Going through surgery can be physically and mentally traumatic. Whether it’s an emergency surgery after an accident or a corrective surgery that has been a long time coming, surgery has a major impact on our lives.
However, how you deal with your surgery recovery can completely change the nature of your experience. Additionally, taking the appropriate steps while recovering can get you back on your feet in no time, and help you avoid a lifetime of issues.
Keep reading for our top 7 tips for making a full recovery post-op!
Tips for the Best Surgery Recovery
Have a strong recovery after surgery comes down to taking the appropriate steps to make sure your body heals to the best of its ability. It takes time, dedication, and commitment. However, it also means knowing when to back off and let your body rest.
Follow along for an in-depth look.
- Pay Attention to Recovery Instructions
The verbal instructions and post-op paperwork your doctor gives you isn’t for their health, it’s for yours! Pay attention to what they say and make sure you thoroughly read through the paperwork they send you home with.
You need to understand your surgery recovery instructions 100%. Feel free to call the doctor’s office if you have questions. Additionally, if something seems wrong (excess pain, swelling, sickness, etc.), don’t hesitate to go to the emergency room.
- Don’t Push Yourself Too Hard
As we mentioned before, the best surgery recovery might be a gentle one. You know your body better than anyone. If you feel like you’re pushing too hard during physical therapy sessions, express your concerns to the therapist and your doctor.
Your body may not be ready yet.
- Don’t Skip the Physical Therapy
That above being said, physical therapy isn’t supposed to be enjoyable. It can be tedious and even painful at times. However, if you wish to make a full recovery, you must go through every step of physical therapy.
Don’t become one of those people 20 years down the road who are nearly crippled because they didn’t follow through with their PT.
- Get Your Nutrition On-Point
Next, in order to have your body operating at maximum capacity, you need to fuel it to do so. The majority of our physical trauma is healed from the inside. Our bodies are designed to heal and regenerate on their own.
Providing your body with adequate vitamins and minerals and appropriate nutrients will aid in your surgery recovery.
- Get Plenty of Rest
You also need to make sure you get plenty of rest. This includes sleeping, not just laying around watching TV or playing on your phone.
However, rest doesn’t necessarily mean lying in bed all day either. There’s an art to resting you need to understand, but most of it will be covered by your doctor and physical therapist.
- Do Proper Wound Care
Another aspect of keeping healthy and staying strong while going through surgery recovery is taking care of your wounds. The last thing you need is to get an infection at the incision site.
Similarly, this includes pain management through medications and proper icing methods. A great way to make sure you’re icing properly is by using an icing device specifically designed for recovery. Check out game ready rental for a better idea.
- Go to Follow-Up Appointments
Lastly, it’s vital that you attend all of your follow-up appointments. All too often, people feel better so they stop checking in with their doctor, which can prove to be a huge mistake.
For all you know, things could be healing improperly. Additionally, when you stop going to follow-up appointments, it’s easy to stop doing other important things too, such as your physical therapy.
Be Smart About Surgery Recovery
As we mentioned before, the way you approach your surgery recovery now will have a larger impact on your life down the road. There are thousands of people out there who are disabled in at least one way because they didn’t take appropriate steps to ensure a strong recovery.
Be smart about your recovery to live your best life – now and in the future!
For more helpful articles on life and health, be sure to check out the rest of our articles before you go!
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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