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Recovering from Addiction to Prescription Medications

I never thought of myself as an addict, but I did end up addicted to anti-anxiety medication after developing Generalized Anxiety Disorder. At some point, the medicine stopped being a way to deal with the nervousness and panic attacks, and became something my body craved. I knew that I needed help fast. Fortunately, a local drug rehab program includes support for people like me. They helped me wean off the medication, use methods like massage therapy to help my nerves heal, and even provided ongoing counseling for our family. I don't know how I would have made it without their help. If you suspect that your medication has crossed the line from being helpful to hurtful, take heart. Let me tell you about my journey out of addiction and back to wholeness.

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Recovering from Addiction to Prescription Medications

What You Can Expect After Knee Replacement Surgery

by Valerie Stevens

Knee replacement surgery can be nerve-racking, especially if you do not know what is going to happen once the surgery is over. The more prepared you are for the aftermath of your surgery, the better you will feel about your ability to recover quickly, and this will help you get into the frame of mind for healing. Take a look at some of the major things you can expect to happen after knee replacement surgery.

Using a Continuous Passive Motion Machine

Your doctor may ask you to use a continuous passive motion machine once your surgery is completed. This machine will slowly move the leg and cause it to become straightened and bent at different intervals while you are lying on your back. You may have to use this machine for as much as eight hours per day. Using a continuous motion machine does not exempt you from physical therapy; you will still have to do it in between sessions.

Monitoring Your Knee Pressure

Once you have had your knee replacement surgery, it is only natural that you want to know how much pressure you can put on your knee and when you can apply this pressure. The answer lies in how much you weigh, the extent of the surgery, the health of your bones, and even the type of material that was used in the knee replacement. This means that you cannot guess how much pressure you can apply, because there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Your doctor will tell you exactly what to do.

Staying in the Hospital

The amount of time you will need to stay in the hospital is dependent on how well you begin to heal, along with a few other factors. In general, you will be discharged from the hospital when your pain is under control and you can manage to get out of your bed and walk short distances on your own with the help of your walker or a pair of crutches. You should also have reached the point where you can bend the knee at a ninety-degree angle.

If you are about to have knee replacement surgery, you now know a lot about how your recovery will work. One of the keys to a fast recovery is adhering to what your doctor tells you to do, since he or she will know exactly what it will take for you to recover quickly. Reach out to general surgeons, like those at a business like The Surgical Clinic, for more information.

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