Post surgery rehab or physio

Every time I see people for the first time after surgery, one question they usually ask me is if I’m doing any rehab or what I’m doing for my recovery. So I thought it would be easier to explain everything I’m doing on here in it’s own post.

So I don’t actually have any “rehab” that I’ve had to do. Straight after the surgery I had to do a lot of walking. When I was in hospital they got me up walking the very next day and each day I just built up the distance.

On my last day in hospital (4 days post-op) I tried stairs which was kinda scary but once I started it was as easy walking. Once I was out of hospital I was told to keep up the walking so everyday (except for when it was raining, haha) I went out walking and tried to build up my distance. One I went about 5 and a half kms. We went on great walks through the streets nearby. I definitely got quite tired towards the end of each walk but slowly I built up my fitness.

Now I’m still doing a bit of walking, I walked to my brothers footy today actually. I walked up last week as well in the POURING rain, gee thanks mum! Although I’m still walking it’s more varied just walking around the campus at school and places like that, rather than going on a set walk everyday.

Although I’m not doing rehab I have decided to go back to physio. I wasn’t told I had to do this I just chose to. This is because although my spine is now straight, my muscle memory is causing everything else to relax back into the original curve. So although you can’t really notice it my shoulder blade does hang out a bit still. It might take a year or longer but eventually I will learn to hold myself up straight and that will become normal again. To help this I’ve been going back to the physio I was seeing before surgery, Victoria at Scoliosis Physiotherapy in Kew.

With Victoria I’ve been doing a few exercises. One is pretty much the same as one I had before surgery, just adjusted to where my spine is now fused.

All the others are quite similar to pilates, we’ve been mainly focusing on my hips and pelvis and keeping them straight and aline while doing some leg movements. I also have a few stretches for my hamstring and I’ve got some squats I do.

I try to do these exercises everyday, which usually takes about 20-30 minutes. I will admit sometimes I do need my mum to remind me to head upstairs and do them but now I’ve been doing them almost everyday. At the moment I’m seeing Victoria about once every 6 weeks, just to get new exercises or go over and extend the ones I already have. I think I’m seeing her again in about three weeks time.

I feel that these exercises have been helping- to straighten me and to build up some strength. Although you don’t need to do any physio after surgery I’m happy I am and I think it’s a good thing to do.