What to expect in physical therapy after spinal surgery

Like most other orthopedic surgeries, recovery after spinal surgery (neck or back) can be quite simple or extremely challenging. But more so than any other body part, your physical fitness BEFORE surgery can directly determine how well and how quickly you recover. Prior to your surgery, visit a physical therapist. He or she can help you get as mobile and as strong as possible prior to surgery to give you the best chance of a smooth and rapid recovery.

After any surgery, some pain or discomfort is expected. This should be controllable with pain medications, rest and ice. You should contact your surgeon if you have severe or uncontrollable pain. If you are not experiencing much pain and do not want to take pain medication, please talk to your surgeon (his assistant or nurse) prior to stopping.

The type of surgery will determine how quickly your surgeon wants you to begin PT. Some will begin within 2 or 3 days, while other surgeries may require some longer healing time (and maybe some home-health PT).

When you begin PT, the surgical site is checked to make sure it is healing appropriately. Gentle ROM and flexibility exercises are usually begun early, as is focusing on getting those stubborn core muscles working again. (Depending on how long the back or neck pain has been going on, those core muscles may have packed up and headed to warmer and sunnier climates, resulting in poor body mechanics and some crazy compensations!) Making sure you have good motion in your shoulders and hips is an easy way to decrease stress on your back and neck, so these are addressed early as well.

As your pain decreases, the tissues heal and your range of motion and strength increase, your PT will progress your activity level. Whether your goals are simply the resumption of housework and yard work, or returning to normal work-related activities or sports, your PT is your partner through this journey. This is hopefully your first surgery, but your therapist sees these every day. Trust their advice, especially when frustration sets in over a setback or stagnation in progress.

There are always good days and bad days recovering from surgery but remember that you are not doing it alone. If you have questions as you progress, ask your PT. They have seen many of these surgeries and are experts at handling the ups and downs after spinal surgery.

And as always, do not confuse your Google search or AI summary with your doctor’s or therapist’s medical degree and years of experience! Trust your doctor and therapist!

If you have specific questions about an upcoming surgery or rehab that we can help with, please feel free to contact us at dynamicmobilitypt@gmail.com.