Any type of major surgery on your back is risky not only during the procedure but afterward as well. Making sure you heal properly is the only way to assure a complete and long-lasting recovery. One way to strengthen your back and your abdominals is to practice proper range of motion of your muscles. Engaging in exercises that focus on your back and surrounding areas will help you build a stronger body.
Back Surgery
If you are recovering from back surgery, you may be faced with pain in the incision area, and possibly pain involving your nerves and the muscles around the spine. Some of the more common back surgeries include decompression, disc replacement, spinal fusion, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty and laminectomy. Removing affected tissue and bone, and fusing areas of the spine together are common causes for back surgery. Herniated discs, growths or cysts on the spine and nerves pinching together are reasons for spine decompression, explains Spine-Health. Most back surgeries are minimally invasive, but being active afterward per your surgeon's request will help speed recovery.
Recovery
Recovery time after back surgery will depend on how well you are feeling and healing in the affected area. If you have a condition such as disk degeneration or spinal stenosis --- a narrowing around the space of the spinal cord --- your recovery may not be 100 percent. Nerve damage may be present, so it can be difficult to assess pain and the success of the surgery at times. Your surgeon may recommend physical therapy so that she can work with you on rebuilding muscle strength. It is important to wait at least two to three weeks after surgery, once the soft tissue has healed around the spine, before starting any type of exercise.
Exercises
It is important to keep your spine stabilized when you begin exercising --- this will prevent re-injury. Spine-Health suggests a four-point stabilization when strengthening your back with exercise. This requires you to kneel on the ground or a workout pad. Raise one arm and extend the opposite leg behind you. This strengthens the large back muscles and guides the back muscles to remain in a comfortable, stable position. Always make sure to stretch for at least 15 minutes before exercising to prevent strain.
Solution
Sciatic nerve problems and degenerative disk disease are other reasons why you may have to seek surgery on your lower back. It is important to keep your muscles conditioned and active to help promote recovery. When you don't exercise and move your back muscles, the spine can become deconditioned --- weakening muscles and leading to strain and additional pain.
Effects
Making a full recovery should be your main concern. Strength in your back and lower body will help make it easy to get back to doing things you once you enjoyed. Exercise also helps you work through periods of pain and discomfort as you go through the healing process, notes the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Movement helps promote spinal fluid to travel easier within your discs and restores spinal health.
Member Comments