The ultimate guide to maximizing the body's ability to heal for anyone who is planning for or recovering from surgery, injury or pregnancy. By understanding the body's marvelous ability to repair and rebuild itself, we can prepare and fine-tune our bodies to optimize our healing potential post surgery. THE RAPID RECOVERY HANDBOOK will provide an understanding of the healing process and the essential tools to make sure self-healing mechanisms are in top working order, covering every repair-related detail a patient needs to know from the planning-for-surgery period through the late stages of recovery at home. Written for a variety of patients dealing with a wide scope of surgeries and injuries, THE RAPID RECOVERY HANDBOOK reveals three practical factors that account for the individualized nature of recovery: nutrition and botanical support (the primary way to prepare for surgery and to enhance healing from injury), physical support (including such beneficial therapies as massage, acupuncture, Reiki, hydrotherapy and others) and mind-body support (including hypnosis and mindful breathing to address the stress response). Complete with a foreword by Dr. Mehmet Oz, the book also has several appendices for lay and science-savvy readers alike.