Maintaining a Healthy Spine
Our goal for you is a pain free spine. Now that you’ve had your surgery, it is critical that you take good care of your back and minimize the chances that you will develop new problems. Improving fitness, posture, body mechanics, and overall health will help your spine last. Here are some suggestions to help maximize recovery and maintain a healthy spine.
ACTIVITY AND EXERCISE
Walking: Walking is the best exercise after surgery and you need to walk every day. You can walk as much as your pain level permits. You should not participate in any activities more vigorous than walking until cleared by your physician. Start small then gradually increase the distance you walk. If weather permits, you may walk outside. Inclines and stairs are also okay. You should be able to increase your distance until you can walk at least 30 minutes. Your long term goal should be to walk between 30 minutes and two hours daily.
Fitness: As we age, we lose 1% of our muscle mass per year. The only way to maintain muscle and its health benefits is to participate in some kind of resistance training. In addition to the walking and other cardiovascular exercise you participate in, you should also do some resistance training at least twice a week. If you need help finding a program appropriate for you, we would be happy to help you find a therapist to get you started.
Core Strengthening: Your core muscles, including the muscles of the neck, back, abdomen, and pelvis, stabilize and support the spine. Having a strong core lessens the wear on the bones, joints, and discs helping them last longer. Unless specifically exercised, however these muscles weaken as we age. There are many good core strengthening programs, and we recommend finding one appropriate for your age and level of fitness.
Biomechanics: You can minimize the forces acting on your spine by using good body mechanics. This means lifting objects with your legs, not your back. Hold heavier objects close to your body when you lift them, and hold them directly in front of you. In other words, avoid bending, lifting, and twisting at the same time.
Posture: Good posture helps us stand, walk, sit, and lie in positions that place the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement and weight-bearing activities. To maintain proper posture, you must recognize your postural habits at home and in the workplace and correct them, if necessary. Sitting: Keep your feet on the floor or a footrest. Your ankles should be in front of your knees and your knees should be at or below the level of your hips. Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low- and mid-back or use a back support. Avoid sitting in the same position for long periods of time. Standing: Don’t lock your knees but keep them slightly bent. Stand up straight and tall with your shoulders pulled comfortably backwards. Keep your shoulders and head aligned over your hips and pelvis. Avoid leaning forward, backward, or to the side. Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet but shift your weight from your toes to your heels, or from one foot to the other if you have to stand for a long time.
PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Some patients have special needs and require therapy shortly after surgery. However, we have found that most patients do not receive the maximum benefit from therapy unless we wait a little while for them to recover from surgery. If you start therapy too early, you are still recovering and you cannot fully participate in therapy so you do not get the maximum benefit. Typically, we let you recover from surgery for the first three months. You could then start therapy if you are still having symptoms or if you would like help engaging in an exercise program.
OTHER FACTORS
Stress: Stress and pain are closely related. Identifying stress factors and avoiding them or developing effective coping techniques can have many health benefits, including improving pain.
Smoking: Every day, through otherwise normal daily activities, our bodies suffers gradual wear and tear. Smoking inhibits the body’s ability to repair itself. The result is a more rapid deterioration of the spine and it’s disks, joints, and ligaments. Quitting smoking can improve the durability of your spine and reduce the probability that you will require surgery in the future.
Sleep habits: Your spine uses the time while you sleep to repair some of the wear and tear that happens to it throughout the day. It is very important to get regular and adequate sleep. Sleeping flat allows the intervertebral disks to recover from the stresses that have occurred to it over the course of a normal day, so avoid sleeping in a seated position. Absolutely avoid soft or sagging mattresses and cushions. As a general rule, a firmer mattress is generally better for your spine, as long as it does not cause any other discomforts. You often have to experiment a little to find the right mattress for you.