Unconventional Tips for Back Surgery Recovery

Image of bed in room

We understand how daunting it is to prepare for back surgery. After all, we’ve helped guide countless patients through everything from the most minimally invasive surgical procedures to major traditional back surgeries. Back surgery often means giving a patient a new lease on life, restoring mobility and improving quality of life. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

That’s why we love this post from the spine-health.com blog that rounded up the best reader-submitted tips for recovering from back surgery. Here are some of our favorites.

Back Surgery Recovery Tips You May Not Have Considered

stock your house with post-surgery supplies. Before you go into the hospital or surgical center, take a trip to your favorite grocery store or super-center to stock up on Kleenex, wound dressings, toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo, soap, lip balm and other items that will keep you clean and comfortable. You’ll also want to bring in lots of easy to eat (and easy to digest) foods like pudding, yogurt, popsicles, and crackers. Gatorade is also a great choice.

Treat yourself to new sheets or pajamas. The spine-health readers stressed the importance of being able to get in and out of bed easily and recommended satin sheets or satin pajamas.

Maybe also treat yourself to new shoes or slippers. You want something that’s easy to slip on, but that has great traction to help keep you safe and healthy. So while your old slippers may be super comfy and easy to get on, you need to evaluate if you can really count on them to keep you upright during a difficult time.

Hazard-proof your home. Take a few walks through your house and try to imagine yourself doing it while recovering from back surgery. Your pathways need to be clear with all tripping hazards put away. You should take care to make it as easy as possible to get from your bedroom to the bathroom.

Your doctor will have the best, most complete post-surgical care guides and tips for you, so of course, you want to pay close attention to what he or she tells you. However, these are just a few extra tips you may want to keep in mind.