifetime but Nell is without any doubt the best!
Kirsty C.
11:13 26 Oct 23
Game changer. Nell seems to have fixed a 10-year problem (plantar fasciitis) in one or two sessions and now we’re seeing what else she can help me improve! As well as being exceptional at what she does, Nell is clearly very passionate about continually learning and is absolutely delightful company too. Worth every penny - best physio I’ve ever seen by some distance, and I’ve seen a lot!
Jane K.
18:21 04 Aug 23
Nell has an eye for detail and is good at solving complex problems. She is extremely knowledgable, professional and very kind.
Ben T.
10:54 05 Jul 23
Nell is easily the best physio I’ve ever seen. Having had many disappointing physio sessions over the years, Nell made me feel confident that we really had got to bottom of my knee issue. Not only did she examine my knee, but all of my potential problem areas with instantaneous results. She just gets it, and she’s a lovely person too.
Howard B.
17:59 04 May 23
As a medical professional with a running injury, I knew that there was only one person that I needed to see. Nell’s approach was holistic and focussed on finding the source of the issue rather than just trying to treat a symptom in isolation. Nell’s approach was calm, professional and caring. She followed up the consultation with a number of exercises to do. Her treatment plan worked like a dream and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending her to anyone who’s struggling with an injury, pain or stiffness. First class from start to finish.
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