7 Tips to Prepare Yourself for Spinal Surgery

Do you have an operation to correct a painful spinal problem? Here is how you can prepare yourself before you go into surgery to achieve the best possible outcome from your operation.

Making a full recovery after spinal surgery depends on varying factors. One of those factors is how well you prepare your body for the operation it is about to endure. Modern spine surgery is far more advanced than its surgical predecessors, so you have every chance of being back on your feet – and back to normal – in no time. However, a full recovery starts with full preparation. Here are helpful tips regarding how you can prepare yourself for your day in the theatre.

The 7 Tips that Prepare You for Spinal Surgery

If you want to know exactly what will happen during your operation, you can learn more about spinal surgery here. Otherwise, these seven tips will prepare you for surgery so you can give yourself the best chance at success.

1 – Switch out Cigarettes

It’s all very well for medical professionals to tell you to quit smoking, but you won’t do it until you decide to. Switching out the cigarettes for patches, gum, or even a vape device can reduce your chances of running into problems with either your operation or your recovery. Tobacco smoke is dirty and unhealthy, increasing the risk of infection. It can also cause problems with blood clotting and increases your chance of heart problems.

2 – Rearrange your Living Space

You are going to want to put the items you use daily within easier reach. Think about how you live a normal day at home and the items you will need to get through such a day. When you have a list of things you use, go through that list approaching each item to ensure you can reach it without stretching and that it is not up high or down low. Bring everything closer to your chair or bed, even if it looks messy.

3 – Buy a Litter Picker

One of the handiest tools you can get post-spinal surgery is a litter picker. These tools help garbagemen collect rubbish off the streets without bending down repeatedly. Since bending is about to be an issue for you, invest in a litter picker so you don’t have to.

4 – Think about Shoes and Socks

The last thing you will want to do after spine surgery is to bend down to put on your shoes and socks. Buy yourself crocks, or other slip-on shoes, so that you don’t need to bend. You can buy a product called a sock aid which can help you put socks on if you must leave the house post-surgery. You shouldn’t leave the house, of course, but some people don’t feel dressed without socks.

5 – Elevate your Toilet

You don’t need to lift your toilet out of the floor and raise it, but you do need it to be higher to spare the lowering and raising motion that will cause you pain. Get a toilet elevator, instead. This gadget is a thick version of a normal toilet seat. Use it to raise yourself up and hurt less.

6 – Set and Stick to an Exercise Routine

Your back muscles are all about your core muscles. In the run-up to surgery, you should be gently exercising those core muscles to strengthen them for what is about to come. Don’t do anything that worsens your condition but do try to keep a healthy exercise routine before surgery to prepare your body as best you can. This includes a healthy diet, too.