Better Recovery: Limited Exercising w/o Painkillers, or Excessive Exercise with

I'm at a bit of a crossroads with my recovery. I am able to walk without painkillers but really limited amounts. I would say the pain will really start to kick in after walking about 100 meters with stairs and ramps. However, I am also able to pop a ketanol and walk almost 3-4 times that amount pain free.

What do you think is a better approach to recovery? And why? I will also admit that taking painkillers also increases the likelyhood of getting up and moving in the first place.

I have also tested some of this without painkillers and it seems the day after my legs had some excessive trauma, but it may all be in my head.

I had stopped taking pain killers because I didn't have much pain. I also thought it might be better for my health and liver.
But then walking started to getting more and more painful and exhausting. That affects the mental health a lot.
So now I take up to 4-5 Paracetamol per day and it's a lot better. Also for my mind. It's not perfect but I'm convinced that's the best approach for recovering. Dr. Giotikas told me that only like 6 paracatemol a day won't damage my liver.

Quote from: Great321 on April 04, 2019, 11:39:07 AMI had stopped taking pain killers because I didn't have much pain. I also thought it might be better for my health and liver.
But then walking started to getting more and more painful and exhausting. That affects the mental health a lot.
So now I take up to 4-5 Paracetamol per day and it's a lot better. Also for my mind. It's not perfect but I'm convinced that's the best approach for recovering. Dr. Giotikas told me that only like 6 paracatemol a day won't damage my liver.

Do you take that during the span of an entire day? If not, how many do you take at one time, and what mg are the tablets?

Yeah I'm actually in agreement to get off of the hard meds since I've been taking them for months. Though I am down to 1 pill of ketanol day when before it was an ass injection and 3 pills.

Two right after I wake up. 2 after 6 hours again. And only sometimes 1 in the evening. It's important to wait 6 hours until you take the next dose.

It's Paracetamol 500.

You are both talking about very mild over-the-counter pain relievers.  Paracetamol is merely acetaminophen (USA trade name = Tylenol).  Ketanol is very similar to ibuprofen (USA trade name = Advil).

These are medications for routine headaches, muscle pain, and menstrual cramps.  If you are feeling a little tight, or stiff, or sore; then, sure.

Keep in mind that Ketanol is a NSAID (Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug).  Studies show that NSAIDs impair bone regeneration.  The other side of the coin is that NSAIDs reduce inflammation better than acetaminophen.

Notwithstanding the above, many MDs prescribe strong pain-killers during recovery so that we can get up and exercise through the pain because exercise is more beneficial to recovery than pain-killers are potentially harmful.

I personally watched an orthopedist prescribe opioids to a total knee replacement patient explaining that it was more important to get the knee moving than it was to worry about addiction.  He even said, "if you get addicted, we will get you un-addicted later after your knee is moving."  Obviously, that was an extreme case but it effectively demonstrates the decision process.

So, as I understand the thinking, if pain meds are prescribed so that you can move, take the meds and move.

Hah, I actually didn’t know ketonal was an NSAID, I have been using it for almost my entire recovery under the impression that it isn’t one. But, I’ve had pretty good recovery so far using ketonal and diclophenac, my callous is almost completely closed, but you are definitely right. Best to keep moving and exercising.

Thanks for the advice.

FYI, diclophenac is also an NSAID -- very similar to Motrin or Advil.

My doctor wasn't sold on anti-inflammatories slowing down callous growth, so he prescribed both meds. It's hard to say, because in the first month of my surgery there was no way I was even getting out of bed without an injection of diclophenac. 300mg ketanol and 150mg of lyrica wasn't enough to get me walking at first.