After any kind of surgery, you can expect to experience some pain. Following your doctor's orders, you should begin to move around and stretch as soon as possible. Hospital staffs typically want to get you up walking as soon as possible to prevent blood clots. Other exercises target specific areas where you had your surgery.
Pain Control
Depending on the type of surgery you had, your doctor will want you out of bed as soon as possible to prevent atrophy and blood clots. Walking is one of the first exercises you'll undertake. Using a walker and assistance from a health care worker, you should take small steps, careful not to interrupt stitches. According to MedlinePlus, it's important to take your pain medication immediately after surgery to speed up your recovery and allow you to begin more aggressive exercises. Your hospital stay will be shorter with less persistent pain if you take the prescribed painkillers.
Lower Body Exercises
Increasing the strength around the incision and the internal damage done by the surgery will decrease the pain. By strengthening surrounding muscle groups, you take pressure off the weakened areas, reducing the weight they must endure. To strengthen your core and lower extremities after surgery, try isometric exercises that require you to tighten a muscle. Hold the squeeze for 20 seconds and release. The abductor squeeze is particularly effective for core strengthening. Lie on your bed with your knees bent and feet flat on the surface. Place a rubber ball or rolled up towel between your knees and squeeze them together.
Upper Body Exercises
Although moving your arms or shoulders may be uncomfortable after surgery, by not doing exercises, you will encounter even more pain. You've got to retain range of motion to keep your joints loose and prevent them from tightening up. Rotator cuff, breast and arm surgery all should be followed with range of motion exercises to maintain your mobility. An exercise that works the upper body muscles and shoulder joints is the spider crawl. Start by standing in front of a wall about 12 inches away and bend your elbows. Lean your forearms against the wall and slowly walk your arm up the wall with your fingers. Reach as far as you can without instilling further pain and then repeat on the other arm.
Targeted Exercises
Exercises that target the site of your operation are designed to reduce pain by increasing your range of motion and working the surrounding muscles. Exercises will also stretch your skin slightly so your stitches or staples can more effectively close the wound without pulling your skin tighter. For example, if you've had a knee replacement, you should begin bending that knee as soon as your doctor recommends. Lying down, slowly slide the foot on your affected leg toward your buttocks, keeping your heel flat on the bed. Pull it as far as you can and relax. Each day, you should be able to move it a little farther with less pain.
