Recovery

Anti-Smoking Medications: Zyban and Chantix

Greg — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:06:01 -0700

Currently there are two main prescription medications that may be prescribed to help people quit smoking: Zyban and Chantix.

Zyban (bupropion)
Bupropion is a prescription anti-depressant medication marketed under the brand names Wellbutrin (for depression) and Zyban (for smoking cessation). Zyban does not contain nicotine and is thought to affect chemicals in the brain that are related to nicotine craving. Zyban can be used either alone or in conjunction with nicotine replacement therapy.

Arrange for assistance at home and work

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

Following a spine fusion your ability to do many activities will be limited. This can include normal daily activities and occupational duties. It is best to make arrangements before surgery to have these needs met.

The extent of the assistance you may need depends on many things:

Specific type of fusion surgery to be completed
Your age
Nerve function
Type of job
Amount of help you have at home
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At the hospital (one to two days) after spine fusion surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

More Spinal Fusion Info:

Mattresses for Low Back Pain

Depression can lead to chronic back pain

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:24:26 -0800

More Depression Info

Depression and Back Pain

Depression Guide

Stress and Back pain

Chronic Pain Overview

Exercise for Back Surgery: Doctor Answers Patient Questions

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:04:49 -0800

Gentle exercise options before surgery

Question:

Getting Adequate Pain Control After Back Surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:12 -0800

Effective pain control after surgery can help the overall success of the back surgery. Almost all surgical procedures cause mild to severe postoperative pain, and this is one of the greatest worries of many back surgery patients. Even so, patients are rarely prepared for the type of pain they will experience after the operation, and a systematic pain control approach is rarely used.

Guidelines for recovering from low back pain

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:18:36 -0800

More Low Back Pain Info:

Low Back Pain Causes

Low Back Pain Treatment

Coccydynia Introduction

In addition to stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercises, there are several lifestyle guidelines that can help in the healing and rehabilitation process.

Maximize the Ability to Heal After Spine Fusion Surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

Healing after spine surgery

One of the risks of any spine fusion surgery is a lack of healing of the bone graft, which is known as a pseudarthrosis. There are a number of factors that can affect this outcome after spine fusion surgery. These can include:

Poor nutrition
Osteoporosis
Previous back surgery
Multiple level spine fusion surgery
Severe deformities
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Moving from Static to Dynamic Exercises

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

After the initial 6-week recuperation period when the focus is on getting back to feeling good, more advanced exercise should be added to strengthen the back structures and increase overall fitness. Patients can add more rigor and variety to their routines by using an exercise ball or resistance bands. The exact timing of when a surgeon will recommend adding dynamic exercises is dependent on both the quality of stability achieved at surgery and the surgeon’s own personal preference.

Multilevel Spinal Fusion: Surgery, Risks, and Recovery

Ben Parr — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:31:47 -0700

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Lumbar Fusion for DDD

One to four weeks after spine fusion surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

One of the risks of any surgery is infection. This occurs about 1% of the time. Some people, (e.g., diabetics), are more prone to infections.

Wound infections usually present at about 10 days after surgery. Some symptoms to look for include:

More Spinal Fusion Info:

One to Three Months Post-op After a Fusion Surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

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Pain management after microdiscectomy surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:15 -0800

Immediate post-operative pain can be managed with a combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) and a mild pain pill (e.g. Darvocet, Vicodin). The narcotic pain medications (Vicodin) are addictive and should only be used for a short period of time (less than two weeks).

As the discomfort from back surgery subsides (usually about 1 to 2 weeks) the patient can move towards substituting Tylenol for the narcotic pain medications.

Physical Therapy after Minimally Invasive Back Surgery

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:04:47 -0800

When a surgery is minimally invasive, many people – especially those who experience a great deal of pain relief – may think that physical therapy is unnecessary. But it is very important that muscle function is at its best after any spine procedure in order to maximize recovery and to minimize potential future problems.

Postoperative care for decompression/fusion surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:10 -0800

Immediately after the surgery, patients will experience some difficulty swallowing or a sore throat due to manipulation of the esophagus. This usually resolves within several days, but symptoms may persist to a troublesome degree.

The pain associated with the procedure is relatively minimal, as most of the exposure is obtained by dissecting tissue, not dividing it. Pain at the graft site (where bone graft is obtained from the hip) is more of a concern if iliac crest graft is utilized.

Postoperative Care for Spinal Fusion Surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

Spine fusion surgery recovery

More Spinal Fusion Info:

Modern Spinal Fusion

Lumbar Fusion for DDD

Practical Advice for Recovering from Back Surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:12 -0800

Back surgery postoperative care

Prepare for blood loss

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

Often the amount of blood that is lost is quite small, but excessive bleeding during a spine fusion is always a possibility.

