Chiropractic Care Helps Restore Mobility after Surgery

We all know how painful a paper cut can be but it heals quickly. After surgery or medical intervention, the process takes somewhat longer, especially with abdominal surgery where muscles and nerves have been cut through to treat a problem.

Any changes in normal mobility are attributed to the sore wound taking time to heal, the loss of fitness levels during convalescence, or the lack of agility is blamed on the ageing process for no longer being able to do the things we used to do with ease, like bending down to tie shoe laces..

However these may just be excuses we make up for ourselves and a visit to the chiropractor could soon have you back to your usual mobility and the right exercises regime will restore your flexibility.

One such case is Lynn Al Redha.  A dressage (horseriding) professional and mother of four, Lynn underwent a full hysterectomy in January this year.  For four weeks after the operation she had to take life gently and suffered the effects of immediate menopause.  Used to being extremely fit, she began walking again and returned to riding just eight weeks after surgery, albeit without her usual vigour.

During this time she became aware of a low grade back pain which was constantly nagging at her.  Lynn took the view that perhaps she was overdoing things and that given time, it would go away.  It didn’t – it got worse and stiffness crept in.  She couldn’t get out of bed easily in the mornings and had trouble putting on her socks.  Although only 46, Lynn decided that it was due to hormone changes and she must be getting old.  “She saiys, “it was awful – my stomach felt like a blancmange.  I was all right if I stayed in one position, sitting or standing, but as soon as I moved, the back pain was debilitating.”

After nine months of suffering, to the point where it was affecting her life, Lynn finally visited Dr Charles Jones at the California Chiropractic and Sports Medicine Center for advice.  When she explained her problem, his first comment was “and why didn’t you come to see me sooner?”

Upon examination, Dr Charles found that Lynn’s pelvis was twisted and tilted and that she only had 70% mobility in her hips.  He went on to explain Lynn’s condition: “We often forget that everything in the body is connected.  The back muscles support the internal organs, while good core (stomach) muscles support the back.  When the the stomach muscles are cut in an operation, there is no contra support for the back, and therefore no stability.  The other muscles and tendons over-compensate and pull the pelvis out of line.  The back muscles don’t feel right and go into shock or spasm.  This in turn affects the joinst, and together with gravity, everything goes out of alignment.”

Over the course of half a dozen visits, Dr Charles helped realign Lynn’s pelvis and retrain the muscles to stabilise the back, along with specific therapy exercises.  Recognising that good dressage posture is dependent on strong core muscles, Dr Charles pointed out that when Lynn returned to her regular riding routine, she would not in fact be sitting straight even when she thought she was.

Lynn is now back in the saddle and well on the way to recovering her previous fitness levels.  “She said,”It was a relief to find out that I am not that old … yet! I have been riding all my life and fitness has always been very important to me.  I usually listen to my body but this time, I just made excuses and paid a painful penalty for it.  I recommend anyone who has had surgery of any kind, from a Caesarian to gall stones, to visit a chiropractor to check that everything is in alignment, and hope that others will take heed of my lesson, and avoid a very nasty back ache.”