Importance of Rehabilitation After Surgery

No matter what type of surgery one undergoes it is essential to follow up your recovery with proper exercise and therapy. Rehabilitation is an important phase that helps patients get the most benefit possible from their surgery.

Patients that have had particular orthopedic operations like: spine surgeries, hip or knee replacements, rotator cuff tears or ankle reconstructions will require post surgery rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation increases muscle strength, flexibility and endurance while lowering the risk of developing any further injury. Proper rehabilitation can help patients recover from any type of surgery as quickly as possible, and get you back to normal daily activities. This steady improvement is important, as failure to improve in both strength and flexibility may cause continued weakness and the inability to function normally.

Due to injury and surgery, your body becomes weak and vulnerable. Postsurgical rehabilitation and therapy can take time and sometimes be a painful process. With specific exercises and strength building sessions, the repaired area can begin to strengthen and make the pain decline.

According to Dr. Stephen Estime "The importance of rehab after a surgery is the most important factor to getting back to a place of stable health and assured complete recovery. There is no doubt many other health care professionals can support this notion and as a leading doctor for The University of Chicago Medicine I believe the quality of the rehab being optimal will allow every patient to see better days again"

Therapy can be implemented quickly after a simple procedure.  Treatments start out with range-of-motion exercises and gradually work into active stretching and strengthening. You just need to be careful to avoid doing too much, too hastily.

Many patients often ask their doctors if and when they can return to certain activities after their undergoing surgery. A lot of that depends on how much time and effort they put into the rehabilitation process. The success in recovery from any surgery depends on a patient’s willingness to work hard.

If you exceed the rehab exercises in hopes of making a faster recovery, you may cause damage on the repaired area. Sometimes, pushing too hard can delay the recovery process. In worst-case scenarios it may also compromise the surgical repair, which definitely is a big problem.

Before starting rehab or therapy, talk with a specialist first since not all methods may be suitable for your individual condition.  If you would like to know more about the importance of rehabilitation, or if you are suffering from an orthopedic injury and would like to be treated by a professional Florida orthopedic doctor, contact SeaSpine Orthopedic Institute today at (http://www.seaspineortho.com/) or call  866-816-ORTHO.If you follow an advised rehabilitation plan, combined with proper rest and an overall approach to healthy living, your quality of life will be better.

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Protecting Your Back When Moving Objects

At Sea Spine Florida Orthopedic Institute we treat numerous patients that suffer from different types of back problems. One of the most common reasons for their pain comes from incorrectly lifting and moving heavy objects.

No matter how hard one tries, avoiding certain situations that may be hazardous for your back is difficult. Sometimes you have to lift heavy objects. As the weight of the object increases, so does the risk of injuring your back.

However, the actual stress on your back is also related to the position of your body when you lift an object. Understanding how body positioning affects your actions can decrease your chance of a back strain or injury.

Here's a few safety tips from Sea Spine Orthopedic Institute to keep in mind:

Think before you lift

Before you begin, assess the situation. Take a look at what needs to be moved and make sure that you are capable of lifting the object. A person can lift only a certain amount of weight. Even if you are extremely strong lifting heavy objects can be hazardous. When lifting an unfamiliar object test its weight by pushing it with your foot, this usually is enough to give you an idea. Before lifting anything, warm up, stretch your legs and back.

Make sure you have enough room to safely lift the object. If not make space to avoid obstacles. Look around before you lift, and look around as you carry. Make sure you can see where you are walking. Know where you are going to put the object down and avoid walking on slippery, uneven surfaces while carrying heavy items.

The right Technique

When lifting an object, position yourself over it, with your feet about shoulder-width apart. If possible place the object between your legs, so that you don't have to reach out for it. Squat down, keeping your head up, shoulders back, and spine erect. The bending should come only from your hips and knees. Get a strong grip on the object and keep it close to your body. Slowly straighten your knees and back while you stand up and use your legs to lift. Your leg muscles are the strongest muscles in your body they can handle burden better than your back can.

