Incision pain caused by vigorous exercise 10 weeks after surgery?

I had my resection surgery done 10 weeks ago. Last week my surgeon gave me the all clear to resume all activities. I have a 6 inch vertical incision, btw. On Monday I did a class at my gym that involved some intense ab work. It didn't even occur to me that I should take it easy. about halfway through the reps (using a weighted medicine ball and a row-like motion) I suddenly felt a burning and stabbing sort of pain at the top of my incision. It felt like my incision was ripping open! I immediately stopped and even lifted my shirt to check it out right there on my mat in the class! It was (and is) still intact... ;)

I put an icepack on it the night of the class and took it a little easier than normal yesterday. This morning I woke up and took my usual brisk 1 1/2 mile walk and took a Zumba class tonight (no ab work really). I feel very tender with stabs of pain here and there and that weird burning sensation on occasion still. I'm experiencing the pain/burning when just sitting around, too.

Anyway, it has been two days and it's still extremely tender. Is this something I should worry about? I've never had abdominal surgery before, so I have no idea what to expect in this regard. The same class is being offered again in the morning. Should I skip the abdominal exercises or push through this pain a bit?

I just don't want to do anything to slow down the healing.

Be very careful! You do not want to get a hernia. It drives me crazy that surgeons give the all clear allowing people to think they can just go back to what they did before. It is much safer to start slowly. Very slowly. Your muscles and nerves were cut and that takes a LOT longer than 10 weeks to repair.

I ended up with a hernia in my abdomen. It was mid-ab, about 3 inches to the right of my belly button and bulged out about as big as a softball. I looked like I was giving birth to an alien. It started with burning and stabbing pain after I had lifted some boxes. The surgery to repair it was awful, mostly due to the "nurses" at the hospital. I ended up with complications for 6 months and another hernia. I was not allowed to lift more than 5 lbs for almost a year.

Don't ignore the burning pain and if you notice a bulge, check in with your doc. Be careful.

The burning pain is rather common after surgery so you are probably fine. The nerves take forever to heal. I just wanted to warn you about overdoing it. I still have some burning pain and my last surgery was 2 yrs ago.

It's weird how surgeons all seem to give different instructions after similar surgeries. I would have been allowed to go back to normal six weeks after my hernia surgery if I hadn't had complications. A coworker had a hernia repaired by a different surgeon and she wasn't allowed to lift more than 10 lbs for 6 months.

If you find that the area gets sensitive to touch, try wearing a snug spandex tank top that covers the area. I tried wearing baggy shirts but the occasional touch bothered me more than the constant touch from the spandex.

Thank you both for responding! I'm definitely going to take it easy. I do have quite a bit of energy...which is fabulous! My incision was just a tiny bit tender at the top and still hurt a little to sneeze, but other than that it wasn't really bothering me. It's frustrating that now the pain is worse than it was, but hopefully after taking it easy for a few days it will feel better. I'll plan to ease my way into abdominal work, but I definitely won't do any until this is feeling better again.

Is burning pain common this far out from surgery...if I hadn't experienced it before now? I guess my biggest concern is that I basically had very little or no pain anymore other than when I sneeze...and now it's worse.

Goodness I am 17 weeks post op with an 8 inch scar from belly button down. I can't even imagine doing any type of ab work right now. My doc told me atleast 6 months for anything vigorous. I am only doing walking right now.
Try to slow down a little. You will be back to your old self soon enough. With a little rest the burning pain should settle down. It is quite possible you just pulled some newly healed muscles and all will be well once it reheals.

Tanya

I have had the exact same experience as Crohns girl. I had bowel resection March 2015, scar tissue/removal of rest of sigmoid colon August 2015 and finally my ileostomy reversal surgery November 5. I waited until January and then hit classes at the gym with light weights, yoga, having a great time until boxing class. I had burning pain severe soreness. I contacted my surgeon to ask if I could injure this area and the response was oh yes you can get a hernia you are really weak! Eek!! I thought I was good to go. So I have been off exercise except walking and bicycling and am much less sore: it isn't gone completely. But I have a 10 inch long vertical incision and a 4,5 inch horizontal on one side. It was scary. I have found a website on live strong aimed specifically at rehabbing after abdominal surgery. I'm thinking this would have been good advice. I wish I had known more