Spine surgery can be the perfect solution to your back pain woes, but the success of your operation doesn\u2019t entirely depend on the skill of the treating surgeon. You may also be surprised to learn that it\u2019s not just what you do during your post-op rehabilitation that will help spur your recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Much of your recovery and post-op satisfaction will be fueled by some steps you took before your surgical procedure. In today\u2019s blog, we highlight eight things you should consider doing before your spine surgery to help ensure your operation and recovery are a success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you pursue these eight things prior to your spine surgery, we\u2019re confident you\u2019ll be giving your body the best chance at an improved outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Get A Second Opinion<\/strong> \u2013 Spine surgery is a huge decision. Even if you trust your surgeon, considering the stakes, it\u2019s important to consider having a second set of eyes view the problem and confirm the original diagnosis and treatment plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Prehab<\/strong> \u2013 You don\u2019t need to wait until your surgery is complete to start your rehab program. Studies have shown that patients who partake in a prehab strengthening program are more likely to have better outcomes than those who simply rely on a post-op recovery program. It\u2019s never too early to form helpful rehabilitation habits, so start before your operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Improved Diet<\/strong> \u2013 Help your body get the nutrition it needs to help structures recover. A poor diet can also increase your risk of spinal inflammation, which can make symptoms worse before your operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Weight Loss<\/strong> \u2013 If you\u2019re obese or overweight, consider working towards a healthier weight. Being overweight puts more stress on the spinal column, which will be in a weakened state following surgery. Strive to work towards a healthier weight, and your spine will be better off for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Ask Questions<\/strong> \u2013 If you\u2019re feeling nervous or unsure about any aspect of your care leading up to your surgery, be sure to ask questions to your surgeon or medical team. They\u2019ll be more than happy to answer your questions and help put your mind at ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 6. Prep Your House<\/strong> \u2013 Get the laundry done, get your recovery station ready and prepare your house for life after spine surgery. The more you get done before your surgery, the less you\u2019ll have to deal with right after your operation when discomfort is highest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 7. Meal Plan<\/strong> \u2013 Don\u2019t just rely on takeout and frozen pizzas while you recover because your recent surgery makes cooking difficult. Prep some healthy, easy-to-reheat meals so that you don\u2019t have to worry about spending an hour making a healthy meal after surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 8. Ride Arraignments<\/strong> \u2013 Odds are you won\u2019t be able to drive home following surgery, so you\u2019ll need to arrange a ride home. Many people also prefer to be driven to the surgical center on the day of their operation, so consider getting your ride situation sorted out well before your surgery date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can do all eight of these things, we\u2019re confident you\u2019ll be giving your body the best chance at success both before and after your spine surgery. And if you want to trust you operation to one of the best spine surgeons in the area, look no further than Dr. Chang. Reach out to his clinic today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Spine surgery can be the perfect solution to your back pain woes, but the success of your operation doesn\u2019t entirely […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=584"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":585,"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/584\/revisions\/585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/davidchangspine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}