What should I expect during my recovery?
Although the time required for recovery varies, rehabilitation after foraminotomy surgery is generally needed for only a short period of time. If you require outpatient physiotherapy, you will probably need to attend physiotherapy sessions at COMPHYSIO for two to four weeks, and should expect full recovery to take up to two or three months.
At first, our treatments are used to help control pain and inflammation. Our physiotherapist may use ice, electrical stimulation, massage and other hands-on treatments to ease muscle spasm and pain.
We then slowly add active treatments. These include exercises for improving heart and lung function. Walking, stationary cycling, and arm cycling are ideal cardiovascular exercises. Our physiotherapists also teach specific exercises to help tone and control the muscles that stabilize the neck and upper back.
Our physiotherapist will also work with you on how to move and do activities. This form of treatment, called body mechanics, is used to help you develop new movement habits. This training helps you keep your neck in safe positions as you go about your work and daily activities. At first, this may be as simple as helping you learn how to move safely and easily in and out of bed, how to get dressed and undressed, and how to do some of your routine activities. Then we'll teach you how to keep your neck safe while you lift and carry items and as you begin to do heavier activities.
As your condition improves, our physiotherapist will begin tailoring your program to help prepare you to go back to work. Some patients are not able to go back to a previous job that requires heavy and strenuous tasks. We may suggest changes in job tasks that enable you to go back to your previous job. Our physiotherapist may also provide ideas for alternate forms of work. You'll learn to do your tasks in ways that keep your neck safe and free of extra strain.
Before your physiotherapy sessions end, our physiotherapist will teach you a number of ways to avoid future problems.
COMPHYSIO provides services for physiotherapy in Barrie.
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