Back injuries can keep you from being engaged in the most enjoyable moments of your life. Back surgery can get you the relief you need, but you should be prepared for the recovery process. Of course, there will be the things you often expect. For example, it’ll be challenging to move around, and you’ll have to take it easy for a while. However, there are things you may not have thought about before when it comes to back surgery recovery. There are a few things you may not know about recovering from back surgery.
1. Gentle Exercise Can Speed up Your Recovery
After any major surgery, you’re advised not to perform any strenuous activity. That doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t do any exercises. During your recovery, you may be asked to perform breathing exercises using a spirometer and some range-of-motion exercises. You’ll want to get rest, but if you are inactive for too long, you can increase your risk of developing a blood clot in your leg, a condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is common for people to walk to stay active while in recovery. Being active will speed up your recovery by improving your blood flow.
2. Intimacy Is Not Completely off the Table during Your Recovery
Because you’re expected to limit your activity after surgery, that often means sex is prohibited. With back surgery, you have to be mindful of how you’re moving your body, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up sexual intimacy. You can ask your doctor when it’s safe to engage in sexual activity and which positions will cause less back strain. Being upfront with your doctor and proactive about preventing injury during your recovery period could mean that sex isn’t off-limits.
3. You Will Have to Take Care of Your Surgical Wound
While you’re recovering from your surgery, you’ll be responsible for taking care of your incision wound. It will need special care to ensure that it doesn’t get infected. For example, you may need to change your bandages periodically. You’ll have to clean the wound carefully to not damage the skin and delay healing. In some cases, you will have to prevent your wound from getting wet for some time. Also, you should be aware of signs of infection in case they occur so that you can alert your doctor. You’ll have to monitor the condition of your wound and watch out for symptoms such as swelling, discharge, odor, and fever.
4. You Can Buy Things to Make Your Recovery Period Easier
Activities in your daily life will become more challenging during your recovery period. For example, we don’t always consider how much movement goes into our daily hygiene. Something as simple as using the restroom or cleaning yourself in the shower could be complicated or risk further damage.
Fortunately, there are many tools that you can incorporate into your recovery period to ensure that you can still manage these daily activities. Buying a raised toilet seat or a shower chair could make a huge difference. Other useful products to keep nearby could be slip-on shoes so that you don’t have to bend over and tie your shoelaces and grabbers so that you don’t have to strain yourself while reaching for things.
The Experts at NJ Spine & Orthopedic Can Help You with Your Back Surgery Recovery
NJ Spine & Orthopedic is staffed with board-certified physicians and medical experts. Back surgery recovery isn’t just about medication, exercise, and wound care. You need skilled spine specialists to guide you through the process and make your recovery easier. At NJ Spine and Orthopedic, our doctors are skilled at identifying causes of pain and can advise you on the best course of treatment. They are also skilled at performing minimally invasive laser spine surgery, which has the advantage of shorter recovery times and reduced pain when healing.
A variety of factors can exacerbate your pain during your back surgery recovery. Make sure you’re getting the best care with the shortest recovery time by contacting skilled spine doctors who are members of organizations like the American College of Physicians and the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. Call (866) 272-9271 or fill out our online contact form to schedule an appointment with one of our skilled spine experts.