Spine surgery continues to get smaller and less taxing on the patient, but that doesn’t mean the process will be completely painless. Even when minimally invasive techniques are used, surgery is a major trauma for your body, and you’ll need to deal with some post-op pain and discomfort. In today’s blog, we share some tips for controlling and eliminating pain following a spine surgery procedure.
Pain Control Tips After Back Surgery
If you keep these tips in mind, odds are you’ll have a better grip over your discomfort, and you’ll have tools in your arsenal to decrease any post-op pain you may be experiencing.
- Expect Pain – One thing you’ll want to do before your operation is to reconcile with the notion that you will be in some discomfort after the procedure. It may sound odd, but realizing that there will be pain can help your body better prepare for it. You’ll have more power over how you respond to pain if you anticipate it instead of assuming painkillers will completely drown out your pain.
- Do Your PT Exercises – Physical therapy may be a bit uncomfortable in the wake of surgery, but it is supremely beneficial for helping to control pain. Physical therapy will help to establish flexibility, improve strength and restore function, all of which helps to prevent long-term pain. You may not always look forward to your PT exercises, but they play a crucial role in pain control.
- Talk With Your Surgeon About Painkillers – Depending on your operation and your pain tolerance levels, your surgeon may decide to prescribe different types of painkillers to help you block out pain while it’s at its most intense. Talk with your doctor about the most effective ways to take these medications. Painkillers shouldn’t be used to always keep you from feeling any discomfort, but they should be used to make discomfort more bearable. Ensure you understand the role that any prescription should play in your pain management plan, and how to safely and effectively take your pain medication.
- Prepare For Your Return Ahead Of Time – If you’re going to be uncomfortable after surgery, do some things ahead of time so that you don’t have to do them once you return home after your operation. Clean the house, do some laundry and prepare some healthy and easy-to-reheat meals so that household tasks don’t put more stress on your injured spine.
- Reach Out To Friends And Family – Similarly, if you’ll be in discomfort and physical tasks won’t be as easy to accomplish while you’re recovering, reach out to friends or family for help. See if someone will be willing to drive you to follow-up appointments or help you run errands, as this can help lessen your physical demands while you’re dealing with back pain.
- Simple And Ergonomic Movements – Finally, as you work to recover, it’s important to be deliberate with how you move and to always have good posture to take stress off your spine. Bend with your knees, not at the waist, and strive to keep your head positioned directly above your shoulders. Simple ergonomic movements will help to decrease discomfort or at least avoid making back pain worse.
And as always, if you have any questions or need some individualized advice for dealing with your back pain, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at the Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today.
