Hi ralfborchert,
Ofcourse there are many variables to consider (type of procedure, age
of patient, etc), but typical recovery time for spinal surgery ranges
from about 4 weeks to 6 months, 5 weeks being typical for a young,
healthy patient. Rehabilitation consists of pain control, physical
therapy and exercise. I've copied and pasted some relevant sections
below but please click on the links for full details.
NIH - MedlinePlus
Cervical
"The hospital stay is about 7 days. You will be encouraged to walk the
first or second day after surgery to reduce the risk of blood clots
(deep venous thrombosis)."
"Complete recovery takes about five weeks."
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002971.htm#Convalescence
Lumbar
"The length of hospital stay will vary according to the surgery
performed, but can be as short as overnight for a simple discectomy,
to up to a week if a spinal fusion is peformed. You will be encouraged
to walk the first or second day after surgery to reduce the risk of
blood clots (deep venous thrombosis)."
Complete recovery takes about 5 weeks."
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002973.htm#Convalescence
NORTH AMERICAN SPINE SOCIETY
Herniated Lumbar Disc
"Ask your doctor for recommendations on post-surgical activity
restrictions. It is usually a good idea to get out of bed and walk
around immediately after recovering from anesthesia. Most patients go
home within 24 hours after surgery, often later the same day. Once
home, you should avoid driving, prolonged sitting, excessive lifting,
and bending forward for the first four weeks. Some patients will
benefit from a supervised rehabilitation program after surgery. You
should ask your doctor if you can use exercise to strengthen your back
to prevent recurrence."
"While a disc herniation may sound serious, most people recover and
return to their normal lifestyle within several weeks or months
without having surgery. There may still be some symptoms, but most
patients can function well."
http://www.spine.org/articles/herniatedlumbardisc.cfm
Herniated Cervical Disc
"Many patients are able to go home within a short period of
time-sometimes as litle as 24 hours after surgery. After surgery, your
doctor will give you instructions on when you can resume your normal
daily activities.
A thorough postoperative rehabilitation program is advisable to help
you resume the activities of daily living. Most patients will benefit
from a postoperative exercise program or supervised physical therapy
after surgery. You should ask your doctor about exercises to help with
recovery."
"(Please see the North American Spine Society patient education
brochure on Spinal Fusion Surgery.)"
http://www.spine.org/articles/herniatedcervdisc.cfm
Spinal Fusion
"The immediate discomfort following spinal fusion is generally greater
than with other types of spinal surgeries. Fortunately, there are
excellent methods of postoperative pain control available, including
oral pain medications and intravenous injections. Another option is a
patient-controlled postoperative pain control pump..."
"It also takes longer to return to a normal active lifestyle after
spinal fusion than many other types of surgery. This is because you
must wait until your surgeon sees evidence of bone healing..."
"The length of time required you must be off of work will depend upon
both the type of surgery and the kind of job you have. It can vary
anywhere from approximately 4-6 weeks for a single level fusion in a
young, healthy patient with a sedentary job to as much as 4-6 months
for more extensive surgery in an older patient with a more physically
demanding occupation."
"In addition to some restrictions in activity, a brace is sometimes
used for the early post-operative period..."
"Following spinal fusion surgery, a postoperative rehabilitation
program may be recommended by your surgeon..."
"The length of time required you must be off of work will depend upon
both the type of surgery and the kind of job you have. It can vary
anywhere from approximately 4-6 weeks for a single level fusion in a
young, healthy patient with a sedentary job to as much as 4-6 months
for more extensive surgery in an older patient with a more physically
demanding occupation."
http://www.spine.org/articles/spinalfusion.cfm
Lumbar Spinal Stenosis
"After surgery, you will remain in the hospital for at least several
days. Most patients are able to return to all activities within six to
nine months. A postoperative rehabilitation program is usually
prescribed to guide return to activities and normal life."
"After surgery, you will remain in the hospital for at least several
days. Most patients are able to return to all activities within six to
nine months."
http://www.spine.org/articles/lumbarspinalstenosis.cfm
Spondylolisthesis
"After surgery, you will remain in the hospital for at least a few
days, and most patients are able to return to work within six to nine
months. A thorough postoperative rehabilitation program is advisable
to help you resume the normal activities of daily living."
