Massage after surgery can be beneficial to anybody. It relieves stress and allows your body to relax and make your recovery faster. This is especially true if you have undergone a major procedure, such as plastic or cosmetic surgery like rhinoplasty (just click on this link if you want to know more.) The truth is, there are many massage and physical therapy providers everywhere. But knowing what type of therapy can be confusing, and you need a professional to help you with that. For instance, have you been in surgery addressing the lymphatic system? If yes, read this article and see how a post-surgery massage can help your recovery.
What to Know about Surgery?
Surgery is a treatment involving opening a part of the body. The traditional way of surgery involves making a large incision in the body to perform the procedure. However, technological advantages allowed incision to be lesser in size.
Generally speaking, there are plenty of reasons why an individual would undergo a surgical operation. The typical reasons for surgery are the following:
- confirming diagnosis
- damaged tissue or obstruction removal, such as lymph nodes
- repairing or repositioning tissues or organs
- implanting devices
- blood vessel redirection
- cosmetic purposes
Whichever the reason is, it would still be best to know all the details. It is essential to know if surgery is the only way to receive treatment. In actuality, this option is typically the doctor’s last resort to address a patient’s condition.
Massage After Surgery
Generally speaking, this article would give us some information about the post-surgical effects of removing the lymph nodes. Furthermore, it is typical for a patient to encounter pain, inflammation, scarring, and lymphedema.
Lymphedema is a result of lymph nodes removal, causing damage or blockage to the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system plays a vital role in the body’s immune system. Given this point, how can post-operative massage therapy help with it?
The post-surgery recovery phase is essential to get back to your usual routines. Patients should take proper precautions with their healing process. Otherwise, it will prolong the healing period. The affected area could even gain issues while healing.
Benefits of Lymphatic Drainage Massage
The benefits of this post-operative massage are tremendous. Most of all, it can fasten your recovery and healing process. In this case, let us enumerate the particular benefits you could gain from this post-op massage.
- First and foremost, the primary benefit is transporting and removal of stagnant fluids.
- Secondly, it helps stimulate blood flow and tissue regeneration.
- Next, it also increases the lymphatic flow.
- Additionally, it also reduces swelling and water retention.
- Furthermore, the immune system will improve after toxin elimination.
- It also helps minimize the appearance of cellulite.
- Moreover, a massage helps relax your body and mental condition.
- You could also gain overall lightness in the body.
- Lastly, you’ll feel more energized after the massage therapy.
Deep Tissue Massage Therapy For Scar Tissue and Blood Flow
A deep tissue massage can help address pain, muscle tension, tightness, and decreased range of movement. Additionally, deep tissue massage also works out adhesions in muscles. Deep tissue massage is excellent to increase a patient’s flexibility, reduce pain, and improve recovery.
Additionally, deep tissue massage techniques can help disrupt scar tissue and physically break down muscle knots or tense muscle fibers affecting the blood flow. Disrupted blood flow can cause pain, limits the range of motion, and inflammation.
Meanwhile, massage therapists can use their fingertips, knuckles, hands, elbows, and forearms to apply a deep tissue massage. The massage therapist will ask you to breathe as they address the tense areas in your body.
If you feel any pain after the massage, it would be best to contact your massage therapist. However, it is typical to feel minor soreness and stiffness. After the massage, drinking plenty of water can help flush the metabolic waste from your tissues.
Other Types of Massage Therapy for Post Surgery
- Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM): This massage involves using tools to locate and treat soft tissue problems. Typically, it includes friction application to treat muscular-skeletal conditions.
- Remedial massage: Massage therapists use this massage type to work out and treat soft tissues, providing a therapeutic effect. It gives relaxation, decreases muscle tension, and increases tissue elasticity.
- Therapeutic massage: Its primary goal is to provide patients with relaxation and promote wellbeing. Moreover, it can address physical and emotional stress.
Post-op massage therapy can help tissue repair and healing the affected area in the body. However, we cannot remove the fact that there could be potential side-effects as well. For this reason, let me give you a few of the possible side effects you may encounter after the massage.
Side Effects of Massage Therapy
We can say that not everyone can be eligible for deep tissue massage and other massage types. Scar tissue, back pain, injuries, chronic pain, and other certain diseases may lighten up. However, it is not the same case for everyone. Here are the potential side effects you might encounter later on.
- Lingering pain
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Sleepiness
- Inflammation
- Skin redness or heat
- Nausea
- Bruising
- Old injury aggravation
Given these points, it would be best to consult your doctor first about your health condition. It is natural to look for ways to address pain or lessen stress and anxiety. However, we should ensure that the technique is safe for us.
Conclusion
Post-op massages can be effective to a person but not to another. For this reason, we should be cautious when we undergo any of these massages after the surgery. Asking for a doctor’s recommendation is necessary to ensure safety and fast recovery. By all means, what we want to achieve is to heal completely and not to increase pains, swelling, or scarring. Surgery is not a straightforward treatment procedure. Clients need to be thoroughly knowledgeable about it.
Food for Thoughts
There are other ways to decrease body tension, stress, and anxiety aside from a massage. Conduct some research to find more details about them.
0 Comments