Facet syndrome is a painful form of osteoarthritis that occurs when the cartilage surrounding the facet joints in the spine wears away, causing the adjoining bones to rub against each other. This condition is often exacerbated by the growth of bone spurs around the affected joint, which can pinch the nerve roots or the spinal cord itself. If the condition progresses to the point where nonsurgical treatments don’t provide relief from chronic pain, surgery might be the next step.

Although everyone recovers from surgery at their own rate and some patients have more restrictions than others, below are three activities that you may want to avoid following facet syndrome surgery:

1. Becoming sedentary. There’s no doubt about it — resting is an essential part of recovering from any surgery. But you’ll need to balance your need for rest with your need to stay strong. Your doctor can provide you with advice on certain gentle exercises and stretching techniques that will help you maintain your strength and flexibility, as well as prevent scar tissue from accumulating during your recovery.
2. Trying to do too much by yourself. If you’re used to taking care of yourself and your family, it can be difficult to hand over that responsibility to someone else. But in the weeks or months following your facet syndrome surgery, it will be essential that you don’t take on too many household tasks by yourself. You’ll need to rely on friends and family members to cook, clean and even run errands for you while you’re still recovering.
3. Rushing the recovery period. Recovery from facet syndrome surgery — or any other type of surgery — can often take a considerable amount of time. Don’t try to rush through your recovery, as doing so may negate the benefits of surgery and cause you additional spine issues down the road. Take your time to give yourself the best chance for a safe and effective recovery.

Please contact USA Spine Care today to learn more about the minimally invasive surgeries we perform to treat facet syndrome. For example, we routinely use facet thermal ablation to reduce inflammation in a facet joint and numb the local nerves within the joint, thereby helping to relieve any resulting pain. Our team would be happy to help you determine whether you may be a candidate for our outpatient procedures.

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