The Importance of Mobility After Surgery
After surgery, it’s natural to want to protect your body and avoid pain. Many people think the safest route is rest. But here’s the truth: movement is medicine. While healing requires pacing and care, staying still for too long can actually slow recovery. The phrase “If you don’t move it, you lose it” is more than a catchy saying, it’s a fact backed by science.
Movement Can Feel Scary, And That’s Normal
Pain, swelling, or even just the memory of an injury can make movement feel intimidating. Our nervous system is wired to protect us: when something hurts, we instinctively guard the area and avoid using it. While this protective reflex is normal, if it goes on too long, it can actually delay healing. Muscles weaken, joints stiffen, and the brain starts to “unlearn” normal movement patterns. Over time, this can create more problems than the original surgery.
Why Mobility Matters
Here’s why carefully reintroducing movement is essential after surgery:
Joints Get Nutrition Through Movement
Your joints don’t have blood vessels feeding them directly the way muscles do. Instead, they get their nourishment through the steady flow of synovial fluid, which moves in and out like a sponge when you bend, stretch, and rotate. Without movement, this fluid stagnates, starving the cartilage of nutrients and oxygen. Over time, stiffness and even cartilage breakdown can set in. Gentle range-of-motion exercises act like a feeding system for your joints, keeping them healthy, smooth, and functional.
Bones Become Stronger With Loading
Bone is living tissue that constantly remodels itself. When you place weight or stress through a bone, whether by standing, walking, or lifting, it stimulates osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone growth. Without weight-bearing activity, bones can thin and weaken, raising the risk of fractures. Even small amounts of safe loading after surgery send a powerful message to your skeleton: “stay strong.” This is especially important for older adults or anyone with a history of osteoporosis.
Scar Tissue Responds to Controlled Stretch
Scar tissue forms naturally as part of healing, but if it’s left alone, it can stiffen and bind down, limiting motion. Think of it like a sweater that shrinks in the wash, the fibers tighten and restrict flexibility. Controlled stretching, guided by your therapy plan, helps remodel scar tissue so it becomes more pliable and mobile. Over time, this can restore freedom of movement and prevent the painful tugging or “stuck” feeling that untreated scar tissue can cause.
Edema Improves With Muscle Contraction
Swelling is one of the body’s first responses to surgery. While rest and elevation help, movement is the most effective long-term solution. When muscles contract, they act like a natural pump for the lymphatic system pushing excess fluid out of the tissues and back into circulation. Even something as simple as ankle pumps or gentle fist-making can dramatically reduce swelling. Without this pumping action, fluid lingers, leading to stiffness, delayed healing, and discomfort.
Muscles Grow Stronger When You Use Them
Muscles begin to weaken surprisingly fast, sometimes within days, when they’re not being used. This process, called atrophy, makes it harder to return to your daily routines. But here’s the good news: even small, intentional movements signal your muscles to stay active. Using your muscles not only preserves strength but also improves circulation, balance, and coordination. The more your body remembers how to move normally, the quicker and smoother your recovery will be.
Fear vs. Function: Returning to Daily Movement
It’s common to feel hesitant after surgery, but returning to everyday patterns of movement is one of the most powerful tools for healing. Simple tasks like standing up from a chair, reaching for a cup, or walking short distances help retrain the body to move efficiently and safely again. These functional movements don’t just restore strength and flexibility; they also help the brain relearn confidence in the body.
Timing Is Everything
That said, not every movement is appropriate right away. The timing and intensity of your activity should always be guided by your surgeon’s recommendations. They understand your surgical procedure, tissue healing timelines, and safety precautions. Following their guidance ensures that you challenge your body enough to promote recovery without risking setbacks.
Where Occupational Therapy Fits In
An occupational therapist can bridge the gap between medical clearance and real-life movement. We can:
- Teach safe, functional exercises that respect your surgical precautions.
- Provide strategies to manage swelling, stiffness, and scar tissue.
- Help you integrate mobility into daily activities so recovery feels purposeful, not intimidating.
- Practice “scary” movements with support to help you learn your capabilities to allow you to move more at home.
- Build your confidence with graduated challenges in the therapy clinic.
Final Takeaway
Movement is not the enemy after surgery, but immobility is. While fear is a natural response, avoiding movement for too long can limit recovery. With the right timing, guidance, and daily practice, movement becomes a powerful tool for healing. Remember: if you don’t move it, you lose it.
If you are recovering from surgery due to breast cancer treatment or have experienced an upper extremity orthopedic injury, I am here to help and provide Occupational Therapy in Evanston, IL. My specialties are Certified Hand Therapy (CHT) and Certified Lymphedema Therapy (CLT-LANA.) I am trained in Manual Lymphatic Drainage, Myofascial Release and Dry Needling among other clinical skills. Click the link to my website if you need Occupational Therapy Services.
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