Spine surgery is just the first step in helping you get back to the strongest version of yourself, and while surgery will do a lot of the heavy lifting, you have to put in plenty of work on your own if you expect to regain flexibility and mobility in your spine following an operation. In today’s blog, we share some tips for how you can help yourself regain mobility in your spine following a back procedure.
Increasing Spinal Range Of Motion After Surgery
There are a number of ways you can help your body recover and increase spinal flexibility following a procedure on your back. Here’s a look at some of the tips we recommend to our patients.
- Start Before Surgery – Some people are surprised to learn that they don’t need to wait until surgery has been completed to start giving themselves a better chance at a full recovery. Before you head into surgery, partake in some physical therapy exercises and a stretching routine. The stronger you make your spine before surgery, the stronger it will come out of the operation. Every little bit helps, so start targeting your spine with movement and strengthening exercises before surgery day arrives.
- Stick To The PT Plan – Once you’re out of surgery, you’ll likely consult with a physical therapist or be referred to one prior to your discharge. Physical therapy is the single best thing you can do to help your spine become stronger and more flexible following an operation, so stick to your PT schedule. Really pay attention during your sessions and give maximum effort. The more you put into PT, the more you’ll get out of the exercises, and that can make a big difference in how much flexibility you regain following an operation.
- Keep Therapy Going At Home – In-person therapy is very helpful for your spine, but to regain the most physical function after surgery, you also need to do your home-based routine regularly. Take at least 10 minutes each day to do some exercises or stretching routines that safely work to expand your spinal range of motion. If you only do therapy when you’re in the office but fail to follow through with your home-based exercises, you may notice that your progress plateaus earlier than expected. Drive home that progress by doing regular flexibility exercises at home.
- Reevaluate Your Posture – Finally, poor posture habits can serve to put additional stress on our spine and actually limit spinal flexibility. Knowing this, it stands to reason that it’s a smart idea to reevaluate your posture throughout the day to ensure your posture isn’t putting extra pressure on your spine. Sit or stand up straight, with your head positioned directly over your shoulders. If you’re hunched forward or sinking into the sofa, you may be putting more stress on your lumbar and cervical spine, which can strain muscles and limit your flexibility. If you want to ensure you have good posture, talk to your physical therapist or your spine care team.
And as always, you can give yourself a better chance to make a strong recovery following back surgery by trusting your care to a skilled and experienced surgeon like Dr. Sinicropi. To learn more about how he’ll help get your back to a more independent and pain-free version of yourself, give him and his team a call today at (651) 430-3800.
