Spine surgeries can get delayed for any number of reasons, and while a shortage of beds and staff in some areas of the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic is a common reason for surgery postponement these days, sometimes your operation gets pushed back for much less significant reasons. Maybe you found out that you need to ween off certain medications, or there is a delay in getting the instrumentation or hardware you need. Perhaps your spine surgeon was needed to perform emergency care and had to reschedule your operation.
There are a myriad of reasons why your operation may end up being postponed, but you need to ensure you don’t let that postponement worsen your health. Below, we share some tips for keeping your spine healthy if your back surgery needs to be pushed back a week or longer.
Staying Healthy While Waiting For Spine Surgery
Don’t just sit back and do nothing while you’re waiting for your new surgical date to arrive, because that will only ensure your spine is worse off on the day of surgery. Instead, work to strengthen your spine so that it’s as healthy as it can be before and after your operation. Here’s how you can do that.
- Exercise/PT/Stretching – One of the best things you can do for your spine during this unexpected delay is to stay active and strengthen your spine with whatever type of activity it can tolerate. For some, that’s exercise in the form of walking, cycling or swimming. For others, standard exercise may be too difficult, so just doing their therapy exercises or stretching routines will help to develop key muscles and tissues. Keep moving and strengthening areas of your spine, because those areas will need to support nearby structures that are weakened as a result of your spine surgery.
- Eat Right – Now is also not a good time to gain weight, because that will only put more stress on your spine as it attempts to recover after surgery. Your body can also draw helpful vitamins and nutrients from your diet, which will ensure structures can function appropriately before and after your operation. Mind your diet and strive to make healthy choices as your new surgery date arrives.
- Get Consistent Sleep – It likely won’t be as easy to fall asleep in the first few days after spine surgery, but it’s easier to fall asleep if you have already established healthy sleeping habits. In the days and weeks leading up to your operation, try to consistently get a healthy amount of sleep. Not only will these habits help you after your operation, but sleep is a restorative process for your body that helps it to remove waste products from your body, which helps to prevent problems like inflammation. Develop and maintain healthy sleep habits during this delay.
- Try Conservative Measures Again – Finally, consider diving back into some conservative care methods while you wait for your new surgery date. Even if these conservative care options don’t end up preventing you from needing surgery, they’ll still serve to strengthen your spine and give it a better chance to make a strong recovery after surgery. Physical therapy, stretching exercises, anti-inflammatory medications, weight loss, and other non-operative methods are worth pursuing again when you’ve got nothing better to do while you’re waiting for your new surgery date to arrive.
If you have questions about the best things you can do for your spine because treatment has been delayed, reach out to Dr. Sinicropi and the team at the Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today.