Walk with the item without twisting your body. Stand straight and take small steps. Remember that what goes up must come down, so set the object down using the same technique you used to lift it.

Take small breaks between lifts if you are moving several objects.

Moving heavy objects on a cart is much easier than carrying them, but even with a cart, you can still hurt your back if you're not careful. It is safer to push an object than pull it. When you push, you use your weight, the strength of your legs and your back to move the object. When you pull, the tendency is to rely solely on your back in a poor position, increasing the risk of a strain. If you can use a dolly or a forklift to avoid any stress go right ahead.

Team Work

If you can, get help before lifting a heavy object. Lifting and moving an object in unison will lower the risk of injury for the individuals involved. Assign one person the responsibility of saying "lift" so there is no confusion. Lift at the same time and have someone help you lead the way to avoid running into someone or something.

It is easy to keep lower back problems away and if you or anyone you know is experiencing problems caused from lifting heavy objects, please contact one of our many offices to set up an appointment.  Our professional team of nurses and surgeons would be more than happy to help you get back to a healthy lifestyle. 

If you're looking for qualified and experienced high-rated Florida orthopedic surgeons, contact SeaSpine Orthopedic Institute today at    

(http://www.seaspineortho.com/) or call  866-816-ORTHO.

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Pain Killer Addiction

Unless you are Bruce Willis’ character from Unbreakable it’s impossible to go through life without getting injured, hurt, or eventually one day needing an orthopedic surgeon.  Whether it is from playing sports, working out, or falling out of your chair, many people have to deal with recurring pain.  How we deal with that pain is up to the individual and the advice you get from a specialist.  Depending on where you are hurt there are a lot of alternatives to deal with pain like surgery or physical therapy, but the majority of us rely on pain killers.  The problem with that is that they are highly addictive, and once on them it can be very hard for some people to stop taking them. 

      

The first recorded use of a pain killer was over six thousand years ago in ancient Sumeria.  However, over the last fifty years modern medicine has introduced a wide spectrum of drugs that are mass produced for people around the world. The CDC reported that in 2010 one in twenty people in the United States, ages 12 and older, used prescription painkillers non-medically (without a prescription or just for the "high" they cause). This huge use in pain killers has attributed to a huge increase in accidental overdoses every year.  Most of these addictions come from past use that continues well after the reason the took the meds in the first place is gone.  This has become an epidemic, and people that have these addictions aren't as easy to spot as other drug addictions.

First of all, you can buy these drugs anywhere as long as you have a prescription.  There are many cases of people that go to numerous doctors at the same time to obtain a bunch of prescriptions.  Then they have the so-called pill mills that just sell pills to anyone off the street complaining of pain.  Luckily, law enforcement has been cracking down on these places in recent years, but the problem still persists.  An addiction is an addiction and where there is a need people can find a supply.

    

Secondly, there is no odor or paraphernalia negatively associated with taking prescription pills. They come in an orange prescription bottle so someone is less likely to be alarmed if they see you taking one in public.  Behaviorally speaking you could tell someone is on them all the time if you personally know the person for a long time and know their personality.  However, approaching someone that you suspect is addicted to them is a difficult task.  Denial, denial, denial is all that you will get.  Just like any other addiction the self-awareness of its destructive nature is not always so apparent.       

As I have stated in previous blogs, I myself have dealt with a serious injury and I was prescribed painkillers to help cope with the constant pain.  For me it was an uncomfortable feeling to lapse into a dull haze, but I can see how that can become addictive for someone.  The biggest problem I experienced was when I tried to stop taking them.  Luckily, I was told by a good friend of mine that you just cannot stop taking them cold turkey once you start feeling better.  Little did I know the amount of withdrawals you would have if you did so.  Even when I began to reduce the amount I would take over time I would still experience hot flashes and nausea.   And this was only after taking them for a few months.  I can’t imagine the amount of withdrawals someone would go through if they were taking them for years.

