Cervical Spine Surgery

What it is - What to expect

The cervical "curve" is from the base of the skull to just about the center of the neck. This curve contains the cervical vertebrae.

Cervical spine surgery involves a surgeon or a group of surgeons stabilizing your spinal column using a series of bone grafts, wires, disc removal, or a combination of several different techniques.

The procedure is a delicate one and as such it is crucial that you go through proper recovery and rehabilitation in order to avoid further injury down the line. If you or anyone you know needs to have surgery such as this then it is important you consider your rehabilitative steps towards recovery so that you can minimize any risks or hazards to your spine in the future.

You need to first understand that after cervical spine surgery you may well be required to stay in the hospital for an extended period of time, often up to one or two weeks. You should therefore only get out of bed and conduct yourself in certain activities when instructed to do so by your doctors and nurses. In addition, while you are in your hospital bed make sure that you do all of the exercises that are suggested to you by your recovery team.

Cervical spine surgery recovery: After cervical surgery it is absolutely crucial that you are able to maintain circulation around your legs, and therefore you should do the prescribed exercises between three and four times every day. If you fail to perform any type of movement, this will heighten your chances of post surgery complications, and therefore you need to make sure that you follow any guidelines set out very closely.

Until the doctor gives you the go-ahead, the only exercises that you should be doing once you have actually left the hospital will be very simple walking exercises and leg reclining exercises. It is absolutely crucial that you do not try to lift weights or do any strenuous exercise, and make sure you avoid any type of resistance training that causes you to twist or turn on your spine at all.

It is a good idea that you walk every day once you are discharged from the hospital. Walking will help your spine to settle back into a natural position and will help you to remain flexible after your surgery. If you do not move enough then your spine can become a little bit rigid, and this will be particularly important if you have had any type of bone graft.

It is also important that you do not ever pick at your stitches or staples. You need to let them either fall off or absorb naturally, and do not interfere with any of the process. If your staples and stitches need to be removed then your doctor will schedule a specific time for you to go back to the hospital and have this done.

You also need to make sure you are aware of the medications that you are able to take after cervical spine surgery. There may be specific guidelines as to what pain relief medications you can and cannot take, so pay close attention to these. Under any conditions, before performing exericises such as those mentioned above, consult with, and get clear instructions from your physician.