Rehab for shoulder surgery or injury

After shoulder surgery my mom was given exercises to gradually increase flexibility. When the exercises didn't seem to be working she made an appointment with a physical therapist who discovered that she was not doing the exercises correctly. The therapist helped her gain flexibility and mobility in her arm so that she could drive and car as well as a golf ball again.

The therapist recommended using heat before exercising to help improve flexibility in the surrounding muscles. Taking over-the-counter pain medication was also recommended to help with the discomfort of moving those tight muscles and disturbing the scar tissue.

The Amercian Academy or Orthopedic Surgeons has a list of exercises for shoulder surgery patients. After surgery it is best to consult with your physician before attempting exercises, and it is especially helpful to have a physical therapist guide you through them for several sessions until you are sure you are doing the exercises correctly.

If you need a heating pad to help with flexibility check out Maine Warmers' microwave heating pads. They are easy to use, portable, reusable, and high quality. They are filled with whole corn which smells a bit like a bowl of pop corn and will not take on a peculiar odor as rice socks often do. They do not have any added perfumes or fragrances. A variety of traditional and animal shaped heating pads can be used on shoulders. Check out these Back Warmers and Neck Warmers to help relax tight muscles, improve circulation and flexibility.

Age-Related Increased Bruising

A bruise is caused when small blood vessels called capillaries are broken and blood seeps out into the surrounding tissue. With time the blood is reabsorbed into the body and the bruise disappears.

According to the Mayo Clinic in an article, Easy bruising: Common as you age, the following are a few causes.

As we age the supporting tissues surrounding capillaries weaken thus increasing the tendency to break. The skin also becomes thinner and loses some of the protective fat layer around surface blood vessels. What seems like a minor bump may produce a large bruise.

Blood thinning medications reduce the ability of blood clotting and increase the amount of blood that spills out of vessels when broken. Corticosteroids (cortisone, hydrocortisone, and prednisone) and diet supplements such as garlic, ginger, fish oil, and ginkgo may also increase one's proneness toward bruising.

The article recommends contacting your physician if there is pain associated with a bruise, if you are bleeding from the nose, intestines, or gums. If you suddenly experience large bruises for no reason, or if you start bruising when taking a new medication please contact a medical professional.

Time will help heal the bruise. If swelling occurs with the bruise the Mayo Clinic article suggests using a cold
compress and elevating the affected area to reduce swelling. Twenty minutes at a time is the recommended time to ice an injury. After swelling has gone down a warm compress might help "speed the removal of blood." Wearing long sleeves can help protect the skin and will hide a bruise.

To prevent bumps try clearing clutter and objects that block passage or free motion.

Maine Warmers' microwave heating pads can be frozen and used as cold compresses. The corn filling is not harsh like ice cubes. Mainely Ice, a knee pack, will also strap onto a leg or arm. Back Warmers and Neck Warmers can also be used on bruises. Maine Warmers animal designs like their sheep, bears, and Dachshund dog, and others, make excellent gifts for someone who is prone to bruising.

Preventing Falls

The risk of injury due to falling rises as people age. Many seniors are afraid of falling because it can result in a broken bone and loss of independence. Avoiding exercise to keep from falling can result in the loss of muscle mass, contribute to poor health and balance.

Staying active is included in a long list of things one can do to prevent falls.

• Wear non-slip shoes.
• Have eye exams and wear glasses that are not bi-focals while exercising.
• Make home safer by removing area rugs and having grab bars installed.
• Make sure proper lighting is available.
• Be more focused while exercising and moving about.
• Learn more ways to prevent falling at in an article, What Are Ways to Prevent Falls and Related Fractures, published by the National Institutes of Health.

When swelling occurs to to a fall or fracture use ice to reduce swelling and pain. When muscles are stiff and one needs to improve flexibility use microwave moist heating pads to relax tight muscles, stimulate circulation, and increase flexibility. Maine Warmers sells Neck Warmers and Back Warmers that can be heated or frozen for hot or cold therapy. If you know someone who has fallen you might want to give them a Cozy Sheep for comfort as he or she heals.

Walks & Warmth for Stroke Victims

I love taking my father for a walk. He’s in a wheel chair due to the effects of strokes, heart issues, and pneumonia that has stolen his strength. It’s a little like strolling a child. He’s happy to see everyone we meet and waves to them on the walking path around Back Bay.

It’s a spectacular walk. There is a strata of  wavy grasses, rippled water, skyline of Portland, and puffy clouds aloft with shades of greens and blues painted with splashes of yellow Goldenrod, dots of Queen Anne’s Lace and pink wild roses. Sea gulls and Cormorants ride by on the wind and slip into the high tide to find lunch.

It is healthy for my father to leave the nursing home for awhile, enjoy the sunshine, and breathe in the salt air – a great appetite enhancer. It is a good work out for me, pushing a wheel chair two to three miles, not to mention the mental health benefits of getting away from the office and home chores.

In Maine, the summers are short, and I am sad to think it will be too cold for him to go on walks soon. Stroke victims tend to have very cold hands. The lack of physical activity contributes to poor circulation and feeling chilled.

I am hopeful and committed to finding a way for him to keep warm so we can walk and spend that special time together into October. I think wrapping him in a good warm blanket, a Neck Warmer under his coat, a Back Warmer on his lap under the blanket, and Hand Warmers on his hands may make the walks comfortably warm so that he will want to continue to walk.

Post script: My father didn't make it until October, but in his last moments awake, he had a smile on his face and his family surrounding his bed. He didn't suffer any pain. I will always remember his positive attitude and his life-long desire to have fun.