After surgery, it can be tempting to think that once the operation is over, your body will simply heal on its own.

While healing is a natural process, surgery is often only the first step in recovery. Depending on the procedure, rehabilitation may be needed to restore movement, strength, balance and normal function.

So, what happens if you skip physiotherapy after surgery?

The answer depends on the type of surgery and your individual circumstances. Some people can recover well with a largely self-directed rehabilitation programme, while others benefit considerably from supervised physiotherapy. Current research shows that postoperative rehabilitation should be individualised rather than automatically prescribed in the same way for everyone.

1. You May Lose Strength and Mobility

After surgery, pain, swelling and reduced activity can make it difficult to use the affected area normally.

Without appropriate exercises, you may experience:

• Muscle weakness

• Reduced joint movement

• Stiffness

• Poor balance

• Reduced physical fitness

For example, research following knee replacement surgery has found that functional physiotherapy exercises can provide short-term improvements in physical function and joint movement.

2. Everyday Activities May Take Longer to Improve

Rehabilitation is often designed around practical goals such as walking, climbing stairs, getting dressed, lifting objects or returning to work.

Skipping rehabilitation may make it harder to progressively rebuild the physical capacity needed for these activities.

A recent systematic review found that longer exercise-based rehabilitation may be particularly useful for older people and those with functional limitations following total knee replacement, although the evidence varies between rehabilitation approaches.

3. You May Not Know How to Progress Safely

One important role of a physiotherapist is knowing when to increase or reduce the rehabilitation load.

Doing too little may slow your progress, while doing too much too soon may aggravate pain or swelling.

Your physiotherapist can progressively adjust exercises according to your:

• Pain

• Swelling

• Strength

• Range of movement

• Balance

• Functional ability

• Surgical restrictions

This is particularly important after procedures where specific movement or weight-bearing restrictions apply.

4. Recovery May Not Be as Efficient

Research does not show that every patient needs intensive physiotherapy after every operation. In fact, a 2025 systematic review found that early outpatient physiotherapy after lower-limb joint replacement did not consistently produce better pain, function or quality-of-life outcomes than delayed physiotherapy, although the certainty of evidence was low to very low.

This is an important distinction: skipping unnecessary supervised sessions is not the same as skipping rehabilitation altogether.

Some patients may be able to recover successfully with a well-designed home programme, while others require more hands-on guidance and progression.

5. You May Miss Problems During Recovery

Physiotherapy isn't only about exercises.

A physiotherapist can monitor your progress and identify problems such as:

• Persistent stiffness

• Unexpected weakness

• Poor movement patterns

• Balance difficulties

• Difficulty progressing exercises

• Symptoms that may require further medical review

If recovery isn't progressing as expected, identifying the problem early can be valuable.

Does Everyone Need Physiotherapy After Surgery?

No.

The amount of rehabilitation required depends on the operation, your health, your physical condition and your recovery.

For example, someone recovering from a minor procedure may require very little supervised physiotherapy, whereas someone recovering from joint replacement, ACL reconstruction or major orthopaedic surgery may require a structured rehabilitation programme.

The evidence supports a targeted approach, rather than assuming that everyone needs exactly the same amount of physiotherapy.

The Bottom Line

Skipping physiotherapy after surgery does not automatically mean that your recovery will fail.

However, skipping rehabilitation altogether can leave important areas such as strength, mobility and function unaddressed.

The key question isn't simply:

“Do I need physiotherapy?”

It's:

“What rehabilitation does my body need to recover safely and return to the activities that matter to me?”

If you've recently had surgery and aren't sure what exercises you should be doing or how quickly you should progress, speak with your surgeon or physiotherapist before changing your rehabilitation plan.

References

Artz, N., Elvers, K. T., Lowe, C. M., Sackley, C., Jepson, P., & Beswick, A. D. (2015). Effectiveness of physiotherapy exercise after knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ, 351, h5206.

Jenkins, C., Minns Lowe, C., & Barker, K. L. (2023). Early post-operative physiotherapy rehabilitation after primary unilateral unicompartmental knee replacement: A systematic review. Physiotherapy, 118, 39–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2022.05.003

Karimijashni, S., et al. (2025). Postoperative rehabilitation interventions in patients at risk of poorer outcomes following total knee arthroplasty: A systematic review. Musculoskeletal Care, 23(1), e70054. https://doi.org/10.1002/msc.70054

LeBel, S., et al. (2025). The effect of early post-operative outpatient physiotherapy on outcomes following lower limb arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Musculoskeletal Care, 23(3), e70162. https://doi.org/10.1002/msc.70162