Getting back to exercise post surgery

MB_Positif

Hey all, I wrote this blog post earlier hoping to get some input from people who have gotten back to exercise after having a major surgery. It's a little long, but I would love some opinions and thoughts. Thank you. :flowerforyou:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/mbcarreno08/view/getting-back-to-exercise-post-surgery-498794

MB_Positif

Argh, bump. I realize now that I should have written "boobs" somewhere in the title.

swonn

Sorry to hear that you had to have major surgery but glad that you are feeling better. My son has the same issue but is asymptomatic and I pray he stays that way his entire life. My suggestion is to work very closely with your doctor and follow his advice. I realize that isn't much help.

MB_Positif

Sorry to hear that you had to have major surgery but glad that you are feeling better. My son has the same issue but is asymptomatic and I pray he stays that way his entire life. My suggestion is to work very closely with your doctor and follow his advice. I realize that isn't much help.

Haha, no worries! I am glad to hear that your son is asymptomatic!

MB_Positif

I also should have mentioned that my neurosurgeon said that I should be able to lift again after the 4 weeks is up. My biggest concern is whether it would be safer to start with machines instead of free weights. Thank you!!!

BeachGingerOnTheRocks

Does your insurer pay for a physical therapist and will your neurosurgeon authorize it?

Because of the surgery involving the C-1-2 vertebrae, I would strongly caution against barbell squats or dead lifts so soon. I'm not a doctor, but I have read a lot of medical files involving catastrophic injury to the c-spine, including injury and damage post-surgery (defense of medical professionals, etc.). Physical therapy that includes strength training under the supervision of a medical professional may be something to consider for a couple of months. Build the muscles that surround the base of the skull and allow as much time as you can for that to heal.

This might be one of those instances where your neurosurgeon is grossly underestimating your strength training regime. You may be saying "heavy lifting" but he may be thinking "pink barbie dumb bells."

ETA: You may also want to research whether you can find a personal trainer who deals with post-surgery patients. I had one that dealt with patients who had major chest surgery after my mastectomy. He knew how to target certain muscle groups while allowing the tender ones to continue healing. But these are hard to find. You'd have to look around.

MB_Positif

Does your insurer pay for a physical therapist and will your neurosurgeon authorize it?

Because of the surgery involving the C-1-2 vertebrae, I would strongly caution against barbell squats or dead lifts so soon. I'm not a doctor, but I have read a lot of medical files involving catastrophic injury to the c-spine, including injury and damage post-surgery (defense of medical professionals, etc.). Physical therapy that includes strength training under the supervision of a medical professional may be something to consider for a couple of months. Build the muscles that surround the base of the skull and allow as much time as you can for that to heal.

This might be one of those instances where your neurosurgeon is grossly underestimating your strength training regime. You may be saying "heavy lifting" but he may be thinking "pink barbie dumb bells."

Thank you, I am planning to find out about whether I can do PT or not, I think it would be authorized. As far as my surgeon goes, I looked him dead in the face and said, "I am not talking pink barbie weights here, I am talking about throwing the barbell over my shoulders with weight on it." He still said I should be fine, but I wholeheartedly agree that I should work on building up the muscles at the base of my skull before going too far. I plan to take it slowly, whether I decide to use free weights or machines! Thank you for your help!