Before you undergo spinal bone spur surgery, you should research and ask questions about what to expect during your recovery period. After all, what you do during your recovery period is almost as important to your overall pain relief as the surgery itself. You should be prepared to follow guidelines given by your surgeon for activities to avoid and exercises to do to help your spine heal properly after bone spur surgery. You should also ask your surgeon how long you should expect the recovery process to last, so you can set realistic expectations for yourself.

The amount of time necessary to recover from spinal bone spur surgery depends on a number of factors, including the type of procedure performed and your overall health. Not every patient will recover at the same rate. One of the most important things you must understand before you submit to elective spine surgery is that everyone heals at a different rate. Any attempt to hasten the process can lead to potentially greater problems that might require even more surgery to fix. Patience is a big key to a successful recuperation.

Factors contributing to a healthy recovery

Bone spur surgery in the spine generally takes one of two forms: traditional open spine procedures or minimally invasive spine surgery. The goal of both forms of surgery is to relieve nerve compression caused by the growth of spinal bone spurs. The difference is it normally takes much longer for a patient to recover from open spine surgery than from a minimally invasive procedure.^

This is because a traditional open spine procedure typically involves a large incision and the disruption of surrounding muscles, while minimally invasive procedures, such as those performed at USA Spine Care use muscle-sparing techniques. This means our procedures require a smaller incision, typically less than an inch in length, which also reduces the time required for healing.^

Set a realistic expectation for your recovery time

While there is every possibility that you might be cleared to return to regular daily activities, such as your job, in a matter of days or weeks following bone spur surgery, complete recovery generally takes longer. For patients who undergo minimally invasive procedures, it might require as little as a month to return to regular activity. 88 percent of patients undergoing minimally invasive decompression surgery at USA Spine Care report returning to daily activities within three months of surgery.

To learn more about the recovery period required following minimally invasive bone spur surgery, contact USA Spine Care. We can provide you with a no-cost MRI review* to help you determine if you are a candidate for one of our minimally invasive procedures.

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