An anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a surgical operation that involves removing a herniated or damaged spinal disc in the neck region and fusing adjacent vertebral segments in the area to limit potentially painful movement. For patients who have not found relief through other means, ACDF can provide immense relief at the expense of a minor loss in neck mobility.
However, that relief won’t be immediate, and you’ll want to proactively help your neck heal and strengthen nearby soft tissues during your rehab if you want to make the strongest recovery possible. In today’s blog, we share some tips for enhancing your recovery following ACDF surgery.
Improving Your Recovery After ACDF Surgery
As we say in all of our blogs that provide treatment and recovery advice, remember that this is just general information based on a common rehabilitation plan. The recommendations of your treating physician will trump anything that we say below. If you have questions about the best way to recover following your ACDF operation or a similar spine surgery, make sure you pose them to your care team, as they’ll be able to give you the best personalized advice for your situation.
With that said, here are some tips that will likely fall in line with the recovery advice you receive from your surgical team.
- Get Plenty Of Rest – Rest is a restorative process that helps the body heal tissue trauma, and you will have some localized tissue trauma as a result of the operation. This isn’t meant to suggest that you should just sleep away your discomfort, because too much inactivity can actually delay recovery, but it is meant to suggest that sleep is an important time when your body can focus on helping tissues heal. Sleep will not be as easy to come by due to localized discomfort after your procedure, so work to control what you can control. Go to bed at the same time each night, keep the room dark and free from electronic distractions, and strive to get 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep to help your body heal.
- Gradual Activity Increases – Being upright and active can help to improve your circulation and bring healthy blood to recovering tissues, but you don’t want to jump into overly physical activities before your body is ready. Listen to your doctor when it comes to activity restrictions, and slowly build up your activity levels over time. Doing too much, too soon can be a recipe for a setback, so be upright and active, but be mindful not to push yourself too far physically.
- Your Diet Can Fuel Or Hinder Your Recovery – You won’t be able to eat spinach like Popeye and experience massive tissue growth and recovery, but your diet will play a key role in your recovery after ACDF surgery. A balanced diet full of whole grains, leafy greens and lean protein can help provide your body with the vitamins and nutrients it needs to aid in tissue recovery. Conversely, diets high in sugar and carbohydrates can be pro-inflammatory, and inflammation can worsen discomfort and slow down tissue repair. Make sure you mind your diet during your recovery, especially if you won’t be as active for a period of time during your rehab.
- Do Your PT Exercises – Odds are you will be referred to a physical therapist following an ACDF repair, and it’s imperative that you continue visiting them until you reach maximum medical recovery. Too many patients miss sessions or skip their home-based exercise routines that are recommended by their PT to build on their progress between sessions. Physical therapy will help you achieve the strongest recovery possible, so make it a priority during your rehabilitation period.
If you do all of the above tips and you trust your operation to a skilled surgeon like Dr. Jackman with a history of fantastic results when conducting an ACDF procedure, we’re confident that you will experience a strong recovery following your neck procedure. For more information about ACDF surgery, or to talk to a specialist about a different neck or back issue, reach out to Dr. Jackman and the team at The Midwest Spine & Brain Institute today at (651) 430-3800.
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