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Spiritual Issues to Prepare for Back Surgery

Many doctors underestimate the importance of religion and prayer to their patients, and many patients are reluctant to bring these issues up for discussion.

In This Article:

However, recent research seems to indicate that belief in a higher power makes a positive contribution to a person’s physical health and provides many benefits that can facilitate the surgery process and improve outcomes, including:

More Back Surgery Topics:

Back/Neck Surgery Intro

Microdiscectomy

Lumbar Laminectomy

Cervical Spine Surgery

Lumbar Spinal Fusion

Giving the person a sense of meaning and purpose
Setting health priorities
Giving comfort in the face of illness and crises

Spiritual issues can be incorporated into the back surgery preparation process:

Coping thoughts might be developed using spiritual content
Relaxation exercises can be combined with a patient's spiritual beliefs and prayer

Doctor Benson found that patients commonly use prayers as a "mantra" to enhance the relaxation response in many ways, including:

Increasing the likelihood that the patient will continue to practice the Relaxation Response
Bringing forth brain waves associated with wellness
Helping allay feelings of worry and anxiety

Next Page: Assertiveness Skills to Prepare for Back Surgery

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