What would you think if someone told you that getting regular massage could help speed your recovery after surgery? As surprising as it may seem there are many different things that massage can do to help with post-surgical rehab. From helping ease pain to promoting functional scar tissue, massage can be a great asset in your recovery.
There are some health benefits that are common to massage such as improving circulation, reducing pain and lowering blood pressure. For people who have had surgery some of these benefits become even more valuable by decreasing recovery time and improving overall health.
Obviously there are many different types of surgery: cosmetic, joint replacement or repair, even heart surgery and organ repair. Depending on any number of factors such as the type of surgery, the size of your incision and where you are in your personal recovery will dictate what you can expect from a massage.
- If you still have an open wound obviously you don’t want anyone rubbing it. Any massage you get would focus on overall relaxation. By keeping your stress levels down you can encourage your body to heal faster.
- Once the incision site has healed massage can be very helpful in making sure that the scar tissue that forms is functional. When the body starts to heal an injury scar tissue forms. Scar tissue is not concerned with how a wound closes, often creating fascial adhesions and limited range of motion. Myofascial massage helps to work out those adhesions and and stretch the restrictions helping you to regain your full mobility without pain.
- For people who have undergone surgery on a joint such as the knee or shoulder, massage around the surgical site can help to loosen up tight muscles and get you back to an ideal range of motion.
There are a lot of different factors that go into healing after surgery. From minor procedures to major ones, massage is often beneficial in faster and more complete recovery. There are of course situations when massage may not be the best thing, so be sure to talk to your doctor and massage therapist to make sure it’s the right thing for you. If you have questions, give us a call or schedule your consultation today.
