Cambridge (Hospital) Physiotherapy

What is physiotherapy?

Physiotherapy is a profession that aims to encourage and support the return to normal function following illness, surgery, disease or trauma. Physiotherapy can effectively treat a range of joint, soft tissue or neurological conditions.

Our inpatient physiotherapy team provide holistic care to patients to ensure physical requirements are met for a safe discharge from hospital, as well as offering support and guidance on your recovery from your operation. Treatments may include:

• Mobility assessment – sometimes a walking aid such as crutches will be issued to help patients mobilise safely
• Transfer assessment – we may need to practise how to safely transfer from bed to chair
• Stairs assessment – following surgery patients may need to practise stairs, this will be particularly important if patients are issued a walking aid, or have a weight-bearing restriction (such as partial weight-bearing for 2 weeks)
• Advice on activities (such as washing and dressing), pacing, icing, pain management, rehabilitation exercises
• Exercise prescription – a physiotherapist may issue exercises for circulation, strengthening, and mobility following your operation
• Equipment – in some cases equipment such as raised toilet seats or long handled shoe horns may be needed; this is based on the physiotherapist’s assessment of height, surgical requirements and patient abilities

About the Cambridge physiotherapy team

We have a team of senior physiotherapists available throughout the day and into the evening. Patients will be seen at least once per day, usually twice for joint replacements, until the goals are met for a safe discharge from hospital.

About Cambridge Hospital

Our physiotherapy team at Cambridge Hospital works with inpatients only to provide treatment and rehabilitation following surgery. We see patients on the Evelyn Ward and the Daycase suite.
Please note we do not currently complete Outpatient Physiotherapy at this site*

Operations that we commonly see for physiotherapy on the Evelyn Ward:

• Total hip replacement
• Total knee replacement
• Knee arthroscopy
• ACL reconstruction
• Hip arthroscopy
• Shoulder hydrodistension*/cuff repair/decompressions/replacements
• Elbow replacement
• Foot and ankle surgery including replacement/arthroscopy/ligament repair/toe surgery
• Scoliosis correction
• Lumbar and cervical decompression/fusion
• Breast reconstruction
• Hysterectomy

*Hydrodistension patients are seen by a physiotherapist/physiotherapy assistant in outpatient clinic at the hospital, following their treatment in the radiology department

Pre-Operative physiotherapy

If you are having total knee replacement or total hip replacement surgery it is likely you will be contacted prior to surgery to invite you to a pre-operative session with a physiotherapist. This can be in the form of:

• Online Joint School (remote meetings held on Teams)
• Telephone assessment
• Face-to-face assessment

Outpatient physiotherapy

If you wish to book an outpatient physiotherapy appointment, please book with our physiotherapy team at Cambridge Fitness and Wellbeing Gym. You can either call the number below, or email our enquiry mailbox: Cambridge.physiotherapy@nuffieldhealth.com