"After surgery, you will remain in the hospital for at least a few
days, and most patients are able to return to work within six to nine
months."
http://www.spine.org/articles/spondylolisthesis.cfm
Cervical Stenosis & Myelopathy
"After surgery, your doctor may recommend the use of a brace, ranging
from a soft collar up to a halo-vest, depending upon the surgical
procedure.
After surgery, you will remain in the hospital for at least a few
days. Most patients are able to return to all activities within 6 to 9
months. A postoperative rehabilitation program is usually prescribed
to guide return to activities and normal life."
"After surgery, you will remain in the hospital for at least a few
days. Most patients are able to return to all activities within 6 to 9
months"
http://www.spine.org/articles/cervicalstenosis.cfm
>>> Recovery
Managing at home
"Before leaving the hospital, your physical therapist (PT) may outline
ways for you to help control symptoms once you get home. Here are some
ideas that may help."
Ice and Heat
Relaxing
Resting
Positioning
Moving
Body Movement
Lying in Bed
Moving in Bed
Sitting
Bending
Lifting
Outpatient Therapy
http://www.allaboutbackpain.com/html/spine_general/spine_general_spine_rehab1.html
Rehabilitation and exercise following spine surgery
1. Pain Control after spine surgery
"While a certain amount of pain is common in the recovery process,
there are several means that a physical therapist may use to help
minimize pain, such as:
* Ice application
* Certain positions of the spine
* Certain types of movements
* Electrical devices (e.g. TENS units)..."
2. One-on-one training after spine surgery
"Therapists focus on muscle facilitation with areas where the muscles
may need special retraining to gain strength and provide stability
following the back surgery..."
3. Exercise for recovery after spine surgery
"A physical therapist develops an individually tailored exercise
program based on knowledge of the exact type of spine surgery, and the
forces that are most beneficial for the patient?s spine under
different conditions. Patients will typically learn the exercises with
the physical therapist and then do them on their own at home..."
4. Education about exercise following spine surgery
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/surg/rehab/rehab01.html
Guidelines for successful recovery from low back pain
"In addition to stretching, strengthening and aerobic exercises, there
are several basic guidelines that can help you in your healing and
rehabilitation process. These guidelines include:
* Manage anxiety about low back pain
* Eat properly to help the back heal
* Get adequate sleep to support the healing process
* Control medication use for back pain
* Exercise properly for back fitness
* Work with a professional for low back pain
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/conserv/rehab/art1/rehab03.html
Postoperative care for spinal fusion surgery
Improvement in preoperative symptoms is achieved in about 80% of
patients. The improvement in back pain and function continues up to 2
years after spine fusion surgery. The rate of improvement depends on:
* The ongoing maturation of the fusion mass
* Recovery of the nerve compression
* Conditioning of the muscles after spine surgery
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/surg/spinalfus/spinalfus01.html
Postoperative care for lumbar microdiscectomy surgery
"Follow-up care for a lumbar microdiscectomy surgery usually includes
a combination of:
* Pain management
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/surg/lumbmic/lumbmic02.html
* A stretching exercise program
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/surg/lumbmic/lumbmic03.html
* Back strengthening exercises
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/surg/lumbmic/lumbmic04.html
* Early return to activity
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/surg/lumbmic/lumbmic05.html"
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/surg/lumbmic/lumbmic01.html
How a physical therapist can help with exercise
"Top Three Reasons to See a Physical Therapist
1. To get relief from pain
2. To develop an individualized exercise program
3. To learn proper exercise technique and ways to give muscular
protection to bone and joint structure"
http://www.spine-health.com/topics/conserv/howphys/howphys01.html
Exercises
"Your exercise program will vary depending upon what your doctor
prescribes and your type of surgery. Your therapist will tell you
which exercises you can do. You should do these exercises three times
a day, in three sets of 10 each."
* Ankle Pumps
* Quadriceps setting exercises
* Gluteal setting exercises
http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article1549.html
University of Maryland Spine Center
A Patient's Guide to Lumbar Surgery
http://www.umm.edu/spinecenter/education/lumbar_spine_surgery.html
I hope this is what you are looking for. If you have any questions,
please post a clarification request and wait for me to respond before
closing/rating my answer.
Thank you,
hummer
Google Search Terms Used: spinal surgery recovery convalescence lumbar
cervical postoperative rehabilitation |
