Preparing At Home For Spinal Fusion Surgery Recovery

When there are portions of the spine that are the source of severe pain during motion, your doctor may recommend spinal fusion surgery. This surgery, which is essentially like a process of welding two vertebrae into one, is designed to decrease pain levels and give you a better quality of life. Visit a site like https://www.towncenterorthopaedics.com/ for more info. However simplistic spinal fusion surgery may be, it is indeed a serious surgical procedure and will require a lengthy recovery period at home before you can resume normal activities. To give yourself a better chance at recovering without issue, there are a few things you need to get ready at home before the surgery. 

Consider raising your bed if it sits low to the ground. 

After surgery, it will be difficult for you to get up from a seated position because you will naturally want to keep your spine straight as much as possible. Therefore, if your bed sits low to the ground, it can be really difficult for you to get out of it when you need to. If there is a medical equipment rental store nearby, it is a good idea to temporarily rent a hospital bed that has automatic raising and lowering functions. However, at the very least, you can invest in bed risers that sit under each leg of your bed to bring several inches higher off the floor. 

Make arrangements for someone to help you out with household chores. 

One big no-no immediately after surgery is lifting or straining in any way that could put excess stress on your spinal column. While this is only temporary and you will work your way back to normal activities, at first, you will probably not be able to tackle some household tasks, such as mopping the floor, washing dishes, or even carrying loads of laundry. Therefore, it is a good idea to arrange for someone to help you out with common chores for a bit, especially if you live alone. 

Install bars for gripping in the bathroom. 

A fall after spinal surgery can ruin the healing process and even mean that you have to go back in for repairs to the fusion. To ensure you do not slip and fall when you are getting dressed, getting into or out of the shower, or using the toilet, install grip bars in your bathroom in logical places. For example, you will want a bar to grasp onto on the wall next to the shower and directly beside or in front of the toilet.