In addition to “rehab” after surgery, one should prepare by being as fit as possible before surgery: “prehab,” AKA preoperative physical therapy. Prehab is one of the best evidence-based things anyone can do to prevent pain. And prehab for surgery is also prehab for injury. So that’s a nice perk. Consider this 2024 study: Hirase et al. compared recovery in spinal surgery patients with more and less spinal muscle, specifically the cross-sectional area of the psoas muscle (pronounce...
