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Exercises for Post Operative Back Surgery

Having back surgery is a major procedure but can drastically improve quality of life, reducing pain and increasing flexibility. After back surgery it is important to follow an exercise routine that helps improve your backs range of motion and prevent stiffness or pain. It is also important to prevent a reoccurrence of back injury.

  1. After Surgery

    • After surgery, a therapist will be assigned to the patient and a strict exercise and training program will be made specifically for the patient's needs. The therapist will likely focus on rehabilitating the muscles in the area of the incision. The purpose of these exercises is to strengthen the muscles and ensure that they heal into proper alignment, such as muscles that have been weakened due to nerve problems or damage. Small muscles around the spine itself will be worked to provide stability. Leg exercises will be included to provide core muscle strength to help support the back.

    Limitations

    • Directly after surgery, certain limitations will be placed on the patient. Initially, any exercises involving the back to bend will be kept to a minimum. Low intensity exercises that strengthen the back without bending, called static exercises, will be applied, such as hamstring stretches. Perform a hamstring stretch by laying on the floor with the left leg straight and the right bent at the knee. Taking both hands and placing them behind the knee, the patient slowly lifts the leg of the floor and brings the foot up towards the ceiling. This stretches the hamstrings and the lower back, promoting flexibility and core strength.

    Advanced Exercises

    • Once the patient has made a bit of recovery and back strength has increased, more advanced exercises can be performed. These are called dynamic exercises. These exercises strengthen the back and core as well as increasing the back's range of motion. Exercises using an swiss ball, a plastic ball inflated with air that a patient can sit on, can be performed. A strengthening exercise that can be performed is moving from a sitting position to a bridge position on the exercise ball. Sit on the edge of the exercise ball with your back straight. Slowly walk your feet out forward bringing your back down onto the ball. Continue walking out until the back is perpendicular to the floor and the ball is under the shoulders. Hold this for a few seconds, then walk back to the starting position.

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