How to Regain Balance After Back Surgery?

We take our body’s ability to balance for granted. Our bodies constantly work to maintain balance when we move around, walk, stand, or even just sit. Everything in your daily life is impacted when something knocks you off balance.

Each person responds to surgery slightly differently, and surgery can be physically taxing. Rarely, some people experience minor to minor balance issues in the days or weeks after spinal surgery. Although it may not seem important, after surgery, your back is in a very fragile state, and a fall can result in a variety of issues.

This article will discuss potential balance problems that can occur after spine surgery and what to do if you experience them.

What Causes Balance Problems?

You might experience balance issues that make you feel lightheaded, dizzy, or as though the room is spinning. You might experience dizziness or a sense of impending doom. These feelings can happen whether you’re lying down, sitting or standing.

Your muscles, bones, joints, eyes, the balance organ in your inner ear, nerves, heart, and blood vessels are just a few of the body systems that need to be functioning normally for you to have normal balance. Balance issues can occur when these systems aren’t working properly.

Balance issues can be brought on by a variety of medical conditions. However, issues with your balance organ in your inner ear (vestibular system) are what cause the majority of balance problems.

Losing your balance while walking, or feeling imbalanced, can result from:

• Vestibular problems. Your head may feel heavy or float, and you may feel unsteady in the dark if your inner ear is abnormal.
• peripheral neuropathy, the damage of your legs’ nerves. Walkability issues may result from the damage.
• issues with the joints, muscles, or eyes. You may lose your balance due to weak muscles and unstable joints. Unsteadiness can also result from vision issues.
• Medications. Loss of balance or unsteadiness can be a side effect of medications.
• Certain neurological conditions. These include Parkinson’s disease and cervical spondylosis.

How to Regain Balance After Back Surgery?

Some common treatment methods and intervention strategies for balance issues after spine surgery include:

Use a Cane

Walkers and canes provide additional balance support to keep you moving. These devices help maintain your independence and provide extra fall prevention to keep your spine safe.

To help you choose the right cane or walker for you out of the many different types of assistive devices available, consult your primary care physician or a physical therapist.

Practice Yoga

Yoga and tai chi focus on slow, deliberate movements that draw attention to particular parts of your body, making them excellent balance exercises. This controlled approach to movement engages your balance system (which includes your ear, eyes, and spinal cord) by requiring you to carefully shift weight and breathe with intention. With the help of these exercises, you can learn to feel at ease in a variety of holding positions, which will improve your ability to maintain balance when faced with challenges in daily life. An added bonus is both types of exercise are excellent for your spine.

Strengthen Core

Strong balance is built on a strong core. The muscles in your spine, sides of your body, pelvis, and buttocks are all part of your core, which is often misunderstood to mean only your abdomen. You can move thanks to these powerful muscles, so maintaining their strength is extremely beneficial for your entire body.

The front plank is a tried-and-true core exercise that works every muscle in your core. You can perform this classic core move on the floor on your hands, or modify the move by leaning at an angle against a countertop for support.

Another great exercise to build core and balance strength is pilates. This pilates slideshow includes 4 spine-safe moves to engage your core.

Use Necessary Medications

The side effects of some medications, such as drowsiness and dizziness, impair your balance and raise your risk of falling. Your balance can be impacted by even over-the-counter medications used to treat back and neck pain. The medicines below are worth a dose of caution:

• Opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and other pain-reducing agents
• Muscle relaxants
• Tricyclic antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs
• Anticholinergic and antispasmodic drugs
• Antihistamines
• Prescription heart medications

You might find that these medications don’t have any negative effects on you, but if you’re worried that they’re affecting your balance and making you more likely to fall, talk to your doctor.

Contact With a Physical Therapist

A physical therapist can work with you on exercises that engage your whole balance system. Your physical therapist can show you how to perform a variety of exercises to help you improve and maintain your balance, including squats, chair stands, hip extensions, stair climbing, heel-to-toe walks, and single-leg stances.

After completing your physical therapy program, you can safely perform those exercises on a regular basis at home since good balance requires practice.

Other Ways

• Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is the best way to combat balance and coordination issues, but there’s a possibility that it’s too early in your recovery to begin therapy. Inquire with your physician about the exercises you can perform to help with balance while your spine heals.
• Modify Activities – Make a mental note of the tasks that throw off your balance as you go about your daily activities. Avoid or alter those activities if at all possible to be ready for a possible moment of imbalance. This might entail adding grab bars to the shower or bathroom, taking your time when getting up from a chair, or asking for help when reaching into high or low cabinets.

The bottom line is that while balance problems following back surgery are uncommon, they shouldn’t be disregarded if they do occur. Consult your doctor to identify the underlying cause, and chances are good that you’ll be able to come up with a treatment plan that will have you improving your balance in no time. Get in touch with a spine specialist right away for more details regarding balance issues following surgery.

Conclusion

If you are experiencing balance problems after back surgery, the first thing you should do is consult with your doctor. You won’t know for sure until you speak with your surgeon whether the issue is related to surgery, medication side effects, or another issue (like a circulation issue). Treatment can begin after your doctor determines the cause.

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