Workout After Back Surgery
QI Spine Clinic, 2 weeks ago
Back pain is among the most common conditions affecting around 8 out of 10 adults around the world. It is often a symptom of a spinal disease or condition that can impact a person’s mobility and flexibility. Sometimes back pain may become so severe that it may require surgical intervention to treat it from the root. Back surgery is a major procedure, necessitating rehabilitation and a long recovery period.
Patients undergoing spinal surgery for back pain are often recommended rehabilitation exercises that include gentle exercises, stretching, and safe workouts for spinal recovery. Performing guided exercises after back surgery helps improve flexibility, strength, and range of motion, as well as promotes healing. Back surgery is generally only necessary in severe cases. Conditions such as a herniated disk, where the disk between the vertebrae bulges or slips and puts pressure on a spinal nerve, or
spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal canal that can lead to weakness and other complications, typically require surgical intervention only when other treatments have proven ineffective.
This guide is designed to help patients understand the exercises and physical therapy routines that will help them get back to their optimal postoperative fitness with some spinal surgery exercises. To ensure a safe recovery after spinal surgery, it is important to check with an orthopaedic doctor or physiotherapy expert before performing any exercise.
A Guide to Back Surgery Exercise
Strengthening exercises for the back and mobility exercises for the spine are essential to restore strength to the back, and allow a gradual return to everyday activities. In order for a full recovery after a back surgery, physical therapy is crucial.
Ideally, patients may be recommended to exercise for 10 to 30 minutes, one to three times a day, during the early stages of the recovery phase. Physiotherapists or orthopaedic doctors may curate a customised exercise program for back surgery patients that doesn’t strain their back but also enables strengthening and encourages healing of their back. A physical therapy program may consider different rehabilitation exercises, which are discussed below.
10 Best Exercises After Back Surgery
The primary objective of exercises after back surgery is to focus on regaining mobility and strength. An exercise program for back surgery patients will gradually centre on exercising the muscles more, starting with the lower back and legs. The later stages focus on balance and core strength exercises.
Walking is one of the most important components of low-impact exercises post-surgery. It encourages healing and can be done the day after surgery. A good starting point is walking 10 to 30 minutes outdoors or on a treadmill.
Ankle pump exercises are a type of nerve stretching exercises that help improve blood flow to the heart using the calves. To perform this exercise, lie flat on the back and move the ankles up and down. Repeat it 10 times
Heel slides are another type of nerve stretching exercises that help in rehabilitating the body after surgery. To perform this exercise, lie down on the back and bend the knee. Stretch it out and fold back. Repetitions of 10 times is a good start.
It is one of the most effective exercises for core strengthening after spinal surgery. To perform this exercise, lie on the back with one knee bent and the other stretched out in front, keeping the core muscles tight. Hold the leg for five to six seconds, and then fold it with support from the ground, and repeat with the other leg.
It is among the excellent strengthening exercises for the back to perform after spine surgery. For this exercise, lie down on the back and fold both legs at the knees. Push the waist and back upwards in a straight sloping line from the shoulders to the hips.
Before performing this exercise, it is important to seek approval of the surgeon or a physiotherapist to check if it may be safe to perform it. Start by standing with your back against the wall. Walk your feet a few inches in the front with the back against the wall, and push the back downwards, forming a right-angle position. Hold a few seconds before returning back to the original position.
Another one of the best recovery exercises for spinal surgery is trying the abdominal draw-ins. Do this by lying flat on the back and the knees bent with the feet flat on the ground. Press the back against the ground, which will tighten the abs or core area. Hold this position for 10 seconds before relaxing the core and lifting the back from the ground.
Hamstring stretching exercises can also be beneficial during recovery after back surgery. Lay on the back and bend the legs, raising one leg up. Using the hands, pull the leg towards the body, straightening the knee slowly to stretch the hamstring. Hold this position for 20 seconds and repeat with another leg.
The Superman pose is a great way to correct the posture when the pelvis is rotated backwards. Start by lying on the stomach in a neutral position with the arms stretched in the front. Lift one arm at a time at least two inches off the floor and hold it for a few seconds before lowering down the arm. Then lift the legs one at a time, holding for a few seconds before lowering them down.
A stationary bike is good equipment to perform strengthening exercises for the back. Biking improves overall blood circulation and strengthens the heart. It can be performed for 10 to 30 minutes.
After Spinal Surgery Exercise
After having back surgery, it is important to follow the instructions of the orthopaedic surgeon and the physiotherapist to ensure optimal recovery. Exercising to strengthen the back is extremely important as it promotes better blood circulation, which helps your body to heal better.
