Hip replacement is an invasive surgery that forever changes the body of the recipient. Before, during, and after three life changing surgeries I underwent to receive artificial joints, I chose a variety of methods to manage pain. Prescription medication played a minor role in my recovery plan. My physician and surgeon both supported my decision to use opioids sparingly.
After my third surgery, which was a revision six weeks after my second hip replacement, I stopped using prescription pain medication after nine days…simply because I could no longer stand the side effects such as constipation, poor sleep, and that dopey drugged feeling. I found that complementary and alternative methods such as acupuncture, Reiki, Guided Imagery, and therapeutic massage were, and continue to be, the most effective methods to help me sleep, minimize pain, feel better, and recover. I functioned more effectively using these methods during recovery, and am pleased with the quality of life I have today thanks to these pain management tools. Each of the methods are affordable, and well researched.
My pain level varied throughout my recovery and varies to this day. Chronic conditions and chronic pain are like that…some days are better than others. More often than not I achieved positive results by applying ice packs for hip, shoulder, and low back pain. Weekly Epsom salt soaks soothe away muscle aches, arthritis pain, and that ‘creaky’ feeling that those of us with metal inside our body tend to experience. Regular acupuncture visits provide me with a ‘tune-up’. I leave an acupuncture appointment feeling calm, my inflammation has decreased, and even the most severe pain is quieted or erased altogether.
How are you managing pain? Do you have one or more methods outside of prescription pain killers that work for you? Chat with your doctor about any or all of the methods described above, this post is advice, not medical care...a complementary method just might offer the pain relief you’ve been looking for.
Be Well! ~Tiffany Anderson, LMT, RMT, BS, CHES, Author and Founder of Anderson Therapeutics
*Resource: Chapter 4, Pain Management - Before, During and After Surgery, pg. 65, Butternut to Bionic: A Resource Guide for Hip Replacement Surgery <<Read a FREE excerpt
History of Acupuncture: https://kootenaycolumbiacollege.com/history-of-acupuncture/
Image by Jorge Paredes from Pixabay
This blog first published October 25, 2018.
“Acupuncture is a very ancient form of healing that predates recorded history.”