Recovering from spinal cord surgery

Spinal cord injuries are the result of both accidents and lifestyle habits. We can avoid developing a weak spine by adjusting our lifestyles. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for accidents. A car accident or slipping over can lead to tremendous long-term discomfort and pain with little we can do to prevent these damages, assuming you're wearing your seatbelt and not running on unstable surfaces. Nonetheless, there are ways we can tackle this issue using advances in medical science. Spine surgery can have incredible effects on your quality of life. Let’s investigate how you can plan your recovery after a surgery. Please note that timestamps are generalized and dependent on your health and recovery plan.

Spine surgery is one of the more common types of surgery, and most are minimally invasive.  Let’s take a look at what spine surgery can do for you.

Firstly, when you’re in the hospital, you may have one of these surgeries depending on what type of damage you have incurred.  

·       Diskectomy – surgery to remove all or part of your disk

·       Foraminotory – surgery to widen the opening in your back where nerve roots leave your spinal column

·       Laminectomy – surgery to remove the lamina, two small bones that make up a vertebra, or bone spurs in your back, to take pressure off your spinal nerves or spinal column

·       Spinal fusion – the fusing of two bones together in your back to correct problems in your spine

Your physician will give you a bespoke plan relating to your damage and recovery plan.

Depending on your surgery, recovery could take anywhere between 3 weeks to 6 months to recover. Other conditions that could affect your recovery is your lifestyle and bodily condition before the surgery.

Your bandages have a lifespan of approximately 9 days.  Check to see if the area has changed colour, swollen, or begins to open up. If this happens, contact your surgeon immediately. If there are no issues, you may begin to shower again. Wait 5 days before showering, and cover the incision with plastic wrap. Do not allow shower from the head to spray the wounded area. You should also want to avoid stairs for the first week or so.

Once a few weeks have passed, and the healing process is underway, you should be attempting to work your way into your previous routine. Before continuing your rehab, please note: do not sit still for extended periods of time, and inform yourself on proper posture by reading this. If you are supported by a brace or corset, you should be wearing it when sitting and walking, however, it would be unnecessary to wear the brace when you are sitting for short periods of time or using the bathroom at night. Finally, do not drive for the first 2 weeks.

Now is the point where, as opposed to what you should avoid, we can start looking at how you can actively help the healing process.

Around the 4 week stage, generally, you should be taking light walks to strengthen surrounding areas. Increase the speed or duration of the walk slowly. This allows the spine to heal itself within an active body and correct itself. A sedentary lifestyle will encourage previous problems to return. Continue to up your exercise slowly as your spine recovers.

Please note, you should contact your surgeon immediately if you experience any of the following:

·        Chills or a fever of 101°F (38.3°C), or higher

·        More pain where you had your surgery

·        Drainage from the wound or the drainage is green or yellow

·        Lose feeling or have a change of feeling in your arms (if you had neck surgery) or your legs and feet (if you had lower back surgery)

·        Chest pain, shortness of breath

·        Swelling

·        Calf pain

·        Your back pain worsens and does not get better with rest and/or pain medicine

·        Difficulty urinating and controlling your bowel movements

If this routine does not help, or you need medical attention, please contact us at Mount Sinai Department of Rehabilitative Medicine. A bespoke plan will be necessary if you suffer from other medical problems. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321

How Can Traumatic Brain Injury Affect Your Life?

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), is the result of an external force, such as a knock to the skull that injures the brain. Brain injury could affect anyone, but people who are in the military, sportspeople, old and young, and people who suffer from strokes are most likely to experience problems. Brain injury has a range of life altering traumatisms from Dementia to Parkinson’s, to loss of memory and facial recognition. Damage will scale will the level of trauma suffered from a knock.

Brain damage (TBI) is a result to a blow to the head. A knock to the head makes the brain move inside and bruise against the skull causing damage to the brain. Depending on the severity of the knock, the patient will experience a range of symptoms as the brain is starved of oxygen for a period of time.

The people most susceptible to TBI are military personnel, high-impact sportspeople, old people who often fall, and 15-24-year-old males, due to the heightened chances of taking a damaging blow to the head. However, it is important to note that anyone could be a victim.

The most common causes of brain injury are car accidents, blows to the head, sports injuries, falls or accidents, and physical violence. As we can see, there is a correlation between the most common causes, and the most vulnerable. For example, studies indicate 15-24-year-old males are the most reckless drivers of all demographics; consequently, they have a higher chance of putting themselves in situations where they could get a brain injury.

Not all impacts are life altering. Light to medium knocks to the head cause confusion, lack of spatial awareness, and sometimes nausea. In both cases, patients usually make a good recovery. With more serious brain injury, people suffer life changing and debilitating problems. Depending on where the damage is localized, the patient will experience different symptoms.

But how can brain injuries affect your life? Brain damage symptoms scale with the severity of impact. More serious ramifications include relearning to walk, loss of personal memories and facial recognition – with patients forgetting who they are. Also, depending on where the damage is localized, patients could lose motor skills or in most severe cases not know how to speak. The more severe the impact, the more severe the consequences.

If you are suffering from any of the symptoms listed, please contact us as it is important you speak to your physician as soon as possible. Contact our switchboard on: (212) 241-6321