Recovery and daily activities after spine surgery
After you have prepared for the surgery, and the spine surgery itself has been successfully completed and you have prepared the house/apartment for post-operative recovery, it is time to recover or return to standard life routines.
Recovery from any spine surgery is individual and depends on:
- the type of surgery
- the state of your health before the surgery
- your general level of fitness and muscle strength
- how intense your symptoms and pain were before the surgery itself
- on your age
- the very approach and method of recovery and rehabilitation.
So, recovery is an extremely individual thing, but there are general rules and advice that will help everyone.
Follow your doctor's advice as you begin your recovery from surgery, stay informed through this app, complete the tasks he instructs you to do - be proactive in your research and self-care.
Your body needs time to recover and heal from surgery. A positive attitude will help your recovery to be faster and more successful.
In the first weeks at home, you will be quite tired, this is completely normal and is by no means a reason for additional stress. As a rule, people around you will not understand how you feel and what level of pain you are experiencing.
Likewise, it is normal to have pain and discomfort after spine surgery.
Your doctor will prescribe therapy to control pain, relax and reduce muscle spasms, and possibly an antibiotic to prevent infection.
A cold or hot compress on the site of the surgical incision will help relieve pain. Cold compresses are used to reduce swelling and relieve pain, and hot compresses are used to improve circulation and help with spasms, i.e. muscle spasms. Place the compress on your clothes, not directly on bare skin, and use it for a maximum of 20 minutes.
After the inflammation and nerve sensitivity decreases, which can take weeks or months, it is recommended to reduce the use of painkillers. Do not take anti-inflammatory medications unless recommended by your doctor, as they can prolong recovery and interfere with the recovery and healing process.
Where is the line between normal recovery and too much activity
It is important to stay active as much as possible. Do not sit for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. Likewise, lying down all day is by no means good because your muscles will atrophy, and excessive lying down can also lead to pressure ulcers, blood clots in the legs, and pneumonia.
Your body will tell you when you've overdone it, either through fatigue or increased pain.
It takes a while to figure out what is too much, and of course it depends on the type of surgery you had, your age, and how physically fit you were before the surgery.
Do not do yard work, housework and grocery shopping on your own immediately after surgery. Avoid all activities that involve pushing and pulling such as vacuuming, mopping floors, or mowing the lawn for at least the first six weeks after surgery.
If you feel more sore than usual after an activity, you are probably overdoing it. Reduce the intensity of the activities and adapt them to your capabilities.
Light activity such as walking will help relieve the pain. In fact, the best thing you can do for recovery is light walks, a couple of times a day.
Walking is great because it prevents muscle atrophy, but it also helps prevent blood clots from developing. Walking also helps to restore the normal functioning of the digestive system.
Every day try to walk a little more than yesterday and walk in comfortable sneakers. Walk at an easy pace and avoid uphills, downhills and stairs.
Let the pain be your guide
Let me bring things closer to you with an example. If you increased your walking time from 20 to 25 minutes, and after "cooling down" you feel more pain, go back to 20 minutes for a few more days, and then try 25 minutes of walking again.
Adjust walking on the stairs to your capabilities and as far as the pain allows.
In the application, you have a walking program that is defined depending on your date and type of operation. Follow the recommended daily step goals, and if necessary, adjust them to your capabilities.
Lifting and bending problems
Your activities will be limited. Bending, twisting and lifting are prohibited for a few weeks after the operation.
Do not lift anything heavier than 2 kg for the first 4-6 weeks after surgery.
When lifting, always hold the object as close to the body as possible, this way there will be less strain on the spine.
Always lift "from the legs", not "from the back".
Lifting heavy weights can put unnecessary pressure on the spine and cause problems in recovery. After all, listen to your doctor, he will suggest how long you should avoid, lifting, bending or twisting the spine.
A good aid to avoid bending over is a long-handled picker. In addition, another product that I would definitely recommend is the aid for putting on socks.
I personally could not put on socks by myself 4 months after the operation.
A seemingly simple thing becomes an impossible mission after surgery.
Pay attention to correct posture, i.e. posture when sitting, standing, walking and even when lying down. When sitting, concentrate on sitting straight.
If you have had cervical spine surgery, I would especially note that you try to avoid excessive neck movement. Do not lift your head up and limit side-to-side rotation of the neck to a maximum of 30 degrees in each direction.
Small movements are fine!
If you are too stiff, the muscles in the back of your neck and shoulders will tire and start to cramp.
Wear the collar as directed by your doctor for as long as necessary. When you shower and eat, you can remove the collar, but keep your head in a neutral position, facing forward.
If you have had the lumbar spine surgery, sit as comfortably as possibly in a chair or on a couch with a towel rolled into a roll or a pillow for lumbar support, do not overdo it.
In the application, you have the option of activating the counter of the allowed sitting-time. After the recommended sitting-time has expired, the application will notify you.
The sitting program is made in such a way that, depending on the date and type of operation, it recommends the allowed sitting-times.
After the application reports that the sitting-time has expired, I recommend that you change your position. Take a short walk or lie down in bed.
Driving a car after spine surgery
If you really have to travel somewhere and drive your car independently, stop every 45 minutes and walk for 10-15 minutes. This is valid only after 4-6 weeks after surgery. Before that, driving is strictly prohibited. For a trip where someone else is driving you, lower the seat back a little - that way you will be most comfortable.
Once you return to driving, do not drive under the influence of opioid medications or muscle relaxants as they can affect your ability to react in traffic.
Recovery takes time, it's true
But you will quickly notice positive changes if you stick to the program. Regular light walking, discipline when it comes to doctor's advice and using this app will help you.
You will feel an improvement in muscle strength, less stress, your mood will improve, digestion will come into its own, breathing will calm down, if necessary - you will lose a few kilograms, improve your posture and balance.
We wish you a fast and successful recovery!
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