Water exercises can be an excellent addition to a failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) treatment program because this type of physical activity can provide many of the benefits of exercising on dry land without the downsides. For example, many people who have FBSS find that standing for any period of time is uncomfortable, but when they can float rather than stand on a hard surface, they can perform exercises that they may not have been able to before. It’s best to work with a physical therapist or other professional who can develop a regimen suited to a patient’s individual needs, but there are some common exercises that many people with FBSS find useful.

Exercise one: walking in water

It may sound silly, but just walking around in chest-high water can provide some much-needed exercise for many people with failed back surgery syndrome. This treatment can work well because while the water doesn’t cause any stress on the joints of the body, it does provide some resistance for the muscles to work against. This gives people who may otherwise be in too much pain a chance to do some simple yet helpful strength training for their core muscles.

Exercise two: leg raises

Whether it consists of slowly pulling a knee up to the chest or gradually swinging a foot from the bottom of a pool up toward the waist, standing in chest-deep water can make these exercises easier on the body. Both of these motions can help to stretch out the muscles in the legs and lower back, which can potentially reduce the pressure that a failed back surgery’s scar tissue can sometimes place on the spinal cord or a nerve root.

Exercise three: “Superman” stretches

It can be tough to fully stretch out the spine on dry land, particularly when coping with failed back surgery syndrome, but it’s a little simpler in the water. By placing the hands on the side of a pool and letting the feet float upward so the back is facing up, a patient can stretch the muscles and ligaments of the spine. Movements like this can help keep the spine limber and the supporting muscles strong, potentially making daily activities a little easier.

In some cases, conservative failed back surgery syndrome treatment doesn’t manage pain as effectively as hoped. For people who have tried water exercises, medications and other methods of reducing their symptoms to no avail, surgery might be helpful. It may seem counterintuitive, but the minimally invasive spine surgery performed by the experts at USA Spine Care has helped many people who were left with symptoms after a previous spine procedure.

Contact USA Spine Care for more information about our failed back surgery syndrome treatment options today.

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