Recovering from surgery can look different for everyone. Not to mention, the recovery from one surgery can be vastly different than recovering from another, even in the same individual.
If you’re looking for post-surgery symptom relief or generally hoping to recover faster, this article is for you. We’ll explore how you can best support your body as it recovers from surgery. We’ll also touch on how wellness services from Recovery Lab can potentially speed up your healing.
What Delays Surgery Recovery?
The length of surgery recovery depends on several factors. For one, the intensity of the surgery and the type of surgery can play big roles in how long full healing may take. Your body’s innate ability to recover and your overall state of health, too, can make a difference.
But what in particular can delay the recovery process after having surgery? Certain lifestyle factors can impede prompt healing, including smoking, excess alcohol intake, sedentary habits, or lack of sleep. Poor diet or hydration, high stress, or old age can also contribute to slow wound healing after surgery.
Underlying medical conditions, too, can have negative impacts on post-surgery healing, like obesity, diabetes, chronic inflammation, or the use of certain prescription medications.
What Not to Do When Recovering from Surgery
While your doctor or surgeon will provide specific guidelines on things you should and shouldn’t do after surgery, doing these things are typically a no-go if you want to recover quickly and properly:
- Overexerting yourself
- Getting a lack of sleep
- Failing to relieve stress
- Drinking or smoking excessively
- Not staying on top of your protein intake
- Consuming too much junk food
- Not drinking enough water
- Neglecting follow-up appointments with your doctor
How Working Out Can Help or Hinder Surgery Recovery
Physical movement can play a positive or even negative role in the recovery process, depending on the type of movement or exercise chosen. In fact, the wrong movements can be just as harmful as a lack of movement during the recovery process.
While “safe” exercises to engage in after surgery will depend on the location and type of surgery performed, gentle walking and stretching are recommended after most surgeries. Lightweight body/resistance exercises may also be deemed safe.
As for movements to avoid, heavy lifting, overhead lifting, and high-impact exercises are usually not recommended. Engaging in intense physical movement you find to worsen your pain or other post-surgery symptoms is also not suggested.
When it doubt, ask your doctor before partaking in, resuming, or upping certain exercises or physical movements.
Which Recovery Lab Services Help with Faster Recovery?
Are you looking for a natural way to recover quickly from surgery? Here at Recovery Lab, we are proud to offer non-invasive wellness services to support your body’s ability to heal.
Bust inflammation and flush excess fluid buildup with cryotherapy or NormaTec compression therapy. Relax achy muscle tissue through cupping or mobility stretching. Other wellness services, like hyperbaric oxygen therapy or red light therapy, can support the speed at which your body heals.
Ready to book your first session? Call Recovery Lab today.
