How to Improve Your Mobility after Back Surgery
After your back surgery, it is important to keep up with practices that will help your body heal faster and ensure the surgery was productive. What will be tough at first is mobility and feeling like you have the freedom to move with your back. Because your back is so vital to moving the rest of your body, you can feel even more stuck after an injury than you would any other body part. As an arm heals, for instance, you still have the other arm—but your back is one of a kind!
Fortunately, mobility will improve over time, and you may feel better within 3 weeks’ time. However, there are steps you can take to speed up the process.
Adjust Your Lifestyle for Recovery
After surgery, it is important to take the time to rest and adjust your routine in order to do so. It could be helpful to have someone around to help with household chores that are normally not strenuous, but might be after back surgery. You’ll need to skip workouts and any other physical activity while you heal.
You can also talk to your doctor about the best ways to sleep or sit during your recovery. As an example, your doctor will probably recommend sleeping on your back or on your side. This allows the muscles to relax and have support unlike when you are on your stomach.
Take Physical Therapy Seriously
One of the most important things to do post-surgery is attend your physical therapy appointments and remain active in your recovery. This means following any guidelines for at-home stretches and rest as suggested by your physical therapist. They are the experts and know exactly what your body needs to do to heal. Your doctor will be able to tell you how often you will need to go and recommend the best office to go to.
At your appointments, your physical therapist will do stretches and exercises that will greatly increase your recovery time. Going to physical therapy is usually the most activity you can do while recovering, so it is important to take it seriously.
Use Pain Medication as Prescribed
Before you head home from surgery, you will discuss pain medication with your doctor. It is important to listen to their instructions and not overuse any of your prescriptions. If you do so, you could develop a life-threatening addiction and slow down your healing process altogether.
Ideally, you will take the pain medication only when you need it or as prescribed by your doctor.
Don’t Hesitate to Call the Back Specialists at OLSS
Improving your mobility after surgery can be a grueling process that requires a lot of patience. At OLSS, even after your surgery, we are still here for you and eager to help you feel your best. If you have questions after your procedure, you can still reach out.
Give us a call at (855) 853-6542 or complete our contact form to find out more information about how our highly trained specialists will answer any questions you have about recovering from your surgery and improving your mobility.