Back surgery usually is performed to alleviate pain caused by a pinched nerve, according to the Laser Spine Institute. Whether the cause is due to a genetic deformity, an injury or degenerative disease, the kinds of exercises and activities in which you engage following surgery directly impact your pain levels and chances for a successful recovery.
Treatment
The nerves in your spine become impinged for a variety of reasons, ranging from a herniated or bulging disc to bone spurs and tissue build-up. To correct the damage, your surgeon may remove a disc and fuse the remaining discs above and below the space. You may be fitted with an artificial disc in a procedure called an anthroplasty. Minimally invasive procedures that make use of endoscopic tools and lasers often are all you need to alleviate the pressure on your spinal nerves. The level and intensity of safe exercises you can perform after back surgery depend on the amount of initial damage and the type of treatment you underwent.
Avoid Stress
You can’t even begin to think about using a pull-up bar or lifting weights of any kind for at least three months following back surgery that included a spinal fusion, according to Spine Health. You need to closely follow your doctor’s instructions to allow enough time for the fusion to take hold. You’ll most likely be restricted from doing any kind of exercise that involves pulling on your back, twisting or bending. Vigorous exercises such as running and playing sports also are restricted. After three months, you can slowly introduce moderate exercise, and by six months of following a strict rehabilitation process, you should be able to pull yourself up on a chin-up bar, although it could take up to two years before you can complete a pull-up without pain.
Quicker Healing
You’ll undergo a much quicker healing process if you are a candidate for disc replacement surgery. According to the University of Southern California Center for Spinal Surgery, the procedure is appropriate if you have degenerative disc disease in only one spot in your lower back. You’ll still need to participate in physical therapy for the first few weeks after your surgery and refrain from twisting, pulling or bending your back. A brace may be required while you go through this adjustment period. After about six weeks however, you usually can resort to your previous level of exercise and begin doing pull-ups again. As with most recuperative exercises however, you should start slowly and increase the number of repetitions you perform as you regain your strength.
Short Layup
After surgery that’s performed with lasers, you may be back on the pull-up bars in as little as two weeks. Exercise is an integral part of your recovery and should begin the day after the procedure, according to Spine Health. Following your doctor’s instructions, you may start back slowly by walking and work your way up to a couple miles the first week. You may begin using weights and pull-up bars after about 10 days, letting pain guide the number of repetitions you perform and the amount of weight you lift. You can expect to see a full recovery after about three weeks.
