Post Op Recovery

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 Post-operative or post-surgical rehabilitation programs are recommended to strengthen the muscles at injured site, relieve pain, ensure mobility, and restore to normal functional capability. The common rehabilitation procedures include:

• Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation (RICE)
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen to reduce pain
• Usage of crutches, braces, or heat retainer to prevent movement of injured site
• Physiotherapy
• Sports massages

In addition to the above mentioned treatments your physiotherapist may instruct special exercises following surgery depending upon the type of injury and type of surgery.

• Rotator cuff tear in the shoulder: Arm sling, pendulum, rotation, and lifting exercises
• Tennis elbow: Static exercises followed by concentric (shortening of muscle) and eccentric (lengthening of muscle) exercises. You can start playing tennis initially with foam or light weight ball and gradually move to a tennis ball
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome in heels: Lifting and pressing toe, picking up pencil from toe, walking on toes and heels. Use of specially designed shoes may be recommended.
• Anterior cruciate ligament tear in the knee: Static hamstring exercise (gently touching your feet lying down or standing position), calf raising exercises, increasing walking and running speed, jumping, and land drills.
• Hamstring contusion of the thigh: Inward and outward rotation with one leg bent slightly and leaning forward at your hip, swinging of leg forward and backward, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) which is lifting your leg and pushing against the resistance.
• Lower back pain: Lower back stretch, side stretch, and cat stretch.

Repeat all the above exercises regularly and gradually increase the exercises from 5 to 10 times in a day to obtain good results.