Does yoga help with stiffness after lipo?

Question

I'm three weeks post. I am feeling stiffness on my stomach, back and sides.. Does yoga or light stretching help?

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

The short answer is that exercise early in the recovery period will increase the swelling.  Every patient will be different, but I usually do not let liposuction patients perform vigorous activity for 4 to 6 weeks. Wear your compression garment as prescribed by your PS, and walk.

Alex Campbell, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Healing after liposuction is usually pretty straight forward.  There is a process of swelling and bruising that peaks at 3 days after surgery and then undergoes the first stage of major resolution in the first 2 weeks after surgery.  The lateer phase of healing takes place over the 2-3 months after surgery where everything really settles and softens.  It is after this time that we are getting close to the final result, though this varies patient to patient.  Patients can return to light activities almost immediately after surgery, normal activities 2 weeks after surgery, and vigorous exercise 4 weeks after surgery.

Michele A. Shermak, MD · Answer

Hello! I would definitely recommend you run this question by your surgeon. Generally I do like yoga and pilates after lipo because they do help loosen you up.

Tania Medina de Garcia, MD · Answer

Hello dear!!
Thanks for the question and provided information as well. 
Yes, it can help, but I recommend my patients to wait at least 4-6 weeks before resuming their workout rutine (cardio, lift, yoga, swimming, etc.). 
If you have any concerns, I suggest you to follow up close with your plastic surgeon.
Hope this is helpful. Good luck :)

Paul C. Dillon, MD · Answer

Hello, thank you for your question. I address this on an as needed basis and take into consideration patient discomfort, the extent of swelling and weight gain status. If there is considerable discomfort, massage may not be tolerated. If there is a great deal of swelling, compression should be addressed in addition to the need for massage. If there is a considerable amount of weight gain, a small amount of a water pill can be helpful also.

Joseph Franklin, MD · Answer

At three weeks post op, yoga or light stretching after your liposuction procedure should be perfectly OK.   Would obtain clearance by your surgeon, but I suspect that he/she will have no objections.

David E. Berman, MD (retired) · Answer

I am much more progressive about letting patients exercise after Smartlipo. I let them start exercising after only 5 days (in contrast to the surgeon below who prefers his patients wait 6 weeks).i think you recover much more quickly from surgery with exercising. Yoga is a great exercise since it combines stretching with core.david berman md

Does yoga help with stiffness after lipo?

Answers (7)

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