Prolonged Fatigue After Surgery: Do Rehab Therapy Asap!
Tiredness, exhaustion, or severe and prolonged fatigue are common after surgery – even minor surgery. This is, in part, due to the effects of anesthesia, which often wear off more slowly in older people.
Fairview Rehab & Nursing Home in Queens NY nurses you back to health after surgery and offers top-quality outpatient and inpatient rehab therapies. Extreme and prolonged fatigue is debilitating but we have the knowledge and tools to help people overcome it.
The aim of the post-operation therapy is to gradually build up your energy levels and strength after prolonged fatigue. This is where physical therapy comes in – and can work wonders. Therapists can guide you on appropriate exercise routines to help restore muscle strength, balance, and flexibility.
Severe and prolonged fatigue can come and go, and your doctor will evaluate you to decide how best to overcome it. This may include simple things like better hydration and diet or reducing your pain medication.
The important thing is not to get ahead of yourself and try to do too much. Recovery takes time, so you’ll need to be patient.
How Does Physical Therapy Help With Prolonged Fatigue?
Physical therapy exercises your heart and lungs and builds up your muscle and bone strength. It delivers oxygen to all your vital organs and makes you feel less fatigued and better in yourself.
Severe fatigue after surgery can be draining mentally and physically but therapists can get you back on the right track.
Physical therapy eases pain
It may seem counter-intuitive but doing gentle exercises when you are in pain can actually ease it. By exercising, you work your way through, and manage pain, which can give you a tremendous sense of achievement.
Gentle exercises, if done safely and under professional supervision, can help you overcome pain as well as severe and prolonged fatigue.
Physical therapy rebuilds muscle and helps you regain strength
Physical therapy is best performed in a friendly and encouraging environment and with state-of-the-art equipment. This enables you to measure your progress over time and tick off milestones. No two patients are the same, so physical therapists tailor exercises to specific patient needs.
Regular exercise routines not only build up your endurance and self-confidence – they also relieve stress. This not only reduces extreme and prolonged fatigue but also leads to improved coordination, balance, flexibility and mental well-being.
Many of Fairview rehab and nursing center’s patients come to us from hospital after operation. Sometimes they have been feeling weak and tired for a long time. Our nursing staff and therapists have lots of experience helping these people recover their energy levels, strength, confidence, and self-esteem.
After surgery, pain management may be the priority and prolonged fatigue can be overcome with very gentle exercising.
Major procedures requiring several days of post-surgery recovery in hospital can result in an extended period of tiredness and weakness.
Do contact us if you would like to find out more about post-surgery care and therapy as well as rehabilitation therapies.
This article contains informational and educational materials and does not replace health or medical advice. For questions or concerns regarding your medical condition or health objectives, speak to a qualified physician or healthcare provider.
I just had two steroid injection L-5 area. Propofol was given IV. Procedure took only 13 minutes.
It has been 4 days and I am still fatigued. Is this normal? I am 66 yrs. Old.
In short, I had 2 cysts removed 1 from each side of L5 which were pinching the sciatic nerve. To do so, the spinal stenosis was chilled off to gain access to the cysts. It’s been 1 month and I’m still feeling fatigued. I’m 70 yrs old. Is this normal? I’m a very activity 70 yr old man.
I meant to say “chiseled off”