Oh, the neck; it lets us turn our heads from side to side and up and down. The neck (aka cervical spine) is so important for athletics and everyday function, and when the neck is a wreck, things don’t go so well.
In its simplest terms cervical spinal fusion, also referred to as arthrodesis, is surgery to join certain neck bones together. When is this surgery indicated? Well, typically it’s after significant trauma, but people who have had persistent numbness and tingling or loss of strength of the arm due to a compression of a disc in the neck may need to have this done.
Once the fusion is performed, it’s the postoperative care that is so vital in making sure that you can get back to everyday activities and at least to some degree, the things you love to do! Enter Next Level Physio.
What is a Cervical Fusion?
Neck stability keeps your head on straight...literally! While not as common as other surgical procedures, cervical spinal fusion surgery can help restore neck stability or abate radiating pain or weakness down the arm and/or into the hand.
The goal of a cervical spinal fusion is to link two or more vertebrae together so the neck moves like it normally would and take pressure off of any nerves in the neck that may be contributing to your radiating pain.
What to Expect After a Cervical Spinal Fusion
Cervical fusion is a major surgery. Even though people get the surgery to address the pain they’ve been dealing with for a while, there can still be some lingering pain 3 to 6 months post-op.
Some doctors prescribe a cervical collar to keep the neck immobilized following cervical spinal fusion surgery. Others are instructed to limit physical activity to avoid disrupting the healing process. Because the post-op cervical fusion period can be painful and challenging, the best course of action is to work with a physical therapist to get you back on the road to health and recovery.
Physical Therapy for Post-Op Cervical Fusion Surgery
The cervical spine is resilient, thankfully, and working with an experienced physio team, like our doctors at Next Level Physio, can accelerate your success after your spinal fusion surgery.
The biggest question we hear from our post-op clients who are active is,
“when can I OR will I ever get back to ?”
Thankfully, we have a lot of success stories :)
Physical therapy for a cervical spinal fusion is a crucial component of returning to everyday living and your active lifestyle. While our phase I focus is all about getting you back to the simple tasks like dressing, sitting, standing, walking, and getting out of bed, we don’t stop there.
We want to get you to your next level!
Next Level Physio for Post-Op Cervical Fusion
We know the ins and outs of pre and post-operative care for cervical spinal fusion. Whether you want to get back to exercise or simply tackling everyday housework pain-free, Next Level’s physio team will work with you post-op. All of our physical therapy methods are performed with zero medication or surgery. In addition to cervical spinal fusion postoperative care, we also treat the following conditions:
- Sports injuries
- Prehab and Post-surgical rehab
- Knee and back pain
- shoulder and elbow pain
- Wrist and hand pain
- Ankle and foot pain
- Sciatica/back pain… and more
Just some of the methods we use to help our physical therapy patients include:
- IASTM Technique
- BFRT- Blood Flow Restriction Training
- AlterG anti-gravity treadmill
- Therapeutic Exercise
- Australian Manual Therapy
- Cupping, and more
Click here to schedule an appointment and a free consultation.
