If you’ve undergone neck surgery, whether it‘s an arthroplasty, discectomy, or disc replacement, you know that careful healing is critical to your long-term health and recovery. Regardless, it’s easy to find yourself bored with being bedridden or sticking to requisite rest, making you more likely to engage in behaviors that can reignite your spine or neck pain or even affect the outcome of your neck or spine surgery. From cleaning your incision site to managing your pain, there are a few particular steps you can take to ensure you recover from surgery and return to your day-to-day life reinvigorated.
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Follow your doctor’s guidelines.
It seems like a matter of common sense, but there are, nevertheless, patients who disregard their physician’s orders, skip follow-up appointments and recovery efforts, or don’t use their pain medication as directed. In many cases, this negligence results in discomfort and delayed recovery. In others, it can harm your health and inhibit your rehabilitation over time. When a healthcare professional offers a cervical neck surgery recovery guide, follow it.
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Make yourself comfortable.
Pain and discomfort are expected after surgery, though it may be less painful than you’re used to, depending on the type of surgery needed and why. This doesn’t mean you have to be in agony throughout your recovery process. Pain medication and other relief efforts can help you feel better, and environmental efforts can offer you greater comfort in the meantime. For women, consider choosing wireless bras, bralettes, or a similarly soft option rather than a standard underwire or structured bra, offering support with increased comfort. The same is true of your entire outfit—emphasize comfort rather than style while you recuperate.
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Utilize physical therapy.
Even if you’re abiding by your doctor’s guidelines at home, you might struggle to keep up with other aspects of your prescribed recovery plan, like attending physical therapy (PT) appointments. For the most effective rehabilitation, you must see your physical therapist as directed and complete any homework they assign. Even after you’ve graduated from your PT program, you’ll find that the exercises you learn can relieve any lasting discomfort you feel once your formal recovery period has ended.
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Consider your overall wellness.
When you’re recovering from neck surgery or a similar procedure, it’s important to focus on your rehabilitation process. At the same time, though, you need to consider your wellness more generally. Factors like sleep, hydration, and proper nutrition can be crucial factors in your recovery plan. Of course, these are important in any context. During recovery, though, it’s all the more critical to practice healthy wellness habits. To promote recuperation, sip some extra water, eat something healthy, and take care of yourself overall.
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Prioritize rest.
In the time immediately following your surgery, it’s normal to feel fatigued. Even if you’re not especially sleepy, it’s important to make sure you’re getting plenty of rest. As you undoubtedly know already, your body depends on sleep to reset, refresh, and recuperate from your day. Post-op, this is all the more important. Fatigued or raring to get back to your typical life, you’ll find that getting enough sleep and prioritizing rest altogether can be the boost your recovery needs. If nothing else, there’s nothing like a nap to pass the time until you’re feeling better!
Neck surgery is a significant moment, so it’s no surprise that recovery is relatively involved. However, if you listen to your healthcare team, care for yourself overall, and work to make yourself more comfortable in the long-term, you’ll be feeling better in no time. In the meantime, get some rest, practice healthy self-care, and prepare yourself for a post-op world free from pain and better than ever before.
