Recovering From Back Surgery: Which Measures Can You Take to Ensure Long-Term Success?
Spine Surgery Outcomes
Spine surgeries are often thought of as ominous endeavors, with uncertain long-term outcomes and lengthy and involved recovery processes. There is not necessarily a universal timeframe for back surgery recovery. Personal health, surgery type and lifestyle factors all play large roles into a patient’s long-term outlook and treatment plan. If you’ve already had spine surgery, it’s likely your surgeon urged some personal lifestyle modifications before surgery. These changes would consist of smoking cessation, weight management and nutrition optimization. As you begin your recovery process, it is important to maintain these positive modifications to keep inflammation at bay and lessen risk for post-operative setbacks.
As patients work through post-operative recovery, a physician’s understanding of their patients’ goals and recovery factors must guide treatment avenues and long-term outcomes. Pre-surgery optimization, post-operative management, recovery accelerators and long-term maintenance and prevention all play a part into each overall success outcome. At Performance Ortho, we employ our comprehensive, team-based approach towards every step of the surgical process to tailor custom recovery towards getting patients back on their feet.
Minor or Minimally Invasive Spine Procedures
Minimally invasive spinal procedures are often logical treatment avenues for those in chronic pain who do not want to undertake the risk of major spine surgery or manage the lengthy rehabilitation timeline. At Performance Ortho, minimally invasive procedures range from traditional interventional pain management options such as nerve blocks, Radio frequency ablation and epidural injections to more advanced options. These consist of Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression (MILD), Intracept Procedure, and Via Disc or Minuteman Fusion Procedure. Regardless of your surgical path, pre-operative strength and conditioning targeting spinal stabilizers and core movements can optimize success outcomes before surgery even begins. Your surgeon may refer to this as “prehab”, which has been proven to reduce post operative recovery time significantly.
Once a patient moves into post-operative care, pain management without overreliance on medications is the first step towards a healthy, guided treatment plan with your care team. This may include a guided course of care to increase spinal strength and flexibility as well as gradual activity progression where clear timelines for walking, driving and return to work are set based on each patient’s condition.
At Performance Ortho, this post-operative roadmap for minimally invasive procedures is highlighted by a multi-disciplinary care model. Our board-certified orthopedic surgeons work alongside therapists and pain physicians to ensure patient recovery is not siloed or cookie-cutter. Patients are encouraged to navigate their recovery alongside these doctors and voice any questions or concerns they may have throughout the process. This open communication between patient and provider can lead to accelerated recovery outcomes and help avoid setbacks.
Regenerative Medicine: A Tool to Help Adjacent Segmental Disease
A potential challenge following spinal surgery is Adjacent Segment Disease (ASD). After a structural repair or fusion, the spinal segments next to the treated area often experience increased mechanical stress. Over time, this can accelerate degeneration in those neighboring discs and joints, sometimes resulting in pain similar to the original condition that led to surgery.
Fortunately, regenerative medicine offers new hope for patients facing this scenario. By strengthening and restoring nearby discs, ligaments, and tendons, with stem cells and PRP; We can help reduce the risk of future breakdown and lower the likelihood of needing additional surgeries, supporting long-term spinal health and function.
Performance Ortho is recognized as a regional innovator of regenerative medicine, performing over 2,000 procedures across our central New Jersey clinics. Whether you’re currently experiencing post-surgical setbacks, are contemplating non-surgical options, or somewhere in between, our team at Performance Ortho encourages patients to schedule a consultation to discuss their regenerative medicine treatment options. One of our physicians will walk you through various treatment avenues and candidacy independently or in conjunction with spine surgery.
The Patient’s Role in Post-Surgical Recovery
As previously mentioned, the patient plays a key role in their recovery at Performance Ortho. An open line of communication with providers is encouraged to establish a broad recovery roadmap, specifically tailored to personal goals and lifestyle inhibitors with the versatility to pivot based on treatment results and potential setbacks.
Dr. Mejia elaborates, “Recovery doesn’t end when the surgery is over. Open communication between patient and physician is essential to restoring life to the fullest. At Performance Ortho, our Performance Promise means you never wonder, wait, or worry. We stay transparent, accessible, and outcome driven. That promise is woven directly into our post-surgical philosophy: track your progress, adapt your care, and keep our shared goal front and center, your return to a quality, pain-free life.”
Contact Performance Ortho for More Information
Are you or a loved one suffering from chronic back pain? Are you looking for an improved post-surgical treatment plan? Contact one of our four New Jersey ortho clinics in Branchburg, Somerset, Watchung, and Hillsborough. Our compassionate team and their expertise are here to help you through every step of your journey to pain relief.