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Sometimes surgery is the only option to get rid of neck or back pain. Especially when, you do not get relief from excruciating pain even after several months of treatment, and you fail to perform basic activities of life.
In most cases a series of physical, nervous and imaging diagnostic tests reveal the need for spinal surgery. This takes over a period of a few weeks. Thus a patient usually has ample time to prepare for the surgery. Let's have a quick look at some of the pre-operative as well as post operative steps for back pain surgery below.
Pre-Operative Steps Which Can Be Taken
Pre-operative steps are mostly an assessment of those medical factors which can pose a risk to the cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and pulmonary systems during the course of surgery or after it. These risk factors include diseases such as:
* Breathing Difficulties
* Coronary Heart Disease
* Diabetes
* Low or high blood pressure levels
Apart from taking into consideration these and similar other types of medical complications there are some other things that are taken notice off. These other factors include the following:
* Allergy to any specific type of medication
* Problem with anesthesia
* Supplement or medications taken daily
* A history of alcohol, tobacco or drug abuse
Doctors can recommend a series of tests which may include the following:
* Blood tests
* Urine test
* ECG
* Spirometer test
* Metabolism test
Post-operative Steps Which Can Be Taken
Most spinal surgeries are minimally invasive. This makes the stay in hospital close to minimal. Though this means a lot less expenditure on health care, it also means that post-operative care becomes the prerogative of the patient. This might be in place for either a few days, weeks or may be a few months. Do the following during this period.
* Regularly take Pain-relief medication: the impact of the anesthesia would wane off in about 24 hours. Hence, you might have to take pain-relief medications if you feel pain in the operated region. If these medications have been recommended to you then do not break the pattern. Take them without fail.
* Start working those back muscles and nerves: While it may be the case that you would be fit to leave the hospital premises within a day or two of the surgery, full recovery may take a few weeks to a few months. You might not be able to work all your affected nerves and muscles properly. Exercise or physical therapy is the best way to infuse strength in them.
* Quit smoking: Smoking is injurious to health. The time after surgery is the best time to pay heed to this warning which you otherwise ignore. Nicotine is extremely harmful for the bones and can hamper the pace of recovery.
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