You may experience some discomfort following surgery, however, pain medications, ice, and good body mechanics should keep you reasonably comfortable. Although pain medications take the edge off, most patients still experience some discomfort. Pain can be upsetting and cause anxiety, but it does not always mean there is something wrong. Our providers proactively treat pain, however, medications sometimes require adjusting following discharge from the surgery center or hospital. The first few days following surgery are usually the most painful. However, as you become more physically active, your pain may increase. Pain control is a balance between healing, activity, and medications. We recommend you follow the 5% rule. If you increase your activities 5% during the day, expect to feel more pain at the end of the day. You should recover overnight and hopefully feel well in the morning. If you recover as expected, you can increase your next day’s activities by 5%. If you do not recover overnight (pain remains higher than expected), we suggest you rest one day and decrease your total day’s activities by 5% until you feel good the next morning. Continue the process as tolerated. If you experience severe pain after surgery, please contact us at (425) 823-4000.