Your odds aren’t great. Chances are that you may someday have serious pain to deal. Research shows that as many as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in their lives; one in four people may develop painful hip arthritis at some point; and that 75% of Americans will experience some degree of foot health problem at one time or another in their lives.
Unfortunately, this may mean that you’ll someday need orthopedic surgery, which could take you out of work for an extended period of time. If that ever happens to you — or if orthopedic surgery already has you out of work — there are a few things you can do to help yourself get better sooner. Here are just a few.
Take Supplements.
One of the best things you can do for yourself in post-surgery is to step up your the amount of supplements you take. According to research, taking even just 250 mg of vitamin C a day after surgery can halve recovery time.
Have Probiotics.
Increasing the amount of probiotics and fiber in your diet can help you speed up your recovery. One study found that patients who ate probiotics and fiber after a major surgery had substantially fewer incidences of post-surgical infection than those who either took none or had a placebo.
Get Some Sunshine.
Sunshine is good for you and it’s good for your recovery process. In one study, research found that patients who were exposed to 46% more sunlight experienced less perceived stress and pain, and took 22% fewer pain medications per hour than those who didn’t get as much sunlight. Granted, winter is coming, which means there’s less sunlight to go around, but there are lamps you can purchase that reproduce the effects of sunlight.
It doesn’t matter what sort of orthopedic surgery you’ve had. Whether it’s hip surgery or knee surgery, your orthopedic surgeon is going to need you to XXX if you want to recover faster.
If you have any questions about general orthopedics or recovering quickly, feel free to share in the comments.