Post Operative Massage
Improves Post-Operative Surgical Rehabilitation
Are you suffering Post Operative Discomfort?
Massage plays an important role as a supplement to standard rehabilitation procedures after surgery.
After having an operation, the next critical challenge for a patient is the recovery phase. It’s critical because the body could either respond positively or negatively to the procedure especially if it’s been a major surgery. Aside from this concern, there’s almost always that agonizing pain after the effects of anesthesia is gone.
For a faster and more comfortable healing, many patients turn to massage.
Spine surgeon Johnny C. Benjamin explains how massage can help promote healing:
Massage is great in helping to bring blood and nutrients to the affected area to repair the soft tissue. Massage also can help break up scar tissue and keep the muscles supple so less scar tissue develops in the first place.
Benefits of Massage Post Surgery
- Helps patients deal with pain
Massage can have amazing painkilling abilities..
- Helps reduce stress and anxiety
These stressed and anxious feelings are common before and after the operation and often make pain even harder to endure.
- Prevents swelling
Swelling is natural after an injury or surgery. The lymphatic drainage massage is a particular technique used for swelling.
It helps keep the lymphatic drainage system in order by clearing fluid cellular wastes which are clogged up and are causing the swelling.
Massage can help ease the swelling by relaxing the muscles and ensure proper blood circulation.
- Ensures better blood and oxygen flow
For faster healing of wounds, proper blood and oxygen flow is required. Keeping the blood flow at normal levels is important because it’s the distributor of nourishment towards the affected area.
This way it promotes cellular and tissue repair, and due to clotting, it protects the wound against infections.
The majority of the therapeutic massage techniques now promote good blood and oxygen flow throughout the body.
- Massage shortens post-op healing time
Because of improved blood flow, massage therapy enhances nutrient delivery in the body thus shortening surgical healing time.
- Massage helps prevent scar tissue
Massage also helps breaking up scar tissue and prevent creation of more (excessive) scar tissue formation. This goes for internal scar tissue (adhesions) as well as scars on the outside of the skin.
- Massage helps promote flexibility and mobility
Massage also helps in promoting flexibility of the muscles and joints. Because a patient could have been sitting or just lying before and after the operation, the muscles and joints get stuck and become stiff.
- Massage strengthens the immune system
Relaxed muscles stimulate oxygen supply to the organs and skin which, in its turn, strengthens the immune system and prevents infections.
- Massage improves mood
Massage creates a pain-blocking sensation due to endorphin-like chemicals that are released in the body. These chemicals reduce pain and create a sense of well-being.
“An important aspect of any surgical procedure is the post rehabilitation recovery process. It’s during this process that natural movement is re-learned, and freedom of movement is re-enforced”.
Is massage safe as part of surgery recovery?
The element of ancient traditional healing is safe. Of course we recommend that you check with your surgeon or doctor to find out about your personal situation before a massage treatment.
For more details or to book an appointment for an initial consultation, please call us on 07538 137900.