If working out was part of your life before spine surgery, you’re probably anxious to get back to the gym. How soon can you do it? That depends on several factors:
- What type of surgery you had
- Your individual rate of healing
- Your doctor’s evaluation and advice
Overall, the important thing to keep in mind is to take it slow, listen to your doctor, and listen to your body.
Some spine surgeries have shorter healing timeframes than others. Here are some rough guidelines:
- For fusion surgery, if vertebrae were fused in just one place, you will probably need to wait two to three months to restart your exercise routine.
- For a multi-level fusion operation, you’ll probably need to take off four to six months.
- For a decompression procedure done using minimally invasive techniques, you need to wait at least four weeks before working out.
- If your decompression surgery was more complex, you may need to wait as long as six months.
Before you attempt to get back to your exercise routine, your incision must be completely healed and pain-free, and you should be free of the symptoms that led to the surgery. Your doctor may want to take x-rays to assess your healing.
When you do get the green light to head back to the gym, take it slow and easy. Don’t expect to start back at full strength. Build up your strength and stamina gradually. If you have pain, back off.
It may be useful to work with a physical therapist to safely build the strength and flexibility to work out without hurting yourself. Exercises to strengthen the core and stretch the hamstring muscles can be especially useful.
Take extra care with weight-lifting because some techniques can put too much of a load on your back. If you want to weight train, start slowing and work with a physical therapist or trainer to be sure you’re using good technique.
Above all, listen to your own body. Your trainer, your doctor, or your physical therapist doesn’t know how you feel and can’t tell you when it’s time to stop.
Don’t be afraid to exercise though. Physical activity is good for your overall health and your spine health in particular. Done correctly, it can make your spine stronger and help you prevent future problems.
If you give your body the time it needs to heal and restart your exercise routine gradually, you should be able to fully enjoy workouts again after spine surgery
For more information on whether spinal surgery is necessary for your condition, or to make an appointment with the doctors at NeuroMicroSpine, please call (850) 934-7545 or click here to request an appointment. We hope to see you soon!
The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace or counter a physician's advice or judgment. Please always consult your physician before taking any advice learned here or in any other educational medical material.