What Not to Do When Recovering from Cervical Surgery

There are a number of specific activities to avoid after cervical fusion or other types of cervical spine surgery, but if you remember only one piece of advice, let it be this: listen to your Doctor’s orders!

If you’re like many folks, especially those determined to get back to normal levels of activity, you may be tempted to push the limits of your recovery. Don’t.

Your doctor has told you to do certain things and avoid others for good reason, so listen to them!

Still looking for answers about what specifically should you avoid after cervical spine fusion surgery as a quick reference? Here’s a list of activities that are a no-go in the period following cervical spine surgery.

5 Activities to Avoid After Cervical Spine Surgery

General restrictions after most types of cervical spine surgery are usually as follows:

1. High-Impact Exercise: Most physicians will instruct patients who’ve recently had cervical spine surgery to avoid high impact exercise for a minimum of 4 weeks, and up to 6 months depending on when your neck fuses.
2. Driving: Don’t drive until you’ve been cleared by your doctor. Most patients are cleared to drive so long as they are not under the influence of pain medications. For many patients, this means they can begin driving in a matter of days. But each patient and each case is different.
3. Lifting: You may be advised to avoid lifting things above a certain weight, such as 10 pounds. Depending on the severity and type of your surgery, you may be advised not to lift at all if possible.
4. Bending and Twisting: Avoid excessive bending,twisting, and sudden movements in the neck.
5. Sexual Activity: Sex is permitted as soon as you are comfortable after cervical spine surgery.

It’s also imperative not to get the incision area wet until the incision is totally healed d. This means avoiding pools, baths, hot tubs, and other methods of soaking the body. It also usually means avoiding the shower until your doctor specifies otherwise (normally around the 4 day mark).

We recommend using a damp wash cloth to bathe the areas near the incision that might be subject to overspray or saturation.

How to Wash Your Hair After Cervical Spine Surgery

Washing your hair immediately following cervical spine surgery is not recommended. If you must clean your hair, keep the surgical site and incision covered and use dry shampoo to clean the hair.

Sleeping After Cervical Spine Surgery

It is recommended that you should sleep in a recliner or elevated in some other way (such as propped up with wedges) for 48 hours following surgery to avoid any potential swelling and airway issues. Some patients also wonder if they can sleep sideways after cervical surgery, and the answer is that with a supportive pillow under your neck, you normally can. In fact the two recommended positions for sleeping after most types of cervical spine surgery are on your back and on either side. Ask your doctor for more specifics to ensure you strain your neck and back as little as possible following spine surgery.

Long-Term Restrictions After Cervical Spine Surgery

The vast majority of patients who undergo various types of cervical spine surgery, including arguably the most complex, cervical spine fusion surgery, are able to resume normal levels of activity in the long-run.

But in relatively rare cases, some patients may be unable to fully bend the neck. Others may be disallowed from being able to participate in high-impact sports.

The Type of Cervical Spine Surgery You Have May Impact Recovery

Certain types of cervical spine surgery, such as Anterior Cervical Distectomy & Fusion (ACDF) and cervical TDR are associated with fewer complications and improved recovery times than others such as Posterior Cervical Distectomy & Fusion (PCDF).

If you’re curious about the link between recovery and cervical spine surgery type, we invite you to contact Dr Baig today who is always happy to provide patient education!

Recovery Goals and Timeline

The main goals of recovery from cervical spine surgery, or any type of surgery for that matter are usually:

1. Reduce pain as much as possible
2. Promote healing
3. Restore mobility as much as possible

As you can imagine, not only is every surgery different, but every individual patient is also different. Your pain tolerance may be a lot lower than that of your peers. You may take longer to restore mobility or get less range of motion back compared to others. The important thing to remember is to follow your surgeon’s instructions to ensure proper recovery.

If you haven’t been provided one, you can ask your doctor to provide you with a personalized surgery recovery timeline with a proactive focus of things to do as well as activities to avoid.

How Long Does It Take for Nerves to Heal After Cervical Spine Surgery?

According to one study, most patients who are recovering from cervical spine surgery who had a neurologic deficit will recover complete function within the year following surgery.

While the above is intended as a general guide for what to avoid while recovering from cervical surgery, every patient, and therefore every recovery journey, is different.

More often than not, our patients will wake up from their surgery with their nerve pain almost completely alleviated.

Conclusion

The road to recovering from cervical spine surgery may involve temporary limitations, and in rarer cases, permanent activity alterations and range of motion changes. But if you follow your physician’s instructions, you’ll be well on your way to regaining both strength and function for everyday activities.

Looking for more information about what to be prepared for after cervical spine fusion surgery, specifically? Check out our blog “Spinal Fusion Recovery: What to Expect”.