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Breast Implant Reconstruction Post-Operative Exercises
Pacing is key to recovery after any surgery. Fatigue is normal at first. Remember the surgery will slow you down and frustrate you because the body is using its energy to heal. This is the time to remember the tortoise and the hare story, "slow and steady wins the race" back to full functional recovery. Take the things you need to do for yourself and your family, and break them down into small parts. Do part of a chore and take a "mini-time out" between each part. A "time out" can be as simple as a 2-5 minute rest on the bed or a cup of tea in the kitchen. Do not try to do everything all at once. This may only lead to you having to rest in bed all day. Goal setting, to get back to your pre-surgical functioning, is important. Once you have the idea of pacing, it is natural then to set small goals as you work toward larger more functional goals. Assess what you can't do at this point, and then build a strategy to reach your goal. Make sure you have a way of knowing when you have reached the goal. Example: if you like to wear over the head tops and you can't lift your surgical arm that high because of tightness and pain. Now set the goal of being able to dress over the head without assistance. Practice the exercises that look most like the activity. Try each morning and night to dress using your arm. When you reach your goal, try to expand it, like getting a towel off the top shelf in the linen closet. You can be working on a number of small goals at the same time. The final goal is to have no limitations because of tightness, pain or weakness. Pain can be scary and debilitating, especially if you do not understand it. It is normal to have post-surgical discomfort or pain. This should start to resolve by the time you are discharged to go home. Most of the time you will have medication to assist with pain control. Don't be afraid to take it as prescribed, as it can help to increase your activities with less discomfort. Increasing activity will help with general pain control. Pain can make the muscles tighten and immobilize the painful area. It is a normal protection to allow your body to heal. However, this muscle tightness can lead to slower blood flow to the muscles and tissues that need to heal. This can lead to a secondary kind of pain that can last longer then the surgical pain. Try relaxation techniques, gentle small repeat movements of the arm without creating more pain, and try to use the arm within its pain free range of motion during the day. Follow all precautions your surgeon has given you. It is OK to allow yourself to feel a little discomfort, but do not do any activity or exercise that causes pain. Pain or numbness/tingling in the lower arm or hand needs to be discussed with your health care provider.
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