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Understanding Orthopedic Treatments

Hey everyone, my name is Belinda. When I was a young girl, I injured the muscles in my legs performing complex gymnastic moves. I was under the care of an orthopedist for several months during the recovery period. I had to complete a number of strengthening exercises to regain my range of motion and mobility. The orthopedist performed regular examinations to determine if the given treatment was working. I will use this site to talk about different orthopedic treatments. I hope you will visit my site often to learn about this fascinating subject.

Understanding Orthopedic Treatments

How You Can Speed Up The Recovery Process After Shoulder Surgery

by Stanley Pierce

Having surgery performed on your shoulder is quite an extensive procedure. Your body is going to need plenty of time to recover after. So that you can speed up your shoulder surgery recovery, take the following actions. 

Utilize Cold Therapy 

It's quite common for some of your muscles and tendons to swell after having a shoulder operation performed. That doesn't mean you can't do anything about it. You can take a proactive approach to your recovery by utilizing cold therapy. This essentially involves placing cold packs on your shoulder to help with inflammation and pain.

In order to have the best results from ice therapy, you need to administer ice packs periodically throughout the day. Gel packs work particularly well because of how long they can stay cold. It also helps to select packs with adjustable straps so that you don't have to constantly use your hands when treating your shoulder. 

Keep Activities to a Minimum 

The slightest arm movements after shoulder surgery can put you in a lot of pain. That's why it's best to just keep your physical activities to a minimum—at least until you can make a full recovery. During this time, try resting for as long as you can. 

Only use your arms when you have to. It helps to get some form of assistance during this time, be it from a friend or family member. They can take on a lot of your responsibilities that would normally put strain on your arms and shoulders. If you plan on doing minor exercises to keep your body active, make sure your arms remain motionless.

Be Selective With How You Sleep 

Post-shoulder surgery recovery can get tricky when you sleep. Your arm probably will be bandaged up and placed into a sling, so how do you go about finding the right sleeping position? Well, you certainly want to avoid putting pressure on the shoulder that was just operated on.

Instead of sleeping on your side, try keeping an elevated position on your back. Place your treated shoulder on a pillow so that it has ample support. Instead of sleeping on a bed—which encourages changing positions—you might sleep on a couch. You then won't be as susceptible to moving around a lot and hurting your shoulder. 

If one of your shoulders was just operated on, it's important to take your recovery seriously. It will go quickly and smoothly if you approach it with the right actions. 

For more information about shoulder surgery, visit websites like christophercschmidtmd.com

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