If you’re in need of rehabilitation treatment or after surgery care, Apex Manual Therapy can help. Our advanced physical therapists have obtained the highest level of orthopedic physical therapy training needed for fully healing after surgery. Our team includes therapists who are recognized as Fellows of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy, FAAOMPT. This educational achievement is beyond the doctorate level.
At Apex Manual Therapy each medical rehabilitation visit is spent one-on-one with a fellow that can provide the best personalized rehabilitation treatment.
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Have you had surgery or plan to have in the greater Austin or Pflugerville, Texas, area? Schedule a free consultation with our advanced therapists to discuss pre rehab and post-surgical therapy.
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We guarantee you’ll see the difference in our approach and your results!
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Below you will find answers to common questions such as “what is rehabilitation” and “what does rehabilitation mean?” We also discuss different types of rehabilitation specialists and settings.
What Does Rehabilitation Mean?
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Rehabilitation is the recovery and healing process from an injury, surgery, or pain.
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What is Post-Surgical Rehabilitation?
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Post-surgical rehabilitation treatment is a type of after surgery care. It occurs after an individual has surgery and needs help recovering. Post-surgical medical rehabilitation can help with a wide range of issues from pain management to regaining full mobility.
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What is Pre Rehab or Pre Rehabilitation?
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Pre rehab is another name for pre rehabilitation. It is physical therapy prior to surgery. Your surgeon may recommend physical therapy prior to your surgery to improve the outcome. Discussing this with your physical therapist and surgeon is advised because medical rehabilitation has been shown to help you recover after surgery. Pre-rehab has also been shown to provide better function and strength post-surgery.
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What Happens in Surgical Rehabilitation?
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Surgical rehabilitation treatment is based on the surgery performed, the current status of the patient, and the patient’s goals. After surgery care consists of decreasing pain and inflammation, improving range of motion, and facilitating optimal movement.
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What is a Rehabilitation Specialist?
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A rehabilitation specialist is a movement expert also known as a physical therapist. Optimizing movement with physical therapy facilitates the ideal healing environment allowing you to recover and return to moving pain-free.
Rehabilitation specialists range in educational levels and provide varying types of rehabilitation treatment.
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Types of Rehabilitation Specialists
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There are three primary types of rehabilitation specialists:
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Pediatric - They provide rehabilitation treatment to infants, children, and adolescents.
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Orthopedic - These specialists perform rehabilitation treatment for people dealing with musculoskeletal problems and can include pediatric, adult, and geriatric patients.
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Neurological - This type of specialist specializes in rehabilitation treatment for those dealing with the central nervous system such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke patients, paralysis, and more.
Settings of Rehabilitation Specialists
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Inpatient: Medical rehabilitation in a hospital setting. The physical therapist commutes to the patient’s location.
Outpatient: Medical rehabilitation in a clinic, gym, or office setting. The patient will commute to the physical therapist. This can be for pre rehabilitation (before surgery) or post-surgical (after surgery). Outpatient is also for those who haven’t had surgery. It is used for injury prevention, correcting movement dysfunctions, skill performance training, and returning people to pain-free movement.
Level of Physical Therapy Education
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Physical therapists range in education level. Only recently has it been required to have a doctorate degree to sit for a physical therapy licensure exam. Practicing therapists who have bachelors and masters degrees are currently not required to advance their education to the doctorate level.
To take education a step further, some physical therapists choose to complete a residency or fellowship program. Fellowship training is the highest form of training for medical providers in a specific field of study. When choosing a physical therapist, make sure to understand the therapist’s educational level as well as their practice setting.

