Ensure your shoulders are relaxed. ensure you are not gripping the steering wheel too tightly. to get into the car, back onto the seat first and then bring in one leg at a time, turning on your tail. avoid excessive twisting or bending of the spine.
While wiping, bend from the knees rather than at the hips. A long- handled device may help to reach all areas. 4. The use of pre-moistened, flushable wipes is strongly recommended.
Another way to sleep after spinal fusion surgery is on your side. Just like sleeping on your back, sleeping on your side helps reduce pain and pressure. Try to alternate between sleeping on your left and right side to distribute the pressure and benefit your spine's alignment.
You don't need to fear being bed-ridden for weeks after spinal surgery, since it's of the utmost importance to your post-surgical recovery to get up very soon. Movement is critical to proper healing after spinal surgery, so you can expect to get out of bed the same day or the very next day after surgery.
At Home: Personal Hygiene
You'll need to keep the surgical area dry for a few days post-surgery. Your nurse will tell you when you can shower. Baths are usually off-limits for a while. Use a shower chair or stool.
Avoid strenuous activities, such as bicycle riding, jogging, weight lifting, or aerobic exercise, until your doctor says it is okay. Do not drive for 2 to 4 weeks after your surgery or until your doctor says it is okay. Avoid riding in a car for more than 30 minutes at a time for 2 to 4 weeks after surgery.
---You may shower as normal once your surgical incision is clean, dry, and without drainage. Prior to that, your incision should be kept dry and covered for showers with a watertight dressing. ---Hair washing is permissible while in the shower. ---You may clean wound with sterile saline or gentle soap and water.
It is usually advised that you wait one week after surgery before showering, or until the wound is closed. If no drainage is present at the incision, your surgeon may agree that you can shower earlier. Initially, try to keep the incision dry with a plastic wrap. If it gets wet, pat it dry.
Elastic Waistbands – Instead of messing with a belt or tight fitting jeans that may be uncomfortable, opt for looser pants that have an elastic waistband. Going to the bathroom may be uncomfortable enough after back surgery without having to worry about easily getting your pants on and off.
After surgery, avoid sitting in soft chairs and on couches where your hips drop below your knees. If a chair is too high for you, place your feet on a small stool or box to help maintain correct sitting posture. Take frequent breaks by standing up and stretching every 30 to 45 minutes.
Recliners can help ease pressure on your lower back, and sitting on something cushioned, such as an inflatable donut pillow or hemorrhoid pillow, can make sitting more tolerable. If you're having extensive surgery, you may want to consider renting an adjustable bed for the postoperative recovery period. Shower mat.
Putting undue stress on a bone that needs healing often exacerbates an injury. Apply that same concept to recovery from spinal surgeries. Avoid bending at all after a lumbar fusion if possible, as bending or twisting can interfere with the way the fusion heals and even damage the work that was done.
While it may seem easy to climb stairs a few days after surgery, this motion can put undue stress on your spine and slow down your recovery. You can go upstairs in the couple weeks following surgery, but it's best to limit stairs to once or twice a day in the first few weeks.
Sitting. Sitting is limited to 20 minutes at a time for the first two weeks after surgery. This is increased to 40 minutes by four weeks. You should return to bed or go for a short walk if you start to feel uncomfortable.
For example, a short robe and/or loose-fitting T-shirt and loose fitting shorts or pants. Proper footwear for walking after surgery, such as shoe-like slippers that have a rubber sole, walking shoes with rubber soles, or the hospital slippers that will be provided for you.
Summary. Fatigue is your body's way of telling you that you need to rest. Fatigue is normal following surgery and should improve day after day as your body begins to heal itself.
In a lateral lumbar interbody fusion, the surgeon takes a side approach and centers the incision over the patient's flank. With this approach, the surgeon can reach the vertebrae and intervertebral disks without moving the nerves or opening up muscles in the back.