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[P322]Physical Therapy After Surgery

by Dr Alex B. Miguel, Dr

Once you complete your physiology, your physiotherapist will advise you on what to continue doing. These words and the exercises are to be remembered for any unfortunate event where you have a relapse.

Physical therapy is advised in the case of a problematic vertebra in the neck. However, after the therapy is over, the neck may become stiff and be painful. Continuing with the exercises will help to lessen the discomfort and if continued correctly, may even resolve the problem for good.

Physiotherapy also involves the use pf heat compresses and ice packs. You will be taught how to use them correctly as well. As you have to ultimately deal with the problems on your own, you need to learn the uses of compresses diligently. You will also be given strict instructions to return to the doctor immediately if you relapse soon after physiotherapy.

More than treatment, however, prevention is the mantra after physiotherapy. Having been through the process once, you know that going through it again is not a favorable option. So ou must take care and refrain from activities that may result in similar injuries requiring physiotherapy all over again.

Aerobic exercises are advised as beneficial exercises while in physiotherapy, as well as later. These are muscle-strengthening exercises, allowing muscles to breathe and aiding in weight reduction. These include simple exercises like walking, running, bicycling and swimming. Simply put, any exercise that increases your heart rate and causes you to breathe heavily is sufficient.

After injuries to the lower back, weight reduction is often required to reduce stress on the muscles and bones. Physiotherapy is often followed by diet regulations for prevention reasons. Generally this diet restricts the intake of carbohydrates and fats to aid weight loss.

Workplace restriction may also follow physiotherapy. Ergonomics become a key word in such cases. The use of ergonomic equipment available in the office or place of work is necessary. You must also learn how to get your work done without aggravating your injury. If you face resistance at work, you have the legal right to instigate an ergonomics study.

You must also learn to not push yourself beyond your limits. You have to resist the temptation to put physical strain on yourself to accomplish something. Once you have been in physiotherapy, it is not possible to say when something might go wrong again. So it best to take preventative measures and refrain from any activity that might cause you injury.

Now, after physiotherapy, you have to think, and think long and hard before taking a decision to carry out a physical activity. You have to err on the side of caution, such as the case may be. But even after all your precautions, you may still have to return to therapy. As such you can only try your best and hope that you remain fit too.

A cardiac surgery can include one or more of several different procedures – bypass surgeries, placing stents, angioplasty, replacements of valves – or even a complete heart transplant. Cardiac patients can derive several benefits from physiotherapy, both after surgery and to alleviate symptoms of cardiac diseases like chest pains, cardiomyopathy, artery diseases, heart failures or cardiac arrests.

About a fortnight after you have the surgery, the physiotherapy program commences. Initially, a stress test is administered to determine the person's capacity for exercise. Generally, these tests include using the treadmill or a stationary bike while the doctor or nurse keeps a track of the person's vital signs.

This tracked data is collated and analyzed. Based on the results, a routine for physiotherapy is determined. The initial sessions are often conducted under the vigilance of hospital staff to ensure the medical safety of the patient.

Cardiac patients perform their initial exercises in the presence of horses and their physiotherapist. In case there is any discomfort to the patient while performing these exercises the medical personnel can immediately take over and manage the situation. Thee exercises involve similar cardiovascular exercises as the first test session, like walking the treadmill and stationary cycling.

Once this initial monitored phase passes, cardiac patients can continue their exercise sin the privacy of their homes. Before they are permitted to do that, however, they are instructed on various exercises, for warming up and stretching, and taught when it is ideal for them to stop. Unless they are acing severe complications, they are advised to exercise a minimum of three and a maximum of five times a week.

After cardiac surgery, swimming is also advisable. As a cardiovascular exercise it is effective without straining a patients joints, and can be continued for longer durations. The one thing that must be kept in mind before commencing swimmingis that all open wounds on the body must have healed completely.

Physiotherapy staff are not always required to instruct a patient on exercises. Hospital staff are also trained to rehabilitate cardiac surgery patients. The principles of therapy remain the same and physiotherapy staff can be involved if so required.

The physiotherapist sketches out the routine for physical therapy. In the first 6 weeks after surgery, few activities are allowed, including, but not limited to light housework and occasional excursions to movie theatres. On till the third month after surgery, other activities are included in the person's routine. It is possible for a patient to return to full-time or part-time work, and begin driving again. After the third month, gradually all normal activities can be resumed.

Without physiotherapy, a patient will remain weak, and may even grow weaker. Physiotherapy is a routine that allows a person to go back to their original lifestyle as early as is possible. With the correct exercises, a patient will become healthier than they were before they underwent cardiac surgery.

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