People with broken vertebrae, spinal deformities and other spinal disorders may need a spinal fusion, or a surgical procedure which connects two or more vertebrae, or bones, in the back. Rehabilitation exercises for spinal fusion patients include aerobic exercises, such as stair walking, to strengthen the back muscles and bones, according to orthopedic surgeon John Sherman. However, perform stair-climbing exercises after spinal fusion surgery only under the supervision of your doctor or therapist.
Spinal Fusion
Spinal fusion surgery places a bone, or bone graft, between two or more vertebrae along your spinal column. Your surgeon may use plates, screws or rods to hold the vertebrae in place and help your bones heal. Your spine, a row of bones, descends from your neck to your buttocks. The area near your neck -- your cervical spine -- allows you to move in all directions. Your thoracic spine, in your chest area, produces some movement and protects your heart and lungs; and the lowest region of your spine, the lumbar spine, allows you to bend your back. Spinal fusion surgery may occur in the cervical, thoracic or lumbar spine.
Walking Stair Exercises
After spinal fusion surgery, your physical therapist or doctor usually recommends exercises to strengthen the muscles and bones in your hips, legs and back. Rehabilitation primarily focuses on stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercises, such as walking up actual flights of stairs or using a stair-climbing exercise machine at your home or gym. Walking on stairs helps heal bone tissue to facilitate your recuperation. Stair machines, designed to make you stand upright, provide an excellent activity to strengthen your back muscles, according to board-certified sports medical doctor Paul D. Zawatsky.
Procedure
To obtain optimal benefits from walking on a stair machine, you must stand and hold the handrails correctly, according to Zawatsky. Stand upright and lightly grasp the handrails -- only when you need them for balance. Some people reverse their grip on the rails, lean forward and position their bodies on the handrails or electronics panel -- using their shoulders and wrists to support their bodies. Poor posture impedes you from strengthening your back muscles and decreases your workout intensity, as well, says Zawatsky. In addition, you must lift your feet 6.5 to 8 inches with each step to exercise your leg, buttocks and back muscles when exercising on a stair machine.
Recommendations
To fully recover from spinal-fusion surgery, you need to complete back-strengthening exercises. It generally takes three months for your bone to set after surgery, and once your bone has set, it is unlikely to break. Therefore, restrictions on activities, including walking stair exercises, usually end after three months, according to orthopedic surgeon Lawrence T. Kurz. In general, perform walking and walking stair exercises two to three times daily. Start your walking stair exercises slowly and gradually progress under the advice of your doctor or therapist.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Spinal Fusion
- Drugs.com: Anterior Posterior Spinal Fusion
- Spine-Health: Spine Fusion Post-Operative Care; John Sherman, M.D.; September 2006
- Hughston Sports Medicine Foundation: Stair Machines: Climbing to Peak Fitness; Paul D. Zawatsky, M.D.
- Spine Universe: Recovery from Lumbar Fusion Surgery; Todd Albert, M.D.; 1999-2011
- UnderstandingSpineSurgery.com: Understanding Rehabilitation and Care Following Posterior Lumbar Fusion; Lawrence T. Kurz, M.D.; 2010
