Will Complementary Therapies Assist In My Postoperative Recovery?

Georgia Decker, R.N., Advanced Practice Nurse, Albany New York

May 8, 2008

Question: Will complementary therapies assist in my postoperative recovery?

Answer: Complementary and alternative therapies can be very helpful postoperatively for pain management, for healing. Again, identifying the therapy that appeals to you, that you have a properly credentialed therapist, someone who understands the big picture and not just a particular symptom is very important. Reiki has been looked at with postsurgical pain. Acupuncture. Therapeutic touch is used in some hospitals with cardiothoracic surgery. Healing touch is used before, during, and after therapy. So, as far as the hands-on modalities, or the manual healing methods, there are several that can be considered. In terms of herbs and supplements, again you must be very careful because you don't want to jeopardize your healing or put yourself in circumstances where anesthesia or any medications you may need postoperatively would interact with an herb or a supplement.