Physical Therapy Post Op

[springchicken]

Hi all-

Question for those who had physical therapy after surgery. Did you find it useful? Could you give examples of some of the exercises you did, the more specific the better?

I was thinking of looking into PT, but it won't be easy for me to schedule-wise, so I wanted to see if people found it worth it. I might just continue on my own at the gym, still debating.

(I've done PT before for my back and found it helpful to a point...the massage work is always nice!)

Many thanks!
Olivia

[Wish2bstraight]

I had physical therapy at home and then I went out for physical therapy after my surgery. Fused from t9 to s1. I do bracing, squeeze a ball between my knees, different leg lifts with ankle weights. I also do what is called 4's and 8's, and deep knee bends, which sometimes bother my knees. I also do some exercises with resistant bands. Yes, they help.

I started doing them on my bed, but now a year after my surgery, I am able to get on an exercise mat on the floor.

I firmly believe that they help. I feel much better after I do them, even though I hate exercising.

[susancook]

Hi Olivia, I started going to PT immediately after the rehab hospital. Early PT was very gentle movements. PT focuses on areas of weakness. For me, it is strength in my R leg and quad strength mostly. Exercises are holding on to my kitchen sink and bending my knees and squatting about half way down and then straightening up. I repeat that about 30 times. I also inch my R foot up my L leg.

Walking is excellent exercise. Buy a pedometer which is motivational.

I started having cervical problems so bring my chin to my chest while keeping my neck sort of toward the back. I also do isometric neck exercises.

I do warm water exercises that involve no twisting or bending.

The good thing about having a PT that KNOWS about exercises for people with a spinal fusion is that the PT can show you how to do the exercises correctly to preserve your fusion.

Good luck, Susan

[mabeckoff]

Your surgeon will not allow you to just go to the gym. You need PT designed for your surgery.

[Irina]

Your surgeon will not allow you to just go to the gym. You need PT designed for your surgery.

Melissa, so good to see you!

[JenniferG]

My surgeon was adamant I should not have PT after surgery. I suspect the reason was that he didn't trust any PT in my area.

[Susie*Bee]

Hi Olivia! I will just reiterate what others have said... After my initial PT right after surgery with some very basic and simple exercises (like raising up on toes and returning, some flexible band stretching for my arms, etc.) I was not allowed by my surgeon to have any more PT for awhile. Just walking-- and walking and walking. At 6 months I had PT to strengthen my arms and legs and at 11 months I had PT to strengthen my core. My surgeon was reluctant but sent information about what I was NOT to do. The PT helped me a lot as I had grown weak as a kitten from the surgery and from wearing a brace for 5 months. You really do need approval from your surgeon and a PT who knows what he/she is doing with someone who is recovering from fusion surgery. Best wishes!

[springchicken]

Thank you so much everyone for your responses. I'm awaiting a call back from my surgeon's assistant so I can get a PT script and hopefully get some relief. I too was wary of going to a PT who wasn't familiar enough with scoliosis, but I think I found a place.

My doctor left it up for me to decide whether I wanted it or not. Sounds like every surgeon is different and every case is different. He told me to see how I feel after 6 weeks. I'll be 9 weeks this Monday and I still just have a lot of pain trying to sit.

Trying to give it time and be patient, though. I'm walking a lot and I've noticed I'm gradually walking faster and easier. I think the progress is so small you don't always see it, but I keep a journal to record something positive each week.

I also found some great exercise videos that a forum member Doreen posted to her blog (Doreen if you're out there-thanks!!

Thanks again everyone
Olivia

[leahdragonfly]

Hi Olivia,

I hope you have luck finding an experienced PT who is really familiar with fusion, and mindful of your activity restrictions. You mention hoping you can find some relief--is there something in particular you are looking for relief for? Or is it general aches and pains? I definitely had significant "aches and pains" still until at least the 6 month point, when they started to get significantly better.

I had trouble finding suitable PT after my surgery. My surgery was done in Portland, OR, but I live 2 hours away in a town of 50,000. I tried one PT office at around 9-10 weeks post-op and was quite shocked that the PT really did not seem to understand or respect my activity restrictions, nor the nature of the long fusion. He wanted to assign me exercises that clearly violated my "no bending" restrictions (such as exercising on hands and knees with lifting arms and legs alternately) and then argued with me that they didn't really violate my restrictions. It was upsetting, and I told the PT I was not going to do the exercises until I cleared them with my surgeon. When I showed the exercise sheet to my surgeon he was pretty upset and said he did not want me doing any type of exercise like that so early on. He advised me to not have PT since there wasn't a good skilled option in my area.

The PT department where I had my surgery was just great, and I wish I could have worked with them, but I live too far away. In the end I just walked, and did gentle swimming. It worked out for me. Everyone has a different experience, depending on their surgery and the availability of skilled PT.

[LindaRacine]

He wanted to assign me exercises that clearly violated my "no bending" restrictions (such as exercising on hands and knees with lifting arms and legs alternately) and then argued with me that they didn't really violate my restrictions. It was upsetting, and I told the PT I was not going to do the exercises until I cleared them with my surgeon. When I showed the exercise sheet to my surgeon he was pretty upset and said he did not want me doing any type of exercise like that so early on. He advised me to not have PT since there wasn't a good skilled option in my area.

