# Pre-operative rehabilitation - Web page: https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/pre-operative-rehabilitation/ - Category: [Kinesitherapy](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy.md) - Price: €40.00 - Duration: 60 min - How often: 2–3 a week - We use: exercises - You learn: walking on crutches - Address: 10 Popovo Street, Lozenets, Sofia, 1409 - Opening hours: Mon - Fri | 9:00 - 19:00 - Phone: +359 886 750 462 - WhatsApp: +359 886 750 462 - Viber: +359 886 750 462 - Book online: https://superdoc.bg/lekar/kaloyan-zarkov - Booking page: https://kainezitherapy.com/en/appointments/ Prehab, or rehabilitation before surgery: exercises that strengthen your muscles and prepare the joint, so you recover more easily afterwards. ![Knee exercise with a resistance band, supervised by a kinesitherapist](https://kainezitherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pre-op-rehab-1-1024x765.webp) Prehab, or rehabilitation before surgery, prepares your body for the operation ahead. Most often this is surgery on the knee, hip or shoulder. The aim is to go into surgery with stronger muscles, a more mobile joint and a clear idea of what comes next. People who prepare usually cope more easily with the first weeks after the operation. ## What to expect Kaloyan starts with a conversation about your diagnosis, the planned operation and what you find difficult now. Then he checks how far the joint moves, how strong the muscles around it are and how you walk. Bring your scans and your doctor’s report, if you have them. The sessions are mostly exercise: strengthening the muscles around the joint, improving its range of movement and working on your balance. Kaloyan adds manual therapy when the joint is stiff or the muscles are tight. The exercises are chosen so that they don’t make the pain worse. Part of the preparation is learning early what you will need afterwards: how to walk with crutches, how to get out of bed and up from a chair, how to climb stairs. We also show you the first exercises you’ll do after surgery. That way, you already know what to do in hospital. If the operation is a few weeks away, 2–3 sessions a week until then usually work well. Even a few sessions help, because you get a programme to continue at home. ## What it helps with - Preparing for knee surgery: cruciate ligament, meniscus or joint replacement - Preparing for a hip replacement - Preparing for shoulder surgery - Preparing for spinal surgery, if your doctor recommends exercise - Weak muscles and a stiff joint because of pain that has lasted for months ## Who it’s for - You have an operation booked and want to be in the best possible shape for it. - Pain has made you protect your leg or arm, and the muscles have weakened. - You’ll be living alone after the operation and want to be sure you can manage in the first days. - You are worried about the operation and want to know what to expect. ## When it isn’t suitable - The joint is badly swollen, hot and red, or you have a fever. - The joint “locks” and you can’t move it. You need to see a doctor first. - Your surgeon has told you not to put load on the joint before the operation. ## Conditions it helps with - [Meniscus tear](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/knee/meniscus-tear/) - [ACL tear](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/conditions/knee/acl-tear/) Performed by ## Kaloyan Zarkov, kinesitherapist - Kinesitherapy degree, NSA “Vassil Levski” - 10+ years of practice [About us](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/about/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Is prehab worth it if I’m having surgery anyway? Yes. Stronger muscles and a more mobile joint before surgery usually make the first weeks afterwards easier. You will also have learned the exercises for after the operation in advance. ### How long before surgery should I start? Ideally a few weeks before, if you have the time. If the date is close, even a few sessions help, because you leave with a programme for home. ### Will you teach me to walk with crutches? Yes. Kaloyan shows you how to walk with crutches on the flat and on stairs, and how to get out of bed and up from a chair without putting weight on the operated leg. ### Can I carry on with Kaloyan after the operation? Yes. He already knows your condition and continues with post-operative rehabilitation once your surgeon allows. In the first weeks this can also happen at home. ### Will the exercises make the pain worse? They shouldn’t. Kaloyan chooses exercises that your joint can tolerate and changes them if anything hurts. Mild muscle tiredness after a session is normal. ## More in Kinesitherapy [All services in Kinesitherapy](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/) - [Kinesitherapy for injuries](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/kinesitherapy-for-injuries/) · 60 min · €40.00 · Rehabilitation after a fracture or injury in Lozenets: hands-on mobilisation after a cast, exercise and devices; also sprains, dislocations, frozen shoulder. - [Post-operative rehabilitation](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/post-operative-rehabilitation/) · 60 min · €40.00 · Rehabilitation after surgery on the knee, shoulder or hip, or after a fracture: exercise and manual therapy that follow your surgeon’s instructions. - [Kinesitherapy for a herniated disc](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/kinesitherapy-for-disc-herniation/) · 60 min · €40.00 · Herniated disc treatment without surgery, in the lower back or neck: kinesitherapy with exercise and manual therapy for less pain and freer movement. - [Kinesitherapy for nerve pain (neuralgia)](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/kinesitherapy-for-neuralgia/) · 60 min · €40.00 · Sciatica and nerve pain treatment with kinesitherapy: we find where the nerve is trapped and use movement and manual therapy to ease the pain. - [Corrective exercises](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/corrective-gymnastics/) · 60 min · €40.00 · Posture correction exercises for children and adults with scoliosis, kyphosis and poor posture: sessions at the practice and a short home programme. - [Kinesio taping (one area)](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/kinesio-taping/) · 20 min · €25.00 · Kinesio taping in Sofia for one area, such as the knee, shoulder or ankle: an elastic tape that supports the joint and muscles without limiting movement. - [Stroke rehabilitation](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/services/kinesitherapy/stroke-rehabilitation/) · 60 min · €40.00 · Stroke rehabilitation at the practice in Lozenets or at home: PNF, massage and exercises for strength, balance and walking, with gradual loading. ## Want to improve your health? Get in touch for a personal consultation. [Book an appointment](https://kainezitherapy.com/en/appointments/) [+359 886 750 462](tel:+359886750462)