Chiropractic After Back Surgery?
by Will Forrester
“How long will the surgery last?”
“It should take about an hour.”
Sometimes I wish that they wouldn’t give time estimates on surgeries, because the longer the wait, the more I seem to worry. The surgery took over three hours, and then there was a lot of recovery time before my friend could get back to see her husband. She was a nervous wreck before finally getting a report that her husband’s serious back surgery had gone well.
Her husband was the friend of mine I wrote about previous who was battling severe lower back pain and sciatica (KNOCK ON WOOD ARTICLE). His pain had finally progressed to the point that he felt surgery was needed. He was not interested in chiropractic care and remains generally opposed to seeing one because of personal bias he has. And that’s sad to me, because before the surgery I have no doubt he could have gotten significant relief if not total recovery from the struggles he was having. Yes, he had accumulated a lot of back problems through years of overuse, abuse, poor diet, bad posture, et cetera, but it’s never too late to begin to bring healing and make lifestyle changes. What’s also sad to me is that even after his back surgery, chiropractic care could help him in tremendously important ways.
Why You Should Get Chiropractic Care AFTER Neck or Back Surgery
Some people wrongly believe that chiropractic care is only for those who forgo other types of back treatments that are out there. This just isn’t true. Chiropractic care is important for one’s overall health regardless of what previous medical issues or treatments you have received.
Depending on the type of surgery you may have had, your results may be more limited, but in no way should you think that you should therefore forgo all chiropractic care. Here’s why:
1. Your Back is Probably More Fragile Than Before
If you have gone under the knife, you have had damage done to your muscles that support the back
and neck. This will take time to heal. And your neck or back will now be adjusting to whatever surgical changes were made. It will be more prone to shifting around, not less. Chiropractic care is essential to help the body stay in an aligned state.
2. Your Immune System Is Down
Surgery places massive stress on the body. Your body is a remarkable organism which works to heal itself, and the trauma of surgery kicks the immune system into high gear. Therefore you are prone to more illness and infection as you recover. Did you know that chiropractic adjustments give your immune system a boost? How cool is that? If you have had surgery of any kind, particularly back surgery, you owe it to your body to “get its back” and get adjustments so your immune system can be improved as you heal and recover.
3. Now Is the Time for New Habits
Surgery is a time when many people make major life changes. Many people finally start eating right
and exercising after they have open heart surgery. It’s a wake up call, and it should be. If you’ve had to
have major back surgery, you need to know that many, many people wind up going back under the knife within a few years. This is so unfortunate, because surgery and more surgery is not inevitable, even if you have had back problems your whole life. If you had to have back surgery, why not make this the moment in your life when you make some lifestyle changes so that you keep your back in good shape… for life.
A FINAL CAUTION: If you have had neck or back surgery and are seeking chiropractic care, it is CRITICAL that you find a chiropractor who does thorough evaluations and x-rays so that you can receive precise adjustments that keep you aligned and don’t harm any work that has been done. You wouldn’t go to a surgeon who didn’t look at x-rays, would you? The same is true for getting chiropractic care. Stop by Ranicki Chiropractic and Wellness Center for a thorough health evaluation.
by Will Forrester
“How long will the surgery last?”
“It should take about an hour.”
Sometimes I wish that they wouldn’t give time estimates on surgeries, because the longer the wait, the more I seem to worry. The surgery took over three hours, and then there was a lot of recovery time before my friend could get back to see her husband. She was a nervous wreck before finally getting a report that her husband’s serious back surgery had gone well.
Her husband was the friend of mine I wrote about previous who was battling severe lower back pain and sciatica (KNOCK ON WOOD ARTICLE). His pain had finally progressed to the point that he felt surgery was needed. He was not interested in chiropractic care and remains generally opposed to seeing one because of personal bias he has. And that’s sad to me, because before the surgery I have no doubt he could have gotten significant relief if not total recovery from the struggles he was having. Yes, he had accumulated a lot of back problems through years of overuse, abuse, poor diet, bad posture, et cetera, but it’s never too late to begin to bring healing and make lifestyle changes. What’s also sad to me is that even after his back surgery, chiropractic care could help him in tremendously important ways.
Why You Should Get Chiropractic Care AFTER Neck or Back Surgery
Some people wrongly believe that chiropractic care is only for those who forgo other types of back treatments that are out there. This just isn’t true. Chiropractic care is important for one’s overall health regardless of what previous medical issues or treatments you have received.
Depending on the type of surgery you may have had, your results may be more limited, but in no way should you think that you should therefore forgo all chiropractic care. Here’s why:
1. Your Back is Probably More Fragile Than Before
If you have gone under the knife, you have had damage done to your muscles that support the back
and neck. This will take time to heal. And your neck or back will now be adjusting to whatever surgical changes were made. It will be more prone to shifting around, not less. Chiropractic care is essential to help the body stay in an aligned state.
2. Your Immune System Is Down
Surgery places massive stress on the body. Your body is a remarkable organism which works to heal itself, and the trauma of surgery kicks the immune system into high gear. Therefore you are prone to more illness and infection as you recover. Did you know that chiropractic adjustments give your immune system a boost? How cool is that? If you have had surgery of any kind, particularly back surgery, you owe it to your body to “get its back” and get adjustments so your immune system can be improved as you heal and recover.
3. Now Is the Time for New Habits
Surgery is a time when many people make major life changes. Many people finally start eating right
and exercising after they have open heart surgery. It’s a wake up call, and it should be. If you’ve had to
have major back surgery, you need to know that many, many people wind up going back under the knife within a few years. This is so unfortunate, because surgery and more surgery is not inevitable, even if you have had back problems your whole life. If you had to have back surgery, why not make this the moment in your life when you make some lifestyle changes so that you keep your back in good shape… for life.
A FINAL CAUTION: If you have had neck or back surgery and are seeking chiropractic care, it is CRITICAL that you find a chiropractor who does thorough evaluations and x-rays so that you can receive precise adjustments that keep you aligned and don’t harm any work that has been done. You wouldn’t go to a surgeon who didn’t look at x-rays, would you? The same is true for getting chiropractic care. Stop by Ranicki Chiropractic and Wellness Center for a thorough health evaluation.
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