A new study finds the sooner the better.
On average, patients who started rehab earlier within 24 hours after surgery --- two days less in the hospital and had five fewer rehabilitation sessions before they were discharged than those who started the rehab later.
The patients in the early rehab group also had less pain, a greater range of joint motion, improved muscle strength and scored higher on gait and balance tests.
The study appears in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation.
