Elevating the head does help a bit, but honestly, I found ice packs kinda overrated. They helped initially, sure, but after day 2 or so, they didn't seem to make much difference for me. Instead, switching to warm compresses around day 3-4 really eased the stiffness and swelling. Plus, it's budget-friendly—just a warm towel or heating pad you already have at home. Might be worth a shot if ice isn't cutting it anymore...
Totally relate to the ice pack thing—honestly, after day two, mine were just glorified face accessories. 😂 Did you find the warm compresses helped with stiffness specifically or was it more general swelling? I never tried heat because my surgeon was pretty strict about "ice, ice, and more ice," but now I'm curious if I missed out on some next-level comfort.
Also, random question: did anyone else get super bored of soft foods after like three days? By day four I would've traded my left shoe for a crunchy snack...
I actually found warm compresses super helpful for stiffness—ice was great for swelling initially, but after a few days, heat really loosened things up. And yeah, soft foods got old fast...by day five, I was dreaming about chips and salsa. Hang in there, it gets better!
