Month: November 2022

29 Nov 2022
How long does it take spinal surgery

How long does it take to walk after spinal surgery?

The recovery time required after a lumbral depression surgery depends on your fitness level. Hence, it is recommended that the patients have a physiotherapy session before undergoing surgery.

On the day of surgery, after the procedure is done, it is recommended for the patient to walk and move around. You would be discharged around 1 to 4 days after the surgery.

Spinal cord surgery recovery time is anywhere between 4 to 6 weeks. After that, you will have a relaxed level of mobility. The spinal surgery recovery time mainly depends on the severity of the injury and symptoms before the surgery.

After you wake up from the lumbar decompression surgery, you will feel soreness in your back and will have one or more tubes attached to the body. It would include the following:

  • Intravenous drip would ensure hydration levels in the body.
  • Drain to remove any excess fluid from the body.
  • A thin, flexible tube ( catheter) is inserted in the urethra if you face micturition issues.
  • Pump to inject painkillers directly into the veins.

These tubes remain attached to the body for a short time after surgery.

Immediately after the surgery, you would experience some extent of pain in the area. Pain relief medicines would be given during the spine surgery recovery time. You would notice an immediate improvement in the original leg pain, but if you don’t see so, inform the doctor.

Usually, very few people face problems in their postoperative period. It is mostly temporary, but in rare cases, if nerve damage occurs, it can interfere with bladder and leg movements. During the spinal surgery recovery time, make sure to inform each detail to the doctor.

The pain would decrease in around 6 weeks of the spine surgery recovery time to disappear completely.

Stitches

 

Doctors might do stitches or staples to close the cuts and incisions on the surgical site. Stitches done in deep layers of the skin would dissolve themselves and don’t need to be removed. Instead, the non-dissolvable stitches would be removed 5 to 10 days after the surgery.

The stitches are covered by simple adhesive dressing like plaster. Make sure to keep it dry. After the stitches are removed, you can usually take a bath.

Rehabilitation

 

After the surgery, the doctor would want you to move around and walk for a smooth and shorter spinal surgery recovery time. Inactivity can cause blood clot development in the leg (DVT). 

After the surgery, a physiotherapist would help you regain strength and movement after the surgery. In addition, they would train you with some exercises and activities, which would help in faster spinal surgery recovery time.

At home

 

It takes 1 to 4 days for the patient to return to their home. The time duration of hospital stay depends on the extent of the surgery, your health conditions and the rate of spinal cord surgery recovery time.

Remember to keep your activity level as instructed when you are at home and then gradually increase it. You would require help in the first week after the surgery. Having an active routine would facilitate the spine surgery recovery time. Follow all the instructions of the doctor and physiotherapist. Avoid sitting or standing in the same posture or position for more than 15 to 20 minutes, as it can make your muscles stiff and sore. 

Walking is an easy way of maintaining an active routine. Avoid getting into heavy weight lifting, sudden twists and jerks to the muscle when performing daily activities. Instead, increase your limits and the extent of work at a slow pace.

After the surgery, you would have to go for follow-up appointments during your spinal cord surgery recovery time. It is done to check the progress of the operated area and look for any symptoms or infections in the wound area.

Work

 

You can resume your work after your doctor has allowed you. It depends on the rate of your recovery as well as the kind of job you do. For low-activity level jobs, you can resume your usual routine 4 to 8 weeks after the surgery and 3 to 6 months for high-level physical activity jobs.

 

If you follow these tips, you can speed up the recovery time. Contact your doctor for any queries. 

 

19 Nov 2022
How to release frozen shoulder

How to release a frozen shoulder

Whether fastening a bra or taking a book off a shelf, even the simplest activities seem impossible when you have a frozen shoulder. Let’s know what exactly frozen shoulder is.

Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is a disorder that causes stiffness and pain and hinders the range of motion in the shoulder. This disability can be hazardous and tends to worsen if not treated early. Women aged 40 to 60 are more prone to have frozen shoulders than men.

The cause of frozen shoulder is not understood completely, but an inflammatory process is probably involved. Due to the immobility of the shoulder for a long duration by injury or illness, freezing occurs in the shoulders. Fortunately, the affected shoulders can be unfrozen though it costs time and a lot of self-help.

The shoulder is a part that has a maximum range of motion. It pivots mainly on a ball-and-socket joint called a glenohumeral joint. It joins the top of the humerus to a scooped-out part of the scapula called the glenoid cavity. 

Anatomy of a frozen shoulder

Anotomy of frozen shoulder

Usually, the head of the humerus moves smoothly in the glenoid cavity, a depression in the scapula. The frozen shoulder occurs when the capsule that protects the glenohumeral joint contracts and stiffens. Adhesions may also form between the head of the humerus and the joint capsule. 

 

How does a frozen shoulder happen?

 

After an injury or inflammation of the soft tissues, primarily because of bursitis or tendonitis of the rotator cuff, the process of a frozen shoulder begins. The inflammation causes pain, which worsens with the disability of shoulder motion.

When the shoulder gets immobilised, the connective tissue surrounding the glenohumeral joint thickens and contracts, thus losing its capacity to stretch. If it is tried to avoid the pain due to shoulder movement, it further leads to capsule contraction. There is a space constraint in the humerus to move in, and the joint may lose synovial fluid, which is the reason behind its lubrication.

