Even when performed using minimally invasive techniques, surgery is a major trauma to your body. And while the physical trauma of surgery has the end goal of helping you be more active and have less pain, it can take weeks or months after your operation to reach this point. Because structures are cut and hardware is sometimes inserted during a spinal procedure, movement at the surgical site can be painful while you recover. However, if you don’t work to improve your range of motion while recovery is taking place, scar tissue can develop and have long-term implications for your spinal mobility. With that in mind, we share three tips to help improve your spinal mobility after a surgical procedure.
Improving Spinal Mobility After Surgery
Here are some ways to work to improve mobility and flexibility in your spine after a surgical procedure. However, make sure these tips are not counterintuitive to the recommendations made by your treating surgeon.
- Take Physical Therapy Seriously – Physical therapy is the single best thing you’ll do for your spine during the recovery phase. It helps with all aspects of physical function, from range of motion to strength and stability. Attend every session and be an active participant, and make sure you are performing any home-based exercises. Not only will a physical therapist be able to help you improve your flexibility by having you perform certain exercises, but they will ensure that movements aren’t overstressing your spine and putting it in danger of another injury. If you really want to improve your spinal flexibility after surgery, commit to your physical therapy plan.
- Stretch – Targeted exercise in the form of physical therapy is great, but so to is less structured stretching. Stretching helps to improve your range of motion by helping muscle groups stay loose and strengthening them so that they are comfortable moving in a range of directions. You can find a simple stretching routine based on your surgery by performing a quick Google search, or by talking to your physical therapist or a member of your surgical team.
- Don’t Stop At Good Enough – When it comes to your health, and to a lesser degree your spinal flexibility, don’t stop at good enough. It’s great that you’ve progressed to the point where you can return to work or participate in sporting activities, but that doesn’t mean your work is done. Good enough shouldn’t cut it, so don’t stop your therapy routine early just because you’re noticing some progress. Many spine patients can actually have more strength and flexibility than they had prior to surgery if they put in the work, so long as they don’t stop early. Even after physical therapy is complete, make it a point to stretch regularly or incorporate spinal exercises into your workout routine to help build and keep this improved spinal flexibility. Your body is in a critical stage during recovery, and if you don’t put in the work now, it will be much harder to regain flexibility down the road, so don’t stop working to improve your spinal flexibility until you’ve made a full recovery.
If you keep these tips in mind and trust your surgery to Dr. Sinicropi, we’re confident that you’ll have a successful surgery and have a good chance of improving your spinal flexibility. For more information or for help with your back pain issues, reach out to his clinic today.
