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Physical therapy can be helpful in your recovery after back surgery. Regular and appropriate exercise restores your back’s strength. Moreover, you may return to your usual activities faster by making a complete recovery. 

Look for physical therapists who recommend physical therapy exercises after back surgery in Philadelphia. Your physical therapist and surgeon will recommend the type, intensity, and duration of your exercises. The following are the best physical therapy exercises to recover after back surgery:

Prone Press Up

This exercise is straightforward yet one of the most effective ones. It compresses the healing areas of your back and holds them in a proper place.  

  • Start by lying face down upon your yoga mat and place your hands flat below your shoulder.
  • Relax your hips and back and use the arms to press your upper body up. Keep your lower body against the ground.
  • Hold this press-up posture for about 2 seconds.
  • Next, slowly lower yourself back down.
  • Repeat for about 10-15 sets.

Prone Leg Raise

It helps to stabilize and strengthen your back muscles after surgery. It provides good support to the spine as well. 

  • Lie upon your stomach and tighten the abdominal muscles.
  • Slowly lift your leg.
  • Hold the position for around two seconds.
  • Now, lower your leg down slowly.
  • Repeat for around 10-15 times.

Generally, you can perform a prone leg raise up to twice a day. At times it is also recommended after an ACL reconstruction surgery in Philadelphia.

Supine Lumbar Flexion

Your physical therapists may advise some gentle flexion exercises for your back. It allows you to stretch your back muscles safely. 

  • Lie flat upon your back and bend your knees.
  • Slowly, lift the bent knees to your chest and grasp them with your hands.
  • Hold the posture for around one or two seconds.
  • Now, slowly lower the knees back to the starting posture.
  • Repeat it around ten times.

If you experience any pain within your back, legs, or buttocks, stop this exercise at once.

Sciatic Nerve Gliding

Do you notice that your legs feel tight when you straighten them after your back surgery? It may be because of some issue with your sciatic nerve. Physical therapists usually suggest sciatic nerve gliding to stretch the nerve. Additionally, it improves the flexibility of the sciatic nerve while it moves across your back. 

  • Lie upon your back and bend your knee upwards.
  • Hold underneath the knee with both your hands.
  • Now, straighten your knee while you support it with the hands.
  • When your knee completely straightens, try flexing and extending your ankle.
  • Do it around five times and bring your knee back down.
  • Repeat it about ten times.

Posterior Pelvic Tilt

This exercise helps to improve abdominal strength. It gradually strengthens your core muscles as well. In this way, you get better stability after your back surgery.

  • Start by lying flat upon your back.
  • Bend both your knees.
  • Slowly rock the pelvis backward as you would when flattening your back on the ground.
  • Keep the abdominal muscles tight.
  • Now, tilt the pelvis posteriorly.
  • Hold your posture for around two seconds.
  • Gradually release the tilted pelvic and return to your starting posture.
  • Repeat it about 10 to 15 times.

It is important to note that the exercise may be challenging to perform correctly. Ensure to let your physical therapist check your postures initially. It allows you to avoid any errors that can make it ineffective. 

Wall Squats

This exercise can help in strengthening your back after surgery. It is usually recommended 6 to 10 weeks post-surgery.

  • Stand straight and lean your back against a wall.
  • Tighten the abdominal muscles and slowly bend your knees to a 45-degree angle.
  • Hold the posture for around five seconds.
  • Slowly return to your starting posture.
  • Repeat for around ten times.

Core and Hip Strengthening

It involves specific motions of your legs and hips while your pelvic stays in a neutral position. The physical therapist will suggest proper core and hip strengthening exercises after assessing your condition.

It may include leg bridges and lateral band walks. The exercises help to strengthen and stabilize the pelvic area and your back muscles. At times these exercises are also recommended after an ACL reconstruction surgery in Philadelphia.

It takes time to recover after back surgery. Gradual and regular exercising can help you to recover faster and healthily. Seek the consultation of physical therapists who recommend physical therapy exercises after back surgery in Philadelphia.

By admin

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