HiFlex Health & Performance

Recovery after surgery can feel overwhelming — especially in the first few weeks when everything is new and your body is still adjusting.

Many patients aren’t sure what soreness is normal, how much activity is too much, or how to balance protecting healing tissue while still making progress.

These five simple post-op rules can help keep you on track during the early phases of recovery - from managing pain and swelling to communicating with your care team and staying consistent with your home exercises.

We expand on these ideas in a blog post explaining what recovery after surgery actually looks like and what patients should realistically expect during rehab.

Read the full article here: https://www.hiflexhealth.com/what-to-really-expect-after-surgery/

If surgery is in your future or you’re currently in recovery, this is a helpful resource to save.

Recovery after surgery is rarely as simple as people expect.

Feeling better doesn’t always mean you’re ready, progress isn’t perfectly linear, and the early weeks can feel confusing if you don’t know what’s normal.

We put together a patient guide explaining what recovery actually looks like after surgery — including common mistakes, realistic timelines, and what good rehab should feel like.

If you or someone you love is preparing for surgery or is currently in rehab, this article will help you better understand the process.

Read the full guide here: https://www.hiflexhealth.com/what-to-really-expect-after-surgery/

Prefer to listen? You can hear Dr. Chelsea Smith & Simon Ibrahim's full discussion on the HiFLEX Health & Performance Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts.

new kit day looking GOOD!

Recovery after surgery isn’t just about hitting a certain number of weeks on the calendar.

Good post-operative rehab follows a progression. Early on, the focus is protecting healing tissue and calming the system. As recovery continues, rehab shifts toward rebuilding strength, restoring control, and helping the body move confidently again in real-life activities.

Progress isn’t always perfectly linear — and that’s normal. The goal isn’t just to feel better quickly, but to build a durable recovery that lasts.

In this episode of the HiFLEX Health & Performance Podcast, Dr. Chelsea Smith and Physical Therapy Assistant Simon Ibrahim explain what effective post-op rehab actually looks like and why patience, education, and communication with your care team matter so much.

🎧 Listen to the full episode:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6KWfMXS8MSBfnkct8yC6oU?si=Phkrd5GiSjyDYwKEWlGkoA

Learn more about HiFLEX Health & Performance:
https://www.hiflexhealth.com

Many people think surgery is the hardest part.

In reality, recovery is where most people struggle.

Feeling better doesn’t always mean your body is ready.
Progress isn’t perfectly linear.
And the early weeks after surgery can be confusing if you don’t know what’s normal.

In this episode of the HiFLEX Health & Performance Podcast, Dr. Chelsea Smith and physical therapist Simon Ibrahim break down what patients should realistically expect during recovery - including common misconceptions about ACL repair, rotator cuff surgery, and knee replacements.

If you or someone you care about is preparing for surgery, this conversation can help you approach rehab with better expectations and more confidence.

🎧 Listen to the full episode:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/6KWfMXS8MSBfnkct8yC6oU?si=Phkrd5GiSjyDYwKEWlGkoA

You can also read the related article on our website:
https://www.hiflexhealth.com/what-to-really-expect-after-surgery/

Which surgery recovery do you think is the toughest?
• ACL reconstruction
• Rotator cuff repair
• Knee replacement

Rotator cuff recovery is one of the most misunderstood recoveries we see.

Two people can have the same surgery on paper and experience very different pain, stiffness, and timelines. That doesn’t mean something went wrong — it means shoulders are complex, muscle-driven joints that guard easily and heal differently.

Understanding why rotator cuff rehab can feel unpredictable helps remove fear, frustration, and the urge to rush the process.

In our latest episode of the HiFLEX Health & Performance Podcast, Dr. Chelsea Smith and Physical Therapy Assistant Simon Ibrahim break this down clearly - what’s normal, what’s not, and how good rehab balances protection and progress.

🎧 Listen to the full episode — https://youtu.be/mOgt5SJD5I4

Surgery is often treated like the finish line - the thing that will finally fix the problem.
But for most people, surgery is just the beginning of recovery.

Healing takes time, and progress doesn’t always move in a straight line. Feeling better doesn’t automatically mean your body is ready for everything you want it to do.

In our latest episode of the HiFLEX Health & Performance Podcast, Dr. Chelsea Smith and Physical Therapy Assistant Simon Ibrahim explain what patients can realistically expect after surgery and how to approach recovery with clarity, patience, and confidence.

🎧 Listen to the full episode — https://youtu.be/mOgt5SJD5I4

Imaging can be a hot topic. This is always something to keep in mind: a picture is not good at determining why pan exists!

Taken from

99% of people over 40 have a rotator cuff ‘abnormality’ on MRI.

Do we round up to, everyone?

The FIMAGE study just dropped in JAMA Internal Medicine and it’s important for several reasons.

Here’s a quick overview of the study:

→ 602 people randomly selected from the Finnish general population (not a clinic sample)
→ Aged 41–76
→ Bilateral 3T MRI of both shoulders
→ Blinded reads by experienced musculoskeletal radiologists
→ Standardised clinical exams by shoulder surgeons with 10+ years experience

They found:

→ 98.7% had at least one RC abnormality
→ 7 out of 602 had completely normal tendons
→ 62% had partial-thickness tears
→ 11% had full-thickness tears (rose with age)
→ RC abnormalities were in 96% of pain-free shoulders AND 98% of painful shoulders

78% of all full-thickness tears were found in shoulders with zero symptoms.

Even combining state-of-the-art 3T MRI with experienced surgeon clinical exams could not reliably distinguish a symptomatic shoulder from an asymptomatic one.

The authors argue, and I think the data supports this, that most RC findings after 40 represent normal age-related structural change. Like grey hair. Like wrinkles. Like holes in your socks.

They emphasise a shift in language is warranted: away from ‘tear’ (which implies trauma and repair) toward terms like ‘structural alteration’ or ‘age-related change.’

When the baseline prevalence of an MRI finding approaches 100%, the finding itself has almost no diagnostic value.

How does this change the way you talk to your patients about their MRI results?

At HiFLEX, we believe true independence starts with a healthy, pain-free body. Whether you're recovering, rebuilding, or optimizing your movement, our holistic approach supports your whole wellness journey.

✨ Move better
✨ Feel stronger
✨ Live freer

One of our core beliefs at HiFLEX is that healing doesn’t happen in isolation.

God designed the body to work together - and He designed us to work together too.

That belief is why we’re so intentional about partnering with people like Blaike at Hex Performance. We don’t see physical therapy and training as separate worlds. We see them as complementary parts of the same journey: helping you heal, grow stronger, and move forward with confidence.

We just shared a new blog explaining why this kind of collaboration matters, what it looks like behind the scenes, and how it benefits you as a patient.
If you missed it, this post is inspired by Podcast Episode 11, where Chelsea shares the heart behind how we approach care and partnership (originally a guest on the Uncaged Podcast).

👉 Read the blog: https://www.hiflexhealth.com/pt-trainer-collaboration-matters/
🎧 Listen to Podcast Episode 11: https://www.hiflexhealth.com/podcast/

Treated a patient for neck pain who happened to have been dealing with tooth pain for 2 years. She had a root canal a year ago to address this but unfortunately had no long term change to the tooth pain.

Needled her upper cervical as well as nerve points and muscular points that refer to the top teeth. Replicated her tooth pain.

Today? I get this text. Love to see it! My job is cool.