Any spine surgery qualifies as major surgery, given the complexity and importance of your spinal column. Spine tumors often present additional challenges due to the tissue that may need removal during surgery.
The good news is that most spine tumors are noncancerous, so you need only worry about the impact of the tumor growth on your spine without worrying about cancer spreading through your body.
Spine surgeon Sanjay Khurana, MD, specializes in spine tumor surgery and is experienced with minimally invasive and open surgery techniques, covering virtually any condition where abnormal tissue growth becomes a problem.
While spine surgery deals with the tumor itself, you need to recover from the procedure before life gets back to normal. Chances are, mobility and sensations will suffer from surgery, and physical therapy is a proven treatment to help you restore lost functions.
With the various roles that the spinal column performs, it’s natural to expect that any surgery can have far-reaching effects, while much depends on the size and location of the tumor.
Changes to bone tissue in one or more vertebrae can affect how the spine moves or supports your body. Nerves may be affected by the tumor, and surgery to remove it. Healthy muscle tissue could also be affected, especially if your tumor requires open surgery.
Though less common, some spine tumors can be cancerous. Subsequent treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can make recovery from the effects of surgery more difficult.
As is the case with most surgical procedures, pain management is a top priority immediately after surgery, which usually includes prescription and over-the-counter pain medication.
Physical therapy also has pain management properties, but it may not be comfortable without the additional help from medication in the first few days after surgery. After that, physical therapy becomes the next postsurgical treatment priority.
The specific targets of physical therapy vary between patients because of the individual nature of your surgery and the extent of your spine tumor. Your physical therapy program addresses four general goals:
Body movement encourages blood flow and flexibility, which plays a critical role in healing and is one of the main reasons physical therapy is a high priority for treatment.
Your spine is a series of joints between vertebrae. It benefits from strong support muscles, which transfer some of the load off the vertebrae and relieve nerve compression that causes pain and functional problems.
Physical therapy aids recovery and is a measuring tool for returning to typical aspects of life, such as caring for yourself and your family and returning to work. Ongoing exercise reduces your chance of re-injury and further improves spinal support.
The more you learn about the way your body moves and how physical therapy and exercise help you achieve recovery and an active life after surgery, the better prepared you are for the days ahead.
If you require surgery for tumors or any other spinal issue, contact Dr. Khurana by phone or online today at our Manhattan Beach or Marina Del Rey, California, offices.
