Surgery is an important means of treating diseases, but the postoperative recovery process is often full of challenges. The end of the operation does not mean the end of the road to recovery. Many people face problems such as wound redness, swelling, exudation, and prolonged failure to scab after surgery. These issues not only extend the recovery period but may also lead to serious consequences such as infection and scar hyperplasia. At the same time, postoperative patients may also experience pain, swelling, dysfunction, and gastrointestinal disorders, which severely affect their quality of life. Therefore, postoperative rehabilitation therapy is crucial, as it helps patients restore physical function as soon as possible, reduce the occurrence of complications, and improve their quality of life.
Taking fracture surgery as an example, postoperative patients may experience symptoms such as limited limb movement and pain. Without effective rehabilitation therapy, this may lead to joint stiffness, muscle atrophy, and other issues, affecting the normal function of the limbs. Similarly, after abdominal surgery, patients often suffer from gastrointestinal disorders such as abdominal distension and constipation. Timely rehabilitation therapy can promote gastrointestinal motility and alleviate these discomforts.
As an important part of traditional medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physiotherapy has unique advantages in postoperative rehabilitation. It is simple to operate, has few side effects, and is low in cost. It can start from holistic regulation and activate the body's self-healing ability. Compared with Western medical treatments, TCM physiotherapy places greater emphasis on the overall regulation of the human body, promoting recovery by regulating Qi and blood, dredging meridians, and balancing Yin and Yang.
The advantages of TCM physiotherapy in postoperative rehabilitation are also reflected in many aspects. It can reduce the side effects of medication. Compared with Western analgesic drugs, TCM external therapies do not cause gastrointestinal reactions, addiction, or other problems. Clinical data show that patients receiving TCM external therapies can have their average hospital stay shortened by 2 to 3 days, effectively reducing recovery time. At the same time, TCM physiotherapy can effectively alleviate postoperative discomfort, improve the patient's physical and mental state, and enhance their quality of life. In addition, TCM physiotherapy is simple to operate, can significantly reduce the use of expensive Western drugs, and lower medical costs.
External application of Chinese herbal medicine is a common method used in TCM to treat postoperative wounds, acting like a customized "nutrient film" for the wound. Clinically, herbs are selected based on the syndrome differentiation of the wound and formulated into ointments or powders for external application. For infected wounds with redness, swelling, heat, pain, and excessive exudation, heat-clearing and detoxifying herbs such as honeysuckle, forsythia, dandelion, and violet are commonly used. These are ground into powder or made into an ointment to quickly reduce swelling and pain, eliminate toxins, and reduce exudation. For blood-deficient wounds that are pale in color and fail to scab for a long time, herbs that nourish Qi and blood, such as angelica, astragalus, salvia, and angelica dahurica, are used to promote blood and Qi nourishment of the wound and accelerate the growth of granulation tissue. For example, Shengji Yuhong Ointment, composed of angelica, angelica dahurica, and dragon's blood, can effectively promote scabbing in chronic ulcers and postoperative wounds that are slow to heal. It is gentle and non-irritating, making it suitable for long-term use.
The herbal fumigation and washing method is suitable for postoperative wounds on the limbs, trunk, and other areas, especially when the skin around the wound is stiff and blood circulation is poor. By fumigating with steam from boiled herbal medicine or washing the wound and surrounding skin with the herbal solution, the medicinal power can penetrate the skin with the help of warmth, achieving effects such as dredging meridians, promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, and reducing swelling and dampness. For example, herbs such as mugwort, cassia twig, safflower, and ligusticum are boiled in water. After the temperature becomes suitable, the area around the wound is fumigated and washed. This can improve local blood circulation, relieve numbness and pain around the wound, and create a favorable environment for wound healing. It should be noted that the temperature during fumigation and washing should be controlled at around 40°C to avoid burns. The treatment should be paused if there is obvious bleeding or exudation from the wound.
Acupuncture and moxibustion start from holistic regulation, activating the body's self-healing potential. Acupuncture often selects acupoints such as Zusanli (ST36), Xuehai (SP10), and Hegu (LI4). Zusanli is a key acupoint for nourishing Qi and blood, supplementing the body's Qi and blood to provide energy for wound healing. Xuehai can promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, and regulate the flow of Qi and blood. Hegu can clear heat, detoxify, and unblock meridians to relieve pain. The combination of these three acupoints can improve the overall state of Qi and blood, indirectly promoting local wound healing. Moxibustion is more suitable for people with Qi and blood deficiency and cold wounds. By moxibusting acupoints such as Zusanli (ST36), Qihai (CV6), and Guanyuan (CV4), the warmth can warm the meridians, supplement Qi and blood, dispel local cold pathogens, and accelerate the growth of granulation tissue. For patients with induration around the wound, gentle moxibustion can be applied directly to the induration to soften it and promote the dissipation of blood stasis. Clinical studies have shown that acupuncture can reduce the dosage of postoperative analgesics by 30% to 50%.
