As any cervical spine surgeon in Plano TX will tell you, recovering from the surgical removal of a deficient cervical disc (discectomy) is no easy task. Dr. Rebecca Stachniak, who recently served as a senior researcher for the Prestige LP artificial cervical disc, uses the best disc replacements available and delivers discectomies with remarkable skill; even so, following these three basic steps during recovery will get you back on your feet safely.

Part 1 - Allow Your Body’s Healing Process to Do Its Magic

The hardest part of recovery for many people is the first part: simply taking it easy. Our bodies are capable of incredible things, though, and sometimes it’s important to simply stay out of the way. Don’t engage in exercise that could compromise the healing of the soft tissue in your neck--despite the small opening, discectomy incisions are deep enough to require up to three weeks of healing.

Don’t feel like you have to lay around in bed, though. Carefully considered cardiovascular exercises, like walking and biking, may be a great way for you to stay active. Just be sure you aren’t too tempted to look upwards out of habit--bird watching may put painful strain on the wound on the anterior (front) of your neck. Light exercise will keep your body active, it will help your wound heal by increasing blood flow, and it will test your wound’s tolerance to the more rigorous activity down the road.

Part 2 - Getting Muscle Use Back

This stage should be eased into gently, since re-injury is never worth the risk. A cervical spine surgeon Plano TX would highly recommend the use of a physical therapist throughout the rest of your recovery. During the initial recovery stage, you probably won’t use certain sections of your cervical range muscles or your traps very often. Basic core and pushup exercises (modified to facilitate your range-inhibited neck, of course) are a good start, and you can slowly test the range of your neck along the way. Continued cardiovascular activity is also a key ingredient to your recovery in this stage. In effect, you are “re-educating” your muscles at this point--so don’t overwhelm them with information. Along the way, be sure to use excellent posture, preferably spending at least 30 minutes standing and sitting each day.

Part 3 - More Advanced Exercise

Now it’s time for the weights. Don’t worry, you won’t be dead-lifting any time soon, but a cervical spine surgeon Plano TX would suggest that you work with a physical therapist to get your muscles back into everyday shape. Basic weighted exercises, like shrugs, should be performed with weights as low as 2 lbs.--again, there’s no use risking re-injury. Other exercises, like holding your head still in a sideways manner while you lie down benefit the stability of the neck muscles.

Call (972) 943-9779 to consult with a top cervical spine surgeon Plano TX today--you will receive the most reliable care, your recovery time will be minimal, and the results will be spectacular. Say goodbye to chronic pain today!