|
Exercise
Before Surgery Aids Recovery, Study Finds
Exercising before surgery can get the body into shape and
help recovery after an operation, U.S. researchers announced.
They said tests on rats had confirmed what many health
experts had suspected -- that being in shape helps the body
bounce back after a prolonged recovery.
Perhaps the information could be used to persuade insurers
to cover "pre-habilitation" programs, the team
at the University of Missouri-Columbia said.
"It just makes sense that if we could help people get
in shape before surgery, we could eliminate functional decline
after an operation," Marybeth Brown, a professor of
physical therapy who led the study, said in a statement.
"The experiments showed that an accelerated recovery
and an exercise program before a period of inactivity are
inextricably connected."
Brown and colleagues tested rats to confirm their theory.
Young and old rats were crippled to simulate a long period
of bed rest. Those who had been exercised beforehand were
able to recover, while out-of-shape rats were not able to
learn how to walk again without help.
The effect was much more marked in the older rats, Brown
said.
The benefits of exercise after surgery are well known but
Brown said she hoped her research would help therapists
and physicians understand the potential benefits of exercise
before surgery
Article Source: Reuters Health
Article Author: N/A
Net Reference 89
|
