How Massage Therapy Help Surgical Patients

Massage therapists encounter a plethora of challenges in their careers ranging from gaining respect as a therapeutic healer and daily burnouts to getting and maintaining their licenses. It is, however, just the tip of the iceberg as therapists also need to endure scarring, surgical pain as well as physical and emotional issues of clients, who are just coming from surgery. With over 48 million surgeries annually performed in the United States, it is without question that the postoperative stage of clients could test their patience and will to go on.

As a matter of fact, research shows that relentless or compulsive post-surgical pain that lasts about two to three months is primarily responsible for one in four cases of chronic pain. What makes this even more challenging is that post-surgical pain has the capability to dabble with sleep, mood, and other building blocks of mental and physical well-being. In addition, it is also more than likely that such pain could interrupt the original alignment of joints and muscles, which could very well set off added aches and swelling or even increase the chances of a lengthy dysfunction.

Astonishingly, some findings have displayed the effectiveness of massage in this certain conditions thanks to its uncanny ability to ease off swelling and scar tissue, thereby, assisting patients in completely regaining their full range of motion without any feeling of discomfort. Other than that, it has also been found out that massage therapy can efficiently scale down the asperity of twinge and anxiety for people who just survived surgeries.

Moreover, the American Massage Therapy Association along with the Massage Therapy Foundation further indicated that patients should definitely entertain massage as a therapeutic choice to help manage the said complications. Subsequently, massage therapists also believe that their profession can help connect the gap in medical procedures and the physical and mental effects that the patients may experience afterward.

Types of Surgical Procedures That Massage Therapists Encounter

Abdominal Surgery

Normally, abdominal surgeries happen in the sphere between the pelvic floor and the first rib. Interestingly, such procedure also involves operation on a multiplex of abdominal organs which range from the appendix, gallbladder, and spleen to reproductive organs, liver, intestines, and stomach. Among the primary reasons as to why surgeries might be justified in these cases include inflammatory bowel illnesses, infection, tumor, and obstruction. Generally, larger incisions are being utilized in open abdominal operations while smaller lacerations are created during laparoscopic surgeries.

Certain post-surgery complaints and complications of abdominal operations include the client’s inability to feel a sense of control of their abdominal muscles, which is a phenomenon known as muscle inhibition. According to revered massage therapists, muscle inhibition or the development of scar tissue or adhesions are most common to people who are coming from abdominal surgeries. Making massage therapy a sensible pain relief for abdominal surgery is its skill to help lessen the swelling, debility, and other health-related effects of a chronic back pain.

Hip Replacement Surgery

Another common medical procedure in this list is hip replacement surgery, which is a process that replaces a dilapidated or tattered hip with an artificial joint to help bring a solution to problems such as arthritis and hip fractures. Medically termed as hip arthroplasty, the procedure predominantly involves a few inches of incision over the hip joint that could lead into less muscle trauma. By the same token, the surgical process in hip replacement principally pinpoints the functionality of the patient’s surrounding muscles. However, during the process, the attentive or inattentive splinting and holding that occurs in the musculature may result in the poor configuration of muscles and joints, which could prolong the tenderness.

Nonetheless, a 2017 study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Science found out that blue-collar calf massage plays a great role in lowering incidence of deep vein thromboembolism, which is a serious medical complication in hip replacement surgeries. Addedly, massage experts also believe that therapists have all the potential in the world to address hamstring, quad, or larger glute muscles that have become over-contracted.

Cardiac or Cardiothoracic Surgery

Aside from hip replacement and abdominal surgeries, massage also brings pain relief for clients who have undergone cardiothoracic surgeries, which mainly covers the splitting of the chest area to treat lung or heart diseases. Consequently, this process may lead to utter discomfort on the neck, shoulders, and back as well as the immediate downfall of a patient’s overall strength. On top of that, most massage therapists believe that the shortness of breath after cardiac surgeries have something to do with the pectoral muscles and the chest area, which are frequently maneuvered during the operation.

Impressively, a research review that was published in Heart and Lung Journal in 2017 stated that the unlikely mixture of massage therapy and pain medication was found out to be more potent in helping the patients recover than the drugs alone. Furthermore, medical doctors also concluded that massage portrays a great role in the post-operative process as a massage therapist has the additional benefit of working on areas that are desired by the patient.

General Surgery

A general surgery, meanwhilst, essentially involves various body areas such as bones, skin, and soft tissues. Additionally, trauma and cancer surgeries also fall under this category. While minimal invasive surgeries have resulted in quicker patient recoveries, there have been findings which showed that minimal incisions could sometimes develop substantial scar tissue. Similar to other surgeries, massage assumes a critical part in minimizing discomfort and readjusting joints and muscles for general surgery patients.

Further, massage therapists also believe that palpation within the surgical area can possibly recognize scar tissues that are set up close to the area or obscurely as well. In addition, it is also in the best interest for every therapist to require medical clearance from the clients before performing massages to avoid any discomfort that is associated with previous surgeries. Above all, it is likewise most desirable to avoid working in areas which present redness, infections, and wounds to prevent further damage.

In Conclusion

If you are a patient who have just gone through surgery, consult with your doctor whether you can get massage therapy or not. If you are advised to do so, it is best to find a nearby massage therapist and enjoy the benefits of this alternative therapeutic form.