wes
Well-known member
Not sure if I should put this in Pre Op or Post Op, as it may help out people in both situations!
Anyway, as part of another post, I realized that stretching is something that the doctors may not talk about as part of pre op preparation.
Over here in Japan, they showed us a video on how to prepare for the surgery, and they stressed the importance of stretching! The video even showed which stretches to do!~ I wish I knew the names of the stretches, but I guess I can describe them to you. The first stretch is both arms over your head, as high as you can go. Don't bend the arms back, as that will stretch your triceps instead of your shoulders. Make sure your fingers are locked together. The second stretch is to put your arms as far in front of you as you can. Imagine you're pushing something heavy. Again, lock your fingers together. The final stretch is to push your arms downward, toward the floor. As with the other stretches, keep the fingers locked together. Hold each stretch for 10 seconds and release (no bouncing or moving please). Do 2 or 3 sets of each, alternating each stretch as you do them. Repeat several times a day. Also, do the same stretches post op (but on a much smaller scale until the sternum heals). I'm three months post op and do these stretches daily. You'd be amazed how much it helps. I hope my explanation was sufficient enough. If not, I'll dig up some classic Richard Simmons footage.
Oh, don't overdo it and pull a muscle or burst an aneurysm!
Anyway, as part of another post, I realized that stretching is something that the doctors may not talk about as part of pre op preparation.
Over here in Japan, they showed us a video on how to prepare for the surgery, and they stressed the importance of stretching! The video even showed which stretches to do!~ I wish I knew the names of the stretches, but I guess I can describe them to you. The first stretch is both arms over your head, as high as you can go. Don't bend the arms back, as that will stretch your triceps instead of your shoulders. Make sure your fingers are locked together. The second stretch is to put your arms as far in front of you as you can. Imagine you're pushing something heavy. Again, lock your fingers together. The final stretch is to push your arms downward, toward the floor. As with the other stretches, keep the fingers locked together. Hold each stretch for 10 seconds and release (no bouncing or moving please). Do 2 or 3 sets of each, alternating each stretch as you do them. Repeat several times a day. Also, do the same stretches post op (but on a much smaller scale until the sternum heals). I'm three months post op and do these stretches daily. You'd be amazed how much it helps. I hope my explanation was sufficient enough. If not, I'll dig up some classic Richard Simmons footage.
Oh, don't overdo it and pull a muscle or burst an aneurysm!
