Stay Steady After Surgery: 4 Proven Ways to Prevent Falls and Protect Your Recovery

Recovering from surgery is a victory, but it's also a vulnerable time—pain meds, reduced strength, and altered balance can spike your fall risk, potentially derailing healing or leading to complications. At Advanced Health NY in Carmel, we specialize in post-surgical care, empowering you with targeted strategies to safeguard your progress. Simple steps now mean faster, safer mobility. Let's keep you on the path to full strength.

4 Essential Steps to Fall-Proof Your Post-Surgery Recovery

Tailored for surgical patients, these actions address common hurdles like incision sensitivity, medication side effects, and temporary weakness—helping you heal confidently:

• Restart Movement with Guided Exercise: Build leg strength and balance through low-impact, post-op approved routines like seated leg lifts or walking aids. Our physical therapists create surgery-specific programs to restore stability without straining your site.

• Reassess Your Medications: Post-surgery drugs like opioids or blood thinners can cause dizziness—ask your surgeon or pharmacist for a review. We coordinate with your team to adjust for safer balance during recovery.

• Update Your Vision Check: Surgery can shift how you move; ensure annual eye exams and fresh prescriptions. Sharp sight helps you spot obstacles around casts, braces, or healing limbs.

• Optimize Your Home for Healing:

  • Clear pathways of clutter, cords, or medical equipment to avoid trips near your recovery area.

  • Add non-slip mats, railings on stairs, and grab bars by the bed or bath—essential for post-op transfers.

  • Install adjustable lighting over high-traffic spots like hallways or your bedside table for nighttime safety.

These tweaks, combined with our rehab support, minimize setbacks and accelerate your return to independence.

At Higher Risk After Surgery? Take Our Quick Fall Assessment Quiz

Post-op patients face elevated odds—answer "yes" to any of these, and our Medicare-covered screening can pinpoint issues like gait changes or med interactions for a customized prevention plan.

1. Have you fallen since your surgery?

2. Do you use (or were advised to use) a cane, walker, or crutches?

3. Do you feel unsteady when walking, especially with your brace or sling?

4. Do you hold onto furniture or walls for support while moving?

5. Are you worried about falling during recovery?

6. Do you push with your hands to stand from a chair or bed?

7. Do you struggle stepping over thresholds or curbs?

8. Do you rush to the bathroom, risking slips?

9. Have you experienced numbness or reduced feeling in your feet or surgical limb?

10. Do you take pain meds or antibiotics that make you light-headed or fatigued?

11. Are you on sedatives or sleep aids to manage post-op discomfort?

12. Do you feel anxious or down about your recovery progress?

Protect Your Progress: Schedule Your Medicare-Covered Post-Surgery Screening

A fall could mean extended healing or re-injury—don't risk it. Contact Advanced Health NY in Carmel at (845) 228-7000 for your specialized fall assessment, including balance tests and home safety audits. We'll integrate it into your rehab for seamless support. Book Your Screening Now. Your strong recovery deserves steady steps—let's ensure them together.