A chiropractor is someone who can help a wide variety of people with a wide variety of issues. If you have recently had back surgery, are you still a candidate for chiropractic care? Yes! What if your back surgery was many years ago? Yes! The following are some things you should know first.
Why Would You Need Chiropractic Care After Surgery?
While surgery is meant to correct an injury or other health concern, it doesn’t always completely rid your body of pain. There could be other issues your back is experiencing, or the surgery itself could cause additional pain because your back wasn’t in good shape to begin with. Chiropractic care could relieve that pain, which sometimes also aids in a speedy recovery.
How Long Would You Need to Wait After Surgery?
It’s important you take an appropriate amount of time to recover from your surgery and gain your strength back. Speak with your surgeon about the correct amount of time so you don’t reinjure what you had corrected. Back surgery such as a spinal fusion surgery needs three months for a fully immobilized graft to form. After that, three or more additional months are required to attend physical therapy so your back muscles can become strengthened again. In some cases, it could be a year before you should receive an adjustment.
Could You Avoid Back Surgery With Chiropractic Care?
In many cases, if you need back surgery, it’s because of something that cannot be corrected in another way. This includes chiropractic care. While that is true, you could avoid surgery until a later date if you receive proper chiropractic care. A series of adjustments could relieve the pain you’re experiencing, which could offer you the relief you need until you are stronger, more financially stable or otherwise able to handle the surgery you need.
It also depends on the type of surgery you’re considering. Sometimes a more conservative treatment such as a chiropractic adjustment could offer you the same outcome as an invasive surgery. It’s best to speak with your doctor and your chiropractor to understand the facts surrounding each type of treatment so you can make that decision.
Speaking With a Chiropractor
Whether you’re looking at a future back surgery or are recovering from one you recently had, you may have some questions.