Explore how to use relaxation techniques to prepare for back surgery and neck surgery.
Back Surgery
Is surgery for neck or back pain necessary? Sometimes. It is reasonable to consider spine surgery if the pain has not diminished after months of non-surgical treatment, if pain does not respond to medication, or if you're unable to complete basic daily activities. Some surgery options are minimally invasive (microdiscectomy for a herniated disc) and allow for quick recovery, while other types of surgery (a posterolateral fusion for degenerative disc disease) are more extensive.
While scar tissue can be a cause of back pain after surgery, actual scar tissue pain is very rare since the tissue contains no nerve endings.
Scar tissue is a common occurrence after back surgery and is not always a cause of pain. In fact, scar tissue is part of the normal healing process after surgery.
Patients can resume normal activity once the fusion has reached completion. For may patients this will happen between the 6- and 12-month marks.
The period after the first follow up until about three months post op is a critical period in the recovery process.
During the first weeks after the operation the patient will be given several precautions to follow in order to help protect the spine.
After scoliosis surgery the patient will be monitored at the hospital for a few days before being given clearance to go home.
Preparation for scoliosis surgery should include figuring out where the patient will sleep and how daily tasks will be performed after the operation.
Full recovery after scoliosis surgery will typically require 6 to 12 months of postoperative care.
Potential risks of spinal fusion for scoliosis include paraplegia, excessive blood loss, and structural problems.
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