The spine injuries are fatal and can be permanent. Therefore, the time of surgery is crucial as one small mistake or complications might put the patient in bed for the rest of his life. After the successful surgery, the major part is recovery as it is the time when utmost care should be given to the patient.
Steps for recovery
The steps for recovery post spine surgery suggested by laser spine surgeon Newport Beach are as follows:
- It is advised that the patient take short distance walks every day and keep increasing the distance every day. This ensures that the spine does not take any stress right after the surgery. The patient should also avoid lifting heavy objects that weigh more than five pounds. The activities that include twisting, jumping or bending should be avoided until the full body potential is reached.
- It is said that the patient should keep taking the medicines on time and avoid any gaps in between the medications as it might initiate tremendous pain in the affected area. Therefore, the patient is required to have an advanced stock of medicines to avoid any gaps. This is a careful practice that should not be avoided at any cost. A small activity of carelessness might make the suffering unbearable.
- Usually, post-surgery, the patient is in good condition. Still, suppose the patient suffers through fever, chills, the opening of incision or unbearable pain in the body. In that case, the patient should immediately contact his surgeon to seek guidance as it might delay the process of recovery, and the patient might end up in tremendous pain.
- Having a balanced diet with all the nutrients helps develop high immunity and increases the rate of recovery. In addition, it is believed that eating good food helps keep the body weight in control that helps keep the patient healthy throughout the recovery period.
- It is necessary to keep the skin clean and healthy around the incision. It is advised that the area around the incision should be kept dry for four to five days as it takes some time to heal properly. There are times when the surgeon advises on how to or when to get the incision stapled. In addition, there are times when the surgeon applies disappearing stitches or stripes that fall automatically when the incision heals. Before getting a proper bath, the patient should consider referring to the surgeon so that the wound does not get exposed to bacterias.
- It is advised that the patient should lie down on the bed in an inclined position with his shoulders and upper back raised from the bed and a pillow under his knees so that the hips and knees stay a bit elevated. If the person is willing to get up, then it is advised to use the rolling method where the hips and shoulder are kept in the same line so that the spine does not twist. The patient then pushes the body using the supporting arm and gets up slowly without having a jerk on the spine.
- The major things to be kept in mind are that the patient should not keep his knees raised above the level of hips and should not take long car rides. In addition, it is advised that the patient gets up and walks for ten minutes after a small interval of sitting. Sitting for long hours should be avoided as it might stress the spine.
- In some cases, when the recovery takes time due to improper posture of the body, the surgeon advises wearing a brace to keep the spine straight and avoids any jerk. It should be worn as advised by the surgeon.
It is necessary to take precautions and necessary steps to ensure a fast and safe recovery. Unfortunately, there are times when the patient cannot recover on time because he does not follow prescribed medications and activities such as walking and healthy eating.