(Akiit.com) Surgery can be minor, or it can be life-changing. Either way, it’s a lot for your body to take and the healing process can easily take a number of weeks, if not months. If you want to recover in the fastest possible time, then you need to make sure that you avoid these top mistakes.
Doing Too Much
If you try and get active too soon, then you may fall and hurt yourself. You may also end up opening your wound or damaging your tissue. This will put you right back at square one again, and this can be mentally and physically debilitating. There is a high chance that your doctor will have given you some specific dos and don’ts, so make sure you follow those. You might have a green light for light activity, but nothing strenuous for example. If this is the case then don’t be afraid to ask for help from the people around you, and always put the effort in to make sure that you are not pushing yourself beyond what you should be.
Staying in Bed
As soon as your doctor tells you that you are okay to move around, you really should. People are often worried or scared about moving right after surgery and this is entirely understandable. If you stay in bed too long however then you may experience a world of health problems. This can include a blood clot, a pressure ulcer or even weakening of the muscles. If you feel tired then don’t sleep it off, instead, try and get up and walk around. This will shake off any fatigue and it will also work wonders for your digestion.
Shrugging off Medicine
You may not want to take your pain relief because you heard someone say that it is addictive, or even that it makes you nauseous. Skipping out on your medication however is never a good idea. Sometimes pain can interfere with your appetite, your sleep and even your ability to get around. If you are able to stop this pain, even just for a little while then it gives your brain a rest and it also gives you the chance to recover physically as well.
Skipping Rehab
A lot of people think that they are more than capable of “toughing” out their injury on their own. This is never the case, especially if you have undergone ACL surgery. You need to do exercises to try and build up the strength in your muscles and you also need to try and establish a good routine. If you choose not to work with a physiotherapist or if you find it hard to meet with your suggested healthcare professional, then you will be worse off as a result. Your healing progress will be stunted, you may develop extra scar tissue and other long-term health effects. At the end of the day, your doctor knows best and if they believe that you need to undergo rehab or physical therapy to get better then that is exactly what you need to do.
Staff Writer; Laura Day