Do recovery treatments actually work?
Ice baths, massage and compression garments are popular recovery treatments, but do they actually work? We look at what the research says about muscle soreness, recovery and exercise performance.
The hard part starts after the operation
The surgery's done, but your body doesn't feel like yours yet.
The operation is one day. The rehab is months, and it's the part that decides your outcome. Done vaguely or rushed, it's where recoveries stall.
- The operated area still feels weak, stiff or not to be trusted.
- You've finished your early physio and don't know what comes next.
- You're scared of doing damage the moment you load it.
- One side is visibly smaller and weaker than the other.
- You've been given exercises but no real plan or progression.
- You want to get back to your activity but don't know when it's actually safe.
- You're worried you'll never get back to how you were.
Time off doesn't rebuild strength
A safe return is earned through strength, not the calendar.
The biggest driver of a stalled recovery or re-injury isn't bad luck, it's returning before the body is actually ready. Rebuilding strength, control and confident movement is what protects you, and the best way to know you're ready is to measure it.
- Most setbacks happen when people return on time rather than on strength.
- Rebuilding strength and control is what protects the repair.
- Objective testing is the only way to know you're truly ready, not a feeling or a date.
- The strength and movement you build now is what keeps you active for years.
- Every month of proper loading closes the gap between your two sides.
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Physiotherapy
"I've finished my early physio and I don't know what's next."
We screen the operated area and your movement, pick up what's limiting you, and build the structured, progressive rehab that gets you back safely.
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Strength & conditioning
"My operated side is so much weaker than the other."
Progressive, properly loaded strength work, the thing that rebuilds the strength and control you lost, coached and safe so your body can handle it.
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Personal training
"I don't know what's safe to load yet."
Your weekly 45-minute session is one on one with a physio, built around your surgery, your stage of recovery and your goals.
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Group training
"I do better with support around me."
Small-group strength sessions for the work that rebuilds you, with the accountability of training alongside others on the same path.
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Dietetics
"I want to support my recovery and manage my weight while I'm less active."
A dietitian makes sure you're getting the protein and nutrition to support healing and hold your strength while you rehab. Available as an optional add-on for an extra fee.
In expert hands
Led by physiotherapists, backed by elite sport.
Founded by physiotherapist Andrew Wild, former Head Physiotherapist at the Sydney Swans Academy. Our physios and strength coaches bring that same standard of care to people rebuilding after surgery, so they return strong, confident and capable. We work alongside the surgeon managing your care.
- AHPRA-registered physiotherapists
- Strength & conditioning coaches
- Accredited practising dietitian
- Former Head Physio, Sydney Swans Academy
The Wild Physio Fitness teamNeutral Bay, Lower North Shore
The transformation
A 12-week program to rebuild your strength and get back to life.
You won't just finish rehab. You'll return stronger, more confident, and built to stay that way.
"I don't trust my body."
"I move and load it without thinking."
"One side's way weaker."
"I'm matched and strong again."
"I'm scared I'll do damage."
"I know I'm ready because we measured it."
"I had exercises but no plan."
"I've got a clear, progressive pathway."
"I didn't know when I'd get back."
"I'm back doing what I love."
How it works
Three steps back to full strength
No guesswork and no returning on a hope. Starting is simple, and you'll know exactly what happens next.
Step 1: Book your assessment
A physio-led session to screen the operated area, your strength and your movement, understand your surgery and goals, and map the plan you build from there.
Step 2: Start your 12 weeks
One 45-minute 1:1 physio-led session and two small-group strength sessions a week, plus criteria-based return-to-activity testing, all built around your recovery. Dietetics isn't included, but can be added for an extra fee if you want nutrition support.
Step 3: Keep the results
Progress week on week, cleared on real strength numbers, then roll into ongoing membership at the same rate, so the strength you build keeps you active and out of the clinic.
The 12-week program
Post-Op Strong
A 12-week, physio-led strength program for people rebuilding after surgery, designed to return you strong, confident and capable. It starts with a full assessment, then real coaching every week, cleared on objective strength testing. This is not a gym membership, it's a plan and a coach. We work alongside your surgeon and don't perform surgery.
$230$150per week for 12 weeks
$80 a week less than the standard rate, and the bonuses below are on us.
What is included every week
- One 45-minute 1:1 physio-led coaching session
- Two small-group strength sessions
- A criteria-based return-to-activity pathway, cleared on real strength numbers
- Regular performance testing with a personalised progress report
Plus, yours free with the program
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Free access to the Glute Group or Big & Strong app, our online training program
$7 / wkfree -
Your Body Bible: Pro Edition, the 400+ page evidence-based guide
$39.99free -
Wild Eats: the entire recipe collection, 14 recipe books
$125.99free
That is over $165 in ebooks, plus free app access, included at no extra cost.
You leave your first session with a strength and return-to-activity plan built for your surgery and your stage of recovery, and a coach who already knows your history.
No lock-in beyond your 12 weeks. When you finish, most members continue on our ongoing membership at a discounted rate per week, so your training and support never stop.
Your 1:1 physiotherapy sessions may be claimable on your private health extras. Check your level of cover with your fund.
Start with your initial consult
Week one of your program. Choose a time that suits you.
The team
Meet the practitioners
Physiotherapists, strength coaches and a dietitian working under one roof. Read each person's background before you book.
Nicholas Dang
Physiotherapist & S&C Coach
Science-based physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach, with a special interest in knee pain and ACL rehabilitation.
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Andrew Wild
Director & Physiotherapist
Founder of the clinic and former Head Physiotherapist at the Sydney Swans Academy. Elite-level care for every age and stage.
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Nick Hay
Personal Trainer & Exercise Scientist
Focuses on reducing injury risk while building genuine athletic performance and physical capability.
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Charlie Abra
Accredited Practising Dietitian
Helps you navigate behaviour change and build healthier eating habits that actually last.
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Brittany
Remedial Massage Therapist
Blends remedial, Swedish and trigger point massage to ease muscle soreness and support recovery.
View profilePost-Op Strong FAQs
Answers to common questions about post-surgery rehab, returning to activity and getting started.
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Absolutely. Most people come to us for the rehab after surgery elsewhere. We pick up wherever you're at and build from there, working alongside your surgeon's plan.
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Knee, shoulder, hip and back surgery, joint replacements and most orthopaedic operations. Your assessment builds the program around your specific surgery and your goals.
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We test it, not guess it. Return-to-activity decisions are based on objective strength, power and movement testing comparing your two sides, not just the time since surgery. That's what keeps setbacks down.
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That's exactly why it's physio-led. We assess you first, load safely and progressively, and coach every exercise, so you get stronger without putting the repair at risk. Rebuilding strength is what protects you.
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No. We don't perform or arrange surgery, that stays with your surgeon. What we do is the strength rehab that turns a repaired body into one you can trust.
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Returning to full activity usually takes several months, and it's earned on strength, not a date. The 12-week block builds the foundation, and you roll into ongoing membership to see it through safely.
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Yes. Most people we work with are rebuilding from scratch. Your assessment meets you where you are and everything builds from there at a pace that suits your recovery.
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No referral needed. You can book your assessment directly. If you have a surgeon's or GP's plan, bring it along and we'll factor it in.
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It's $150 a week for the 12-week block, down from $230. There's no lock-in beyond the 12 weeks, and you can roll into ongoing membership at the same rate if you want to keep building.
Straight answers on recovering from surgery and getting back to life