Cupping and scraping therapy are suitable for cases where there is obvious Qi and blood stagnation around the wound, as they can quickly dredge local Qi and blood. Cupping uses negative pressure to adhere to the skin, expelling local blood stasis and toxins, improving blood circulation around the wound, and relieving redness, swelling, and pain. Scraping involves scraping along the meridians around the wound until the skin shows a light red petechial rash.
After surgery for nervous system diseases such as cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, and traumatic brain injury, patients often experience problems such as limb numbness, hemiplegia, and speech, swallowing, or cognitive disorders. Acupuncture can select relevant acupoints, such as Zusanli (ST36), Xuehai (SP10), and Hegu (LI4), to regulate the function of the nervous system, promote nerve repair, and improve limb movement and speech function. At the same time, moxibustion can warm the meridians, supplement Qi and blood, and alleviate discomfort symptoms caused by Qi and blood deficiency.
For musculoskeletal diseases such as cervical spondylosis, lumbar disc herniation, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff injury and its postoperative state, and postoperative conditions following limb fracture surgery, Tuina massage can use manual techniques to improve local blood circulation, relieve muscle tension, and promote joint movement. External application of Chinese herbal medicine and herbal fumigation can also help reduce pain and swelling and promote wound healing. For example, for patients after fracture surgery, herbal fumigation can improve local blood circulation and promote fracture healing; Tuina massage can prevent muscle atrophy and restore joint function.
Internal medicine rehabilitation, such as cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, rheumatism rehabilitation, and postpartum rehabilitation, can also adopt TCM physiotherapy. In cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, moxibustion at acupoints like Shenque (CV8) and Zhongwan (CV12) can warm and supplement the spleen and stomach, promote gastrointestinal motility, and help improve the patient's digestive function. In postpartum rehabilitation, herbal fumigation and moxibustion can promote the discharge of lochia and restore the body's vitality.
Adhering to the philosophy of providing high-quality rehabilitation treatment services for patients, Shangshan Medical actively applies Traditional Chinese Medicine physiotherapy in postoperative rehabilitation. Shangshan Medical has a professional TCM physiotherapy team with rich clinical experience and professional knowledge, capable of formulating personalized rehabilitation plans based on the specific conditions of each patient.
At Shangshan Medical, postoperative patients first undergo a comprehensive assessment to understand their condition and physical status. Based on the assessment results, a combination of TCM physiotherapy methods such as external application of Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, and scraping is used for rehabilitation treatment. At the same time, Shangshan Medical emphasizes the integration of Chinese and Western medicine, combining TCM physiotherapy with modern rehabilitation techniques to provide patients with more comprehensive and effective rehabilitation treatment.
For example, for a patient after fracture surgery, the doctor at Shangshan Medical will first apply external Chinese herbal medicine to promote wound healing. At the same time, acupuncture treatment is used to dredge meridians and relieve pain. The patient will also be guided to perform appropriate rehabilitation exercises to help restore limb function. During the treatment process, the doctor closely monitors the patient's condition changes and adjusts the treatment plan in a timely manner to ensure the therapeutic effect.
With the deepening of research and the advancement of technology, the combination of postoperative rehabilitation therapy and TCM physiotherapy will become even closer. In the future, the application of TCM physiotherapy in postoperative rehabilitation will become more widespread. Its standardization will also be continuously improved, with the establishment of unified operating standards and efficacy evaluation criteria to enhance the scientific nature and standardization of the treatment.
The integration of Chinese and Western medicine will become an important development direction for postoperative rehabilitation therapy. By organically combining TCM physiotherapy with modern rehabilitation techniques to form comprehensive treatment plans, the advantages of both can be fully utilized, providing patients with higher quality rehabilitation treatment services. At the same time, intelligent development will also bring new opportunities for postoperative rehabilitation therapy. By integrating technologies such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, the precision and convenience of treatment can be improved, making it easier for patients to receive rehabilitation treatment.
In conclusion, the combination of postoperative rehabilitation therapy and TCM physiotherapy has broad development prospects and will bring hope of recovery to more patients. Medical institutions like Shangshan Medical should continue to explore and innovate, providing patients with higher quality and more efficient postoperative rehabilitation treatment services.