People are afraid of post-operative massage therapy. They feel it will make things complicated and severely affect the recovery period. Because of massage therapy, the healing time will increase and cause lots of problems. But, the fact is that post-operative massage therapy is a savior. It supports medical treatment and helps people recover quickly.
Not one or two, but massage therapy helps all post-operative patients. Surprisingly, it’s good for children and seniors as well. The only thing is that you should schedule an appointment for massage therapy after consulting your doctor. A doctor’s consultation is important to know when you can start the massage session. It’s because getting a session too early can be harmful, and getting it too late would not be beneficial.
Why post-operative massage therapy?
- Post-operative massage therapy provides sleep support. After an operation, getting a good night’s sleep is very difficult, especially if you are still in the hospital. The operated area feels painful and even other body parts don’t feel relaxed. After massage therapy, you feel relaxed leading to good sleep and speedy recovery.
- Post-operative massage therapy encourages blood and lymph circulation, helping speed healing and reducing swelling. Other than this, regular massage sessions after an operation lessen scar tissue formation. So, you shouldn’t get done with a couple of massage sessions.
- One of the major benefits of post-operative massage therapy is pain management. Most pains after an operation are unbearable. The therapy acts as a medication for pain management, not temporarily but permanently.
- Last, post-operative massage therapy increases flexibility and range of motion, especially after some types of orthopedic surgery.
In every sense, post-operative massage therapy is perfect. There is nothing to worry about if you do the same. If someone says that the therapy is risky, take it as a misconception. But, there are a few things that you should keep in mind during massage therapy sessions.
What should you consider?
Give every detail to your massage therapist
No detail about your health is small for the massage therapist. Just keep in mind that hiding even a small thing from the therapist can create problems for you. So, before you lie down, share everything with the massage therapist. Even if you think the information is insignificant, share it. This will help the therapist plan the session better.
Communicate with your therapist during the therapy
Sometimes, the post-operative massage therapy sessions feel uncomfortable because of the incisions. If you are uncomfortable in the operated areas, you should notify your therapist immediately. The therapist will position you differently or move to another area of the body to work on.
Don’t question when a therapist doesn’t work on the surgical area
This is done for your safety and benefit. In certain cases, massage on the surgical area is not recommended as the area is still healing. But, this doesn’t mean post-operative massage therapy isn’t effective. As other parts of the body also get stressed, the therapist will massage the outlying areas and allow your body to recover and heal better.
If you follow your doctor’s instructions and visit a reputable massage therapist, nothing wrong will happen.
