Start easy. A few days after surgery, you may want to begin with some very slow movements, a brief walk, and raising and lowering your arms. Stick with very gentle exercises for 6 weeks after treatment. Initially, these exercises are less about building strength, than about helping to relieve pain and prevent scar tissue from forming. Paying close attention to your breathing plays a big role during this time — breath work is a very powerful tool for managing pain.
The next phase of your rehabilitation after the 6-week mark should remain focused on breath work, posture, stretching, and mild strengthening.
When you feel strong enough to move on to the third phase, you will begin incorporating some strength-building exercises into your regimen and using more parts of your body in the exercises. From here you will want to progress slowly and at your own pace. Never push yourself beyond what is comfortable. In case you haven’t learned it by now, the idea of “no pain, no gain” is rubbish. Use your knowledge of your body and ask your doctor to help you judge what level of exercise is appropriate at different times in your recovery process.
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