Post-op physical therapy in Chatsworth, one-on-one with Dr. Ed
Your surgeon's protocol, followed one-on-one for about 60 minutes a visit, with a home program that keeps the recovery moving between sessions.
Who post-op physical therapy is for
- After a joint replacement.A new knee or hip, discharged with a sheet of exercises and a prescription for outpatient physical therapy, and you want someone who will actually get you walking normally again.
- After an orthopedic repair.ACL reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, meniscus repair, labral repair, a fracture that was plated or pinned.
- After spine surgery.A discectomy, a fusion or a decompression, with nerve symptoms or weakness that need careful, staged work.
- Before surgery.Prehab: getting the joint as strong and mobile as possible before the operation, which makes the recovery after it faster. Some patients find that a few weeks of therapy before surgery changes whether they need it at all; that is a conversation between you and your surgeon, and Dr. Ed will give you an honest read.
What treatment looks like with Dr. Ed
Bring your surgeon's post-op protocol and your discharge paperwork to the first visit. Dr. Ed works from your surgeon's instructions, not a generic plan, and the evaluation, about 60 minutes depending on what you need, sets your starting point: swelling, range of motion, strength, how you walk or reach, and what you need to do again at home and at work.
Every visit after that is about 60 minutes with Dr. Ed, nobody else, in the stages your surgery needs:
- Early: controlling swelling and pain, protecting the repair, gentle range of motion, and getting you safe on stairs and in the car. Therapeutic ultrasound, electrical stimulation and red light therapy are used here where they help, and patients say they made a real difference to recovery after ACL and shoulder surgery.
- Middle: restoring full range of motion with hands-on work, waking the muscles back up, rebuilding walking or reaching so it looks normal again.
- Late: strength, balance and the specific things you want back, whether that is gardening, hiking, lifting a grandchild or returning to sport (see sports injury recovery).
You leave every visit with a written home program, adjusted as the repair heals. A family member is welcome to sit in. The number of visits depends on the surgery and your surgeon's timeline; Dr. Ed sets it after the evaluation. Evening and Saturday appointments mean a working family member can drive you.
The three recoveries we see most
Knee replacement. The first six weeks decide the range of motion you will have for years. Getting the knee to bend and straighten fully, early, is the work, and it is hands-on, patient work. Patients who do the home program between visits get there faster.
Hip replacement. Walking without a limp, restoring hip strength and rebuilding balance so you trust the new joint. One patient after hip replacement wrote that Dr. Ed was intuitive about finding ways to fix her balance and strength; her full review is on the reviews page.
ACL reconstruction. A nine-to-twelve-month road for an athlete, done in stages and tested before each one. The patient whose review is below did his rehab here and said it was extremely beneficial on the road to recovery.
Surgeries we rehabilitate
- Total and partial knee replacement
- Total hip replacement
- ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair
- Rotator cuff repair, labral repair, shoulder replacement
- Spinal surgery: discectomy, fusion, decompression
- Fracture repairs with plates, pins or screws
- Ankle and foot surgery
- Pre-surgical rehabilitation (prehab) for any of the above
"I had ACL reconstruction surgery and the PT I have done with Ed has been game changing. It has been extremely beneficial on the road to recovery. He is extremely accommodating around my busy schedule whether that is doing sessions late at night or during the day. He also does ultrasound therapy and RED light therapy which has significantly aided my recovery."
Insurance and referrals
Medicare is accepted; your surgeon's post-op prescription is the referral. You can start as soon as your surgeon clears outpatient therapy.
- No referral needed to start
- California law lets you see a physical therapist without a referral for up to 12 visits or 45 days, whichever comes first. After that, we need a referral from your doctor to continue. Medicare patients need a referral from the start.
- Insurance
- We accept Medicare and personal injury liens. If you have PPO insurance, we provide a superbill, an itemized receipt you send to your insurer for reimbursement. Direct-pay patients are welcome.
- Visits
- Visits run about 60 minutes, depending on what you need, and every one is one-on-one with Dr. Ed.
Details and what to bring are on the insurance and cost page.
Common questions after surgery
How soon after surgery should physical therapy start?
When your surgeon says so, which for most joint replacements and repairs is within the first one to two weeks. Book the evaluation before the surgery date if you can, so there is no gap.
Will you follow my surgeon's protocol?
Yes. Bring it to the first visit. Dr. Ed works from it, not from a generic plan.
Can someone come with me?
Yes. A family member is welcome at every session and can learn the home exercises so they can help.
Is the clinic accessible if I am on crutches or a walker?
Yes. The entrance and the parking are wheelchair accessible, the free lot is right in front, and there is no gate code.
How long until I can drive, work or play again?
It depends on the surgery and your surgeon's timeline. Dr. Ed will give you a realistic answer at the evaluation and update it as you progress.
Does physical therapy before surgery help?
Usually, yes. A stronger, more mobile joint going into surgery recovers faster. Ask your surgeon, and book a prehab evaluation if they agree.
Book your post-op evaluation
Tell Dr. Ed which surgery, when it was (or will be) and who your surgeon is. He will confirm your time by phone or email, usually the same day.
Prefer to talk? Call (818) 749-3205Dr. Ed answers his own phone.
19851 Nordhoff Place, Unit 105 (Suite C), Chatsworth, CA 91311
Mon to Sat 10am to 8pm, Sun closed. Free parking in the lot in front, no gate code, street parking available.
Book by phone
Call (818) 749-3205Mon to Sat 10am to 8pm, Sun closed
The online booking form opens here soon. Until then, call or email chatsworthpt@gmail.com and we confirm your time, usually the same day.
No payment is required to book.