The Art of Recovery: Soft-Tissue Care After Surgery

Post-Surgical Clients: Therapeutic Basics

Massage therapy plays a crucial role in post-surgical recovery, offering a wide range of benefits that can enhance healing and overall well-being. After surgery, the body undergoes a natural healing process that involves tissue repair, reduction of inflammation, and restoration of function. However, this process can be accompanied by discomfort, stiffness, and restricted movement. Massage therapy helps address these challenges by improving circulation, reducing scar tissue formation, and easing muscular tension that often builds up around the surgical area. It also encourages lymphatic drainage, which can reduce swelling and inflammation, expediting the body’s ability to heal more effectively.

In addition to the physical benefits, post-surgical massage offers profound psychological advantages. The relaxation it provides can help decrease anxiety, improve sleep, and create a sense of calm that is essential for recovery. With individualized techniques tailored to the specific needs of each patient and type of surgery, massage therapy is a versatile tool in supporting long-term rehabilitation, helping people regain strength, mobility, and a higher quality of life.

While massage is helpful immediately after certain surgeries, others may require a more extended recovery period before soft tissue work is appropriate. Understanding which types of post-surgical massage are beneficial—and when they should be applied—is a valuable skill that can enhance your practice and increase referrals from healthcare providers.

Let’s explore why post-surgical massage is effective and the most appropriate ways to work with this specialized group of clients.

Key Benefits of Post-Surgical Massage

Pain Management

Pain management is one of the primary reasons massage is used after surgery. Post-surgery, patients may experience acute pain, prolonged discomfort, and anxiety, all of which can hinder their recovery. Pain not only causes suffering but can also limit a patient’s ability to participate in rehabilitation, which in turn slows healing.

Research consistently shows that therapeutic touch can significantly lower anxiety, and studies have demonstrated that massage also reduces the experience of pain. It is well-accepted now that massage and soft-tissue treatment reduce the experience of pain.

Massage is beneficial in various ways immediately after surgery and during later stages of recovery. Below are some of the key ways it can support post-surgical clients.

General Pain Relief

Massage may relieve pain by creating competing sensory signals, similar to how a TENS unit functions. Additionally, it can reduce nervous system sensitivity and lower anxiety, which is often heightened post-surgery. Notably, post-surgical massage doesn’t always need to target the surgical site. A relaxing massage on another area, such as the legs or feet, can offer substantial relief, helping clients feel more comfortable navigating the rehabilitation process.

Lymphatic Drainage

Another important use of massage is reducing post-surgical swelling through lymphatic drainage. Swelling is common around surgical sites, but drainage techniques can alleviate it, helping manage the pain associated with swelling. However, lymphatic drainage should never be applied directly over a surgical site. Instead, it should be focused near the area to promote fluid movement.

Knowing how lymphatic drainage techniques will affect the involved tissues and the type of surgery is essential. For instance, with rotator cuff repair, the swelling may not be very noticeable, but techniques can still be applied around the shoulder. In contrast, lymphatic drainage becomes crucial in preventing tissue fluid buildup after a mastectomy with lymph node removal.

Rehabilitative Massage

Massage therapy, particularly scar tissue management, becomes even more essential after the initial recovery phase. After certain surgeries, a long period of immobilization may lead to the formation of fibrous adhesions that limit mobility.

Massage techniques like skin rolling or friction massage are highly effective in breaking up fibrous scar tissue and restoring movement. These methods work best when combined with stretching exercises to help the tissue regain elasticity. However, friction massage should be used cautiously—post-surgical tissues are often fragile, and too much pressure can cause further damage. Balancing the right amount of pressure with the right timing is important to ensuring effective outcomes.

Restoring Biomechanics

Surgery can disrupt proper biomechanical movement patterns, This disruption might occur before surgery due to an injury and can be further complicated by the surgical procedure. For example, shoulder mechanics are often altered by a rotator cuff tear, and proper movement patterns need to be restored post-surgery.

Massage can help reduce muscle tightness and reestablish proper muscle tone through enhanced proprioception, supporting physical therapy efforts to restore strength and mobility. Additionally, long periods of immobility following surgery can lead to soft-tissue dysfunction, such as myofascial trigger points, which massage can effectively address.

When to Avoid Massage

While massage is beneficial in many post-surgical cases, there are situations where it must be avoided or approached with caution. Understanding the type of surgery and how the body is compensating is critical.

Here are some general guidelines to follow:

• Avoid treating fresh surgical sites: Depending on tissue healing, it may take several weeks before massage near the incision is appropriate.
• Be cautious around implants: Avoid applying pressure over areas with implants like screws, pins, or rods, which could cause damage.
• Consider biomechanical compensation: For example, muscle tightness may be compensating for ligament weakness in ACL repair. Overworking these muscles could interfere with recovery.
• Respect post-surgical precautions: For example, after hip surgery, certain movements—such as flexing the hip beyond 90 degrees—should be avoided for several weeks to prevent dislocation.

In Summary

When working with post-surgical clients, the choice of massage techniques depends heavily on the type of surgery, the client’s condition, and the primary goals of treatment. Sound clinical reasoning, clear communication with the client’s healthcare providers, and understanding of the procedure are crucial in determining the most effective treatment strategies.

Massage therapy can be a powerful tool for post-surgical recovery when used appropriately. Expanding your knowledge of medical interventions and understanding the best massage techniques for various situations can make you an invaluable part of a client’s healthcare team.

Learn more about how massage can be used in many rehabilitation settings through our Orthopedic Medical Massage Program.