They say that time heals all wounds, but resting or being inactive for long stretches certainly isn’t the best way to overcome an injury or recover after surgery. There’s more to an optimal recovery program than rest and the passage of time, and in today’s blog, we are going to share some of the ways you can improve your recovery and speed up your recovery timeline.
Faster And Fuller Injury Recovery
While it’s true that you may notice some symptom improvement after a few days of rest and activity avoidance, you’re certainly not going to become the strongest version of yourself by staying in bed and hoping that eventually everything will return to normal. When it comes to recovery after an injury or surgery, you get out what you put in, which is why the following tips are some of the best ways to spur tissue recovery.
- Controlled Activity – You’re going to want to follow the advice of your treating physician or physical therapist, but odds are they will recommend controlled activity over rest. Short-term rest right after the injury or surgery is fine, but it’s not great to assume that rest will be an optimal long-term recovery option. You’ll want to get upright and start moving around, even if that just means walking for a short period of time. This will strengthen recovering tissues and boost circulation, which will push healthy blood to the areas that need it most.
- Healthy Diet – It’s easier for your body to recover after an injury or surgery if it has access to key nutrients that help spur tissue regeneration. Eat a range of healthy options that provide your body with key vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains and fatty fish are all great options when recovering after an injury or surgery.
- Physical Therapy – If you want to make the strongest recovery possible, and potentially shave some time off your expected recovery timeline, you’ll want to pursue physical therapy. Remember when we said that you’ll get out what you put in during your recovery? Physical therapy is the single best way to challenge yourself physically in a safe manner. Your physical therapist will tailor a program that is specific to your needs and goals so that your rehab remains on track. PT will be the best way to improve strength, flexibility and overall function in a specific area when working to recover.
- Hydration – Drinking more water and staying hydrated certainly won’t take weeks off your recovery, but it’s a simple thing that you can do to make it easier for oxygenated blood to circulate throughout your body, which brings healthy blood to areas in need of key nutrients. Odds are you’ll be a little physically limited during your recovery, which means you may not think that you’re losing that much water throughout the day, but don’t let that fool you. Even if you’re not actively sweating, make it a point to drink an optimal amount of water each day. A good recommendation to stay hydrated is to take your weight, cut it in half and drink that many ounces of water each day.
- Gradual Return To Normal Activities – Finally, when it appears that you’re nearly back to full health, be sure to ease back into normal activities. If you jump right back into normal activities at the construction site or at soccer practice, it’s easy to suffer a setback. Ease back into physically demanding activities so that your body can adapt to this new stress after being protected for an extended period. If you need help cultivating a return to work or return to sports plan during your recovery, connect with your physical therapist!
Let us help you make the strongest recovery possible after an injury or surgery. That won’t happen by accident, but it will happen if you connect with OrthoRehab Specialists and are willing to put in the work. For more information, or to set up an appointment, give our team a call today at (612) 339-2041.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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