Fort Collins Surgery Massage

Fort Collins Surgery Massage is a specialty of LymphWorks therapists. Surgery recovery presents unique problems that our training and techniques may address to get you healed quickly and back to your daily routine. Whether your surgery was to repair a joint, plastic surgery, breast cancer, or surgery due to disease, accident or trauma, we can help.  Both therapist C.J., Lindsey, and Kaitlin are adept at techniques for swelling and pain reduction, improved circulation and range of motion, scar realignment and more.  It does not matter what type of intervention you are recovering from as Lymphatic work can assist in your recovery;  explant surgery, BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift), Liposuction, Full Body Lift, Skin Removal, Breast Augmentation, Knee Replacement, Hip Replacement, Orthopedic surgery, Mastectomy, Lumpectomy, Tummy Tuck, Venous Surgery, Tumor or Skin cancer removal or more.

Benefits of Lymph Drainage Therapy Pre-Surgery:

• Prepares tissue for surgery and clean incisions
  
• Alleviates edema / swelling
• Detoxifies tissue
• Stimulates the immune system and accelerates production of lymphocytes
• Induces a state of relaxation; parasympathetic response
• Surgeons find it easier to make incision through clean, well-drained tissue (2)
  

Benefits of Fort Collins surgery massage, Lymph Drainage Therapy, and energy healing after surgery may include:

• Reduces recovery time
• Reduces edema or swelling after surgery (1)
  
• Reduces pain
• Alleviates spasms (parasympathetic response) (1)
• Increases range of motion
• Improves fluid circulation
• Drug or anesthesia detoxification
• Increases immune function reducing likelihood of infection1
• Counteracts the effects of immobilization in bed (2)
• Improves scar appearance and function
• Reduces likelihood of more surgery to address scar tissue
• Stress and anxiety reduction
• Reduces inflammation
• Improves sleep
• Helps stimulate lymphatic "reroutes" or alternative pathways for lymphatics to move (1)

Your surgical site should often not to be touched until six weeks after your procedure when incisions and scars are mature enough to be manipulated or stretched.

However, Lymph Drainage Therapy and Energy Healing techniques are both gentle enough to be done on and around the surgical site 24 hours after your procedure or as soon as your surgeon approves.

Massage therapy can be safely performed away from the surgical site on other areas of the body during the first six weeks after your procedure.

For pre-surgery Lymph Drainage Therapy, it is recommended you receive one to two 30 minute sessions prior to your procedure.

Post-surgical swelling and pain reduces with just one 30 minute session of gentle touch Lymph Drainage Therapy "as long as there are no other untreated factors stimulating swelling" (2). The average person will experience a significant improvement after four to ten 30 to 45 minute surgery massage sessions depending on the severity or your surgical intervention.  These are recommended to be received weekly.  We have and introductory package of 4 sessions to help get you started.

At around 6 weeks after your operation/procedure, this is when other, more targeted techniques will be used to soften any remaining scar tissue, lumps, pockets, adhesions, dimples, imbalances, and incision scars.  These include Massage Cupping, Gua Sha/scraping, and potentially Kinesio taping.  If you are doing Physical Therapy such as after knee replacement, your PT may already be working the scar tissue but keep us in mind if edema/swelling persists or you aren't making the progress in healing you would like.

Clients who follow surgeon's instructions and wear their medical grade compression have the best results.  Fort Collins Surgery Massage approaches are often much more gentle and appropriate than what the client may have received at their surgeon's office immediately after procedure, but we assure you that we far more skilled in Lymph Drainage and post surgical healing than most. 

For therapy after BBL surgery, the Lymph Therapist may work on the client face down, side laying, or standing.....as sitting or laying on the back is not permitted for the first 10 weeks post op.

Kineseotaping may be used after surgery (knee replacement above) to aid in swelling reduction & activation of muscles to stabilize the joint

Note: It is advised you seek the consult and advice of your surgeon before seeking post-surgical massage services or Lymph drainage therapy services.  

Resources:
(1) Bruno Chikly, M.D., http://chiklyinstitute.org/ldt/applications.htm, Chikly Health Institute, Lymph Drainage Therapy Level I, pg. 311. 2009.
(2) Bruno Chikly, M.D., Alaya Chikly, CMT. "Applications of Pre & Post-Surgical Lymph Drainage Therapy". Massage & BodyWork, Summer/Fall 1997.

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