Post Op Physio is written by Louise Yow, a physiotherapist who has treated musculoskeletal and post-surgical patients since 2006.
Qualifications
- BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy, Queen Margaret University, Scotland (2006)
- Registered with the Allied Health Professions Council, Singapore
- Trained in scar management
Where she has worked
Louise trained in Scotland and returned to Singapore in 2006, where she practices today. She has worked in public hospitals, with the Ministry of Defence, in nursing homes, in a private hospital, and now in private practice.
That range is why this site exists in the form it does. The ward, the nursing home and the outpatient clinic each see a different stage of the same recovery: the first days after the operation when standing up is the whole task, the long rebuild for older patients, and the return to work, driving and sport months later. Most recovery advice is written from one of those three vantage points. This site is written from all three.
What she focuses on
- Musculoskeletal and sports physiotherapy
- Back and neck pain, and spinal physiotherapy
- Posture-related conditions
- Ergonomics: how your chair, desk, bed and bathroom load your body
Ergonomics is where her interest meets this site. After surgery, your home sets the terms of your recovery. The height of your bed, where you keep the kettle, how you get into the shower and which side of the couch you sit on decide what you can do on your own in the first weeks. Surgeons rarely discuss it. It is often the difference between needing help and managing alone.
Why this site exists
A surgical review lasts minutes. The questions come later, at home: is this swelling normal, can I sleep on that side, when can I climb stairs, when can I drive, why does it hurt more at week three than week two.
Most people are sent home with a printed sheet of exercises and a follow-up appointment six weeks away. The sheet does not tell you what is normal. It does not tell you what week three feels like, or why the knee you were happy with on Friday is stiff and angry on Monday. This site fills that gap in plain language, and says clearly when to stop reading and call your surgeon.
A note on where we are
Louise practices in Singapore. Orthopedic surgery and the rehabilitation that follows it are much the same wherever you had your operation, so this site is written for anyone recovering, in plain English rather than local terms. Where something genuinely differs by country, such as how long insurance covers your physical therapy or when you are cleared to drive, we say so rather than pretend one answer fits everyone.
Louise speaks English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
How we write
- A registered physiotherapist writes or reviews every article, and each one shows the date it was last reviewed.
- Your surgeon’s protocol comes first. We explain it and help you follow it. We do not replace it.
- We name the warning signs in every recovery guide, so you know when a problem belongs with your surgeon.
- We say when the evidence is thin, rather than inventing a number to sound certain.
This site is for general education and is not medical advice. Follow your surgeon’s post-operative protocol, and ask your surgeon or physical therapist about anything specific to your case.