Hernia Surgery and working out!

Hi everyone,

As a physical therapist and personal trainer I am often approached by individuals on how much is too much exercise after surgery.  Well, from a personal note I have had to date 9 different surgeries.  With my most recent just 9 weeks ago which did not go well for a hernia that I had anticipated but was confirmed last Friday.  I will be going back in for a revision and open reduction surgery.  Excluding the pain that comes with a Hernia (the most pain I have ever had after a surgery in my life!!!) repair there is the desire for the driven to get back into shape.  Let me clarify that I was very good and followed all precautions even after the doctor told me I could start to exercise, because with 19 years of experience in sports med/PT I didn't believe him.

Anyways, I was able to return yesterday and today to light TM running on a soft absorbent surface such as a treadmill or soft rubber high school track or padded trail i.e.- mulched.  Stay away from hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt or stone.  Anyone should not push themselves until they have first been cleared by doctor and released to exercise again.  Then they should not increase the amount of training by more than 10% per week.  So if you started off running 2 miles don't run more than 2.2miles the following week allowing your body to adapt to all the stress and heal itself.  This rule can be carried over to types of sports whether it is weight lifting, aerobics, repetitive sports such as cycling, swimming, or running all the same laws apply to us all on recovery.  No one is a super man until they find out they are not invulnerable.

Today I ran 4.0 miles which was too much after running yesterday 4.25 miles.  But i was working from a very sold Winter base and had minimal pain with these two runs in the hernia area.  One must be careful not to strangulate the small intestine though if the hernia is still active. Wearing an active binder might help hold the inguina or abdomen regions more stable, but always get clearance from your doctor before exercising. 

My misfortune is that I happen to have fallen in the 10% that gets a recurrent hurnia folks and it doesn't make me happy that I have to have a revision performed.

Maybe I'll post a blog on my hernial revision for everyone to read and my return to exercise before summer begins.

Jonathan Schauss, PT, CSCS