Then you have the weird side effects that come along with pain killers.  Not having the ability to go to the bathroom was a surprise.  For those of you who read this and have never taken them before, even when you have the urge to go to the bathroom this kind of medication prevents you from going.  It's a scary feeling when you haven't gone to the bathroom in a few days.  For me it ended up being a few weeks and I was scared for my life.  Soon enough I started to go once I slowed down the rate of how much I took, but I will never forget those two weeks and the fright I had of not being able to do something newborn babies could do. 

In conclusion, if you suspect a friend, family member, or co-worker is abusing pain killers the best thing to do is to contact other people in their lives who they trust and would be open to listening too.  A one man front so to speak is difficult, but a united front brought before the person in question is a much better approach and will have more positive results.

 

If you're looking for professional and experienced high-rated orthopedic surgeon in Florida, contact Sea Spine Orthopedic Institute today at 866-816-ORTHO.


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Swallowing Your Pride when Dealing with an Injury

I’ve been there. I’ve been the prideful guy who refuses to show the people around him that he is hurt.  However, after an accident I had last year the idea of silly pride went out the window.  This isn’t a man’s ego thing either.  The other day I saw a woman hobbling down the hallway in my office building wearing a high heel on one foot and a cast and crutch on the other.  Before my accident I would have laughed at the sight and thought she was crazy, but now I understand her reasoning.  You want to live the normalcy that is your life.  For her it was wanting to wear the cute shoes she bought with her matching outfit, even if it was just one of them.  The problem is, what if she fell because of wearing her fancy shoe and hurt herself worse than before? Well guess what, now she can wear both her shoes in your fancy new wheelchair!

 Totally worth it!

The problem with this foolish pride we all have is that you can end up hurting yourself worse in the long run. Little injuries can easily turn into bigger injuries if you are not careful.  Many orthopedic injuries that require surgery take place over a period of time.  Bad training, incorrect exercises, and excessive sports can lead to this, but improper healing can contribute to this greatly.  For instance, some people consider the daily exercise that they do therapy. Ask any runner who has been running every morning for the last couple years how they would feel if they had to stop. Taking that away from them would be devastating to them both mentally and physically.  If you are that person and have a routine that must not be broken ask yourself this.  What's worse, not doing that activity for a few months, or never doing it again for the rest of your life?   

I'll just walk it off during this 10k...

Pride based through ignorance can also get you into worse trouble with an injury.  Typically, people in these scenarios don't think that an injury is serious, or that they went through worse in the past.  What you think may be a sprained ankle might actually be a small stress fracture.  If you continue to walk on it without the assistance of a cane, crutch, or even taping it up you can fracture it further.  This is especially true if you don’t see a doctor first.  If this happens it will hurt a lot worse and end up taking even longer to heal and eventually can lead to something more serious by placing further strain on tendons and muscles that have to over compensate for the injury.  That's why it is always very important to see a physician when you hurt yourself or are experiencing pain.

You did what on a broken foot?!

To me, however, the worst part of any noticeable injury is not to your body, but to your pride.  Just the ways others treat you changes.  Most people that play competitive sports are competitive by nature.  When someone treats you like a cripple it’s a little demeaning.  Thanks, but I don’t need any help.  I can still take care of myself even though I have a sprained ankle.  Honestly, it’s this same very attitude that pushes us to do the stupid things that hurt ourselves in the first place.  Sure accidents happen, but the majority of incidents happen when we think we're Olympic athletes or ballroom dancers. 

Whatever the reason for your injury just make sure you consult a doctor first before you try to go back to your normal activities.  Simple things can become complex issues if not taken care of properly, and don't let pride control your actions.  In the end a little bruising of your pride is nothing compared to years of physical therapy and the embarrassment of the realization that you aren't a superhero. 


If you're looking for professional and experienced high-rated orthopedic surgeon in Florida, contact Sea Spine Orthopedic Institute today at 866-816-ORTHO.


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