Ack! That's so upsetting. There is an incredible range of knowledge among physical therapists. Before my first scoliosis surgeries, I tried several rounds of physical therapy. Nothing helped, and in fact, I think some might have actually been detrimental. When I finally found a good physical therapist, I was really shocked at how different she was from the other therapists with whom I had worked. My only advice to anyone who has been left to find a physical therapist on their own is to see if you can find someone specialized in spine and/or find some with a PhD in physical therapy.

--Linda

[springchicken]

Gayle, your experience with PT after surgery sounds like it was terrible. Thank goodness you didn't stay with them. I too wish I could do PT in Philadelphia under the direct guidance of my surgeon, but it's too far. We'll see what his assistant says. As I mentioned, I think I may have found a place where I live that has experienced therapists.

As far as what I'm looking for--sitting is just so unbearable for me. My pain is decreasing despite that, but I'm just really nervous that when I have to go in to work I'll be in agony. But maybe by the end of this month things will be better for me.

I will say I went to sit in the hot tub and "walked" in the pool at my gym for the first time and it was glorious! Man, I wish I had a hot tub.

[leahdragonfly]

Hi,

Many of us have had issues with sitting for awhile after surgery, especially those fused to sacrum and with pelvic fixation. Sitting was not a position of comfort for me at all for a long time (at least 6 months post-op I'd say). When I returned to work at 14 weeks I could not sit for more than 30-60 minutes max, and even then it was not comfortable. I got up a lot, and went for short walks every hour if possible. It does improve over time, and I am sure over the next few months things will get easier for you, also. Remember to not over do it…you will pay later!

I am sure the pool felt wonderful. I am a swimmer and I recall my daily visit to the pool and hot tub was the best part of the day.

[springchicken]

Thanks, Gayle. It's good to keep things in perspective and comforting to know that others had similar experiences. Sitting for long periods of time was always hard for me pre-surgery. The hard part is that when I finally do go into work I will have an hour and 20 minute train ride (almost 2 hours door to door) but I'll just have to work standing up for part of the day and be thankful I work from home most days.

Thanks again for your messages.

[titaniumed]

Sitting is hard, but it does get better in time.....I used a laptop at the kitchen counter quite a bit in the early days....

Soft tissues take a long time to heal and can be agitated or inflamed pretty far out from the surgery date. I had a major pain episode at 22 months from pulling down to tie shoe laces. That was extremely painful for 14 days, then suddenly quit on its own. Thankfully I have not had a major pain event since that time in my fusion area.

I didn’t have a PT program for my spine other than walking and doing heel lifts (for DVT) standing in the kitchen. With the medications I was on, I know I wasn’t about to drive a car, let alone go someplace and do too much. It was basically about moving often.....I also knew I had to wean off my meds and had to put an effort into that which wasn’t an easy thing....Man-o-man! I quit cold turkey at 6 wks since I wanted my mind back, and it took 2 attempts. I also needed to drive.

I took 5 one hour hot soaks in 106 degree (scalding) water for pain each day for 3 months. I had a fancy hot tub with all the bells and whistles but was afraid of falling getting in or out of it, so I used the master bedroom tub which is a large tub with a sloped back. If you do this, drink plenty of water as you lose quite a bit soaking in hot water and dehydration is a total disaster. It will send you back to the hospital. Drinking or sipping water all day long is so important. I have had 2 co-workers end up in the hospital because of dehydration, and they were not doing a surgical recovery!

I broke my shoulder 10 days before my scoli surgeries and had that surgery done 8 months after my scoli surgeries. My shoulder surgeon wanted me in PT for the shoulder right away, and did that for 6 months. At that stage, I have to say that the physical therapy was extremely helpful and was doing 20 pull ups after 1 year. The arm bike was great for the paraspinal’s in the thoracic. I really wanted to know if I was fused since non-unions are one of our worries. I didn’t lift more than a dinner plate for 6 months because of this. Since I knew that it takes a long time (12 months) for bone to fuse, I wanted to take it easy in my recovery since I had one shot at it.

You can see that I took it slow.....and knew that my recovery was going to take 2 years and that’s what it took. I knew this since a friend had a major (fake) aorta procedure from the front and it took him 2 years to recover.....90% in the 1st year, the final 10% took another year. (Battling fatigue).

I don’t think there was anything I could have done to speed up my recovery.....it happened at its own pace....I also had 4 surgeries in 2 years so that slowed things down a little....

You will see me ending many of my posts with “Hang in there” and “Take it easy”. Now you know why....

Take it easy

Ed

[springchicken]

Thanks for your post, Ed. I thought I had replied but I don't see it here. I'm amazed you were able to quit your meds so early given the pain you had. I basically decreased mine until I no longer had stomach problems. The dose is so low I'm not sure it does much but I'm not quite ready to give up completely.

I bought one of those foam cushions for sitting which helps a bit. I'm taking your advice and going a little easier on myself.

Thanks,
Olivia

Ps so envious of yr hot tub!!