Some medications can increase the amount of blood loss. The most common ones are aspirin and NSAIDs (such as ibuprofen, naprosen, voltaren, Relafen). These medications should be discontinued 10-14 days before surgery. If you are on coumadin (warfarin), you should consult your surgeon and your primary care physician as to when to stop the medication and how to manage the anticoagulation. Spinal surgery cannot be done safely if your blood does not clot.

Reasons to Quit Smoking Before Spinal Fusion

Greg — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:07:15 -0700

Studies have demonstrated that the rate of non-fusion in smokers is as much as twice that found in non-smokers. Although the studies on non-fusion rates are highly variable depending upon the procedures used, the fusion rates for non-smokers is about 5% to 15% whereas in smokers it is approximately 20% to 30%, or higher. Most theories as to why this occurs relate to the negative effects nicotine has on bone growth (which is essential for achieving a spinal fusion).

Rehabilitation after spine surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:13 -0800

After an incorrect preoperative diagnosis and subsequent spine surgery, probably the second most common cause of failed back surgery syndrome is improper and/or inadequate postoperative rehabilitation. As stated earlier, it often takes months to a year to heal after many of these back surgeries, and a postoperative rehabilitation program that includes stretching, strengthening and conditioning is an important part of any successful spine surgery.

Rehabilitation and Exercise Following Spine Surgery

spine-health — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 23:04:47 -0800

Rehabilitation and exercise for spine surgery recovery

Spine surgery is a major undertaking, and rehabilitation is an important part of helping patients get the most possible benefit from their surgery. Essentially, rehabilitation (physical therapy, exercise) can help patients recover from spine surgery as quickly and completely as possible.

Rehabilitation and Exercise for a Healthy Back

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:18:36 -0800

How the back benefits from exercise

People who suffer from lower back pain are often encouraged to help their own recovery through exercise and physical therapy, but are seldom given the knowledge and tools needed to accomplish this. This discussion will provide a basic understanding of the causes of lower back pain, and discuss appropriate steps to exercise and rehabilitate a painful back.

Rehabilitation following lumbar fusion

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

Staying active speeds recovery from fusion

Return to Exercise After Microdiscectomy Surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:15 -0800

Healing faster with exercise

Early mobilization and exercise may help patients heal sooner, as the pre-operative pain has usually caused patients to limit their motion, and limited motion is a common cause of pain. In addition to an early exercise program of stretching, strengthening and conditioning, return to normal daily activity may also help improve the secondary soft tissue component of the pain after microdiscectomy back surgery.

Scar tissue and continued pain after back surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:13 -0800

Top Back Surgery Topics:

Back/Neck Surgery Intro

Microdiscectomy

Lumbar Laminectomy

Cervical Spine Surgery

Scar tissue and pain after back surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:17 -0800

Effects of scar tissue on back pain and leg pain

The formation of scar tissue near the nerve root (also called epidural fibrosis) is a common occurrence after back surgery—so common, in fact, that it often occurs for patients with successful surgical outcomes as well as for patients with continued or recurrent leg pain and back pain. For this reason, the importance of scar tissue (epidural fibrosis) as a potential cause of postoperative pain—commonly called failed back surgery syndrome—is controversial.

Spine Fusion Post-Operative Care

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:07 -0800

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Stretching Exercise after Microdiscectomy Surgery

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:15 -0800

Since any surgical site will heal with scar tissue, some surgeons feel that to minimize scarring of the nerve root, gentle stretching exercises should be done in the early postoperative period.

The stretching exercises should be done about 5 to 6 times a day for 6 to12 weeks, since this is the time period in which the scarring occurs.

The safest way to stretch is to lie down and maximally flex the hips and gradually extend the knee. This maneuver will also stretch the hamstring muscles, which is important for rehabilitation of the back.

Successful recovery from back surgery - patients' advice: Part I

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:17 -0800

Back-to-Back

Patients share tips on achieving a successful recovery from back surgery
In this section, patients share tips and advice about what helped them most during their post-surgical recovery.

Say no to overdoing it

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Successful recovery from back surgery - patients' advice: Part II

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:17 -0800

Back-to-Back

Patients share tips on achieving a successful recovery from back surgery
In this section, patients share tips and advice about what helped them most during their post-surgical recovery.

Surgeon recommended laminectomy for sciatic pain

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Successful recovery from back surgery - patients' advice: Part III

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:03:17 -0800

Back-to-Back

Patients share tips on achieving a successful recovery from back surgery
In this section, patients share tips and advice about what helped them most during their post-surgical recovery.

I was pain free right after my back surgery

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Three months and after

spine-health — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 00:21:08 -0800

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