There are many steps to take when preparing for degenerative spine surgery. For instance, you must stop certain medications indicated by your doctor and organize any necessary travel arrangements for the procedure. Also important is the preparation for the recovery period after undergoing surgery for a degenerative spine condition.

Questions to ask your doctor

The recovery period after your degenerative spine surgery is an important step of treating your condition. Your spine must heal from the procedure correctly so you can return to your normal activities. Before you undergo surgery, ask your doctor these three questions regarding your degenerative spine surgery recovery period.

1. How can I expect my healing to progress? It’s important to have the right expectations about the recovery process from degenerative spine surgery. The truth is that most patients will experience some soreness around the incision site after surgery as the body heals. This pain should go away within a week or two as your body recovers, but everyone heals at different rates.
2. When can I get back to my normal activities? For many patients recovering from a degenerative spine condition, the answer to the question varies. Your surgeon or consulting physician will give you guidelines to help you understand when exactly you can return to activities such as driving, weightlifting, golfing or any other daily activity. He or she will also recommend certain exercises along the way to help your body strengthen after degenerative spine surgery.
3. When should I schedule my follow-up appointment? Many surgeons recommend their patients schedule a follow-up appointment within the first couple weeks after degenerative spine surgery.

Reach out to USA Spine Care

To learn more about degenerative spine surgery and what to expect during your recovery period, contact USA Spine Care. Our board-certified surgeons+ offer minimally invasive spine surgery to help treat the common causes of chronic neck and back pain. By using muscle-sparing techniques, we are able to perform these procedures on an outpatient basis, while offering a shorter recovery time with less risk of complication compared to traditional open spine surgery.^

We are happy to provide you with a free MRI review* to determine if you are a candidate for one of our procedures.

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