You will not feel any pain during your spine surgery because of the anesthesia or other medications that will be used to complete the operation, but because tissues will need to be cut or addressed during the operation, you can expect to experience some discomfort following the procedure. This is normal and should be expected, and if all goes to plan, this pain will be temporary and you’ll soon feel much less discomfort than you did prior to the operation.
With that said, nobody wants to be in pain or uncomfortable during the early stages of their rehab, so what can you do to manage discomfort or pain after your spine surgery? We take a closer look at some post-op pain management tips in today’s blog.
How To Manage Pain After Back Surgery
It’s important to realize that you don’t need to wait until surgery is complete to start looking for ways to manage any normal post-op discomfort. In fact, if you take a few steps prior to your operation, odds are you’ll have less pain that you’ll need to manage following your operation. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
- Prehab – The stronger your neck or back is prior to the operation, the stronger it will come out of surgery. Don’t wait until after surgery to begin a rehab program. Ask your spine specialist for some PT and strength training exercises that you can perform before your operation.
- Weight Management – This tip is important both before and after surgery, as your spine is tasked with helping to displace the stress of your body weight. Your spine will be in a weakened state following surgery, so this will be more difficult to achieve. If you work to manage your weight and shed some extra pounds, you’ll be taking a lot of stress off your spinal column, which can help to control discomfort after surgery.
- Minimally Invasive Surgery – Minimally invasive surgery has become the standard, so odds are if it’s possible, your surgeon will recommend proceeding with a minimally invasive operation. This type of procedure is less taxing on the patient and involves less tissue damage. If your surgeon is recommending an open operation, they may be right, but you should seek out a second opinion just to make sure that other options aren’t available.
- Surgeon Trust – Trust your operation to a specialist that you have full and complete faith in, as their skill can have an impact on your pain levels after the operation. If a surgeon has the technical skill to access an area and complete the surgery without cutting as much healthy tissue, that can help to lower your discomfort following your procedure. Dr. Jackman is confident that he can complete your operation with minimal tissue cutting.
- Early Movement – Obviously you’ll want to follow the specific advice of your treating surgeon, but early movement and physical therapy is oftentimes incredibly helpful at reestablishing comfortable range of motion and in turn calming pain sensations. Early motion may be uncomfortable in the short-term, but it will certainly help to calm pain sensations in the long-term.
- Medications – Finally, medications and opioids can help to drown out pain signals and make it easier for you to pursue physical therapy, but they shouldn’t be a stand-alone option for post-surgical pain. Opioids can also be addictive and potentially harmful, so be sure to only take them as directed by your surgeon.
For more tips on how you can work to control back pain following a surgical procedure, or to talk to a specialist about calming discomfort caused by a spinal issue, reach out to Dr. Jackman and his team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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