It may take two to nine months for a frozen shoulder to develop. Though the pain can gradually increase, stiffness continues, and the range of motion is limited unless pain relief for a frozen shoulder is utilised. 

In the next paragraph, let us know how to cure frozen shoulders quickly and regard pain relief for frozen shoulders.

Frozen shoulder treatment

 

If you are looking for how to cure a frozen shoulder quickly or remedy a frozen shoulder, read below.

If you feel you have a frozen shoulder or you are developing one, visit your clinician for a physical exam for the frozen shoulder treatment. The clinician will ask you to perform a set of activities involving shoulder movement, such as touching the opposite shoulder by reaching across the chest. Next, they may take an x-ray scan to ensure no problem, such as arthritic changes. Finally, an MRI is ordered to check for a rotator cuff tear.

Relieving pain and restoring the normal range of motion are the main focus areas of frozen shoulder treatment. In addition, the clinician may advise an anti-inflammatory medication. Applying an ice pack or frozen bag to the shoulder for 10 to 15 minutes many times a day is pain relief for a frozen shoulder. You may also be given the corticosteroid injection into the soft tissues or shoulder. Ultimately, it is physical therapy, concentrating on stretching the joint capsule and strengthening it for an effective frozen shoulder treatment. A physical therapist will guide you regarding exercises. Once you learn them, you can practice them on your own.

Once you begin to work out to stretch the shoulder capsule, you should abstain from any activities that need overhead reaching, lifting, or anything similar. If you regularly exercise as per the physical therapist’s guidance, you will soon be able to resume your activity. Getting recovered from frozen shoulders takes time – maybe two to three years. If you see no progress, get back to your clinician or consult a shoulder expert to cure a frozen shoulder quickly. Rarely it requires surgery. It is how a frozen shoulder treatment is done.

Contact Germanten Hospitals for solutions to your frozen shoulder-related problems.

 

13 Nov 2022
Diet plan after knee replacement

Diet plan after knee replacement Surgery

Now that we are getting into things needed after knee surgery, Also known as arthroplasty, knee replacement is a surgical procedure meant to replace a knee joint’s weight-bearing surface. All of it happens to relieve disability and pain.

After Knee Replacement Surgery:

Healing is the first post-surgery priority. Proper diets plans after knee replacement are necessary. A careful post-surgery diet and adequate nutrition aid can be of much help.

Eat Clear Fluids

Clear fluids are needed among items needed after knee replacement surgery. For the doctor to be sure of your digestive system’s functioning before solid diet intake, your immediate post-surgery diet must consist of clear fluids:

  • Water
  • Apple Juice
  • Coconut Water
  • Cranberry Juice
  • Tea Broth
  • Ice
  • Gelatin
  • Grape
  • Electrolyte drinks & popsicles

Don’t guzzle liquid; go slowly at first. Adequate fluid intake will prevent dehydration

Avoid Cheese

Post-surgery constipation is common. Here comes another element for a diet plan after knee replacement. One should avoid high-fat food like cheese as it can cause nausea.

Eat Yogurt

During and after surgery, most people receive antibiotics to prevent and treat the infection. However, they can disturb the gut’s balance. Yogurt has healthy bacteria making it unlikely to cause post-surgery nausea. Make sure to include it in your diet plan after knee replacement. For healing, it has zinc and protein. Probiotics are needed for digestion, providing mental balance and combating germs & infections after hospital stays or procedures.

Some common foods rich in probiotics are:

  • Sauerkraut
  • Yogurt
  • Kimchi
  • Kefir

The gut’s balance is incredibly delicate. Painkillers, antibiotics and anesthetics tend to upset that balance and cause digestive upsets, constipation and nausea. So you know some more things needed after knee surgery.

Avoid fatty or fried food.

Opting for fatty food is not a good nutritional choice. Instead, One must include the undermentioned nutrients in your diet plan after knee replacement.

  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin E and zinc
  • Protein

Additionally, nausea or vomiting can be caused by fried and fatty food. Thus, it is vital to include protein and vitamin-containing food in the things needed after knee surgery

Eat Lean Meats And Seafood

They are necessary for healing promotion. Fatty fish like white caught salmon and tuna decrease inflammation and prevent infection as they contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Avoid Alcohol

Avoiding alcohol is also one of the things to do after knee replacement surgery. For healing, healthy fluids are necessary. So as alcohol dehydrates, make sure to avoid it.

Eat Berries

Berries’ antioxidants help with the immune system’s functioning and help to avoid post-surgery infection. So for vitamin C, it is good to include blackberries and raspberries in diets plans after knee replacement

Eat Whole Grain

Whole grain containing plenty of fiber helps avoid post-surgical constipation. A whole grain includes:

  • Bulgur
  • Barley
  • Quinoa
  • Millet’s contain zinc, protein, magnesium and B vitamins.

 

Dark, leafy green foods also help digestion and support the immune system as they have fibre and antioxidants.

Avoid Vitamin K After Surgery

While taking blood thinners in post-surgical circumstances, one must be careful with foods rich in Vitamin K. These foods include:

  • Brussels sprouts
  • Soybeans
  • Onions
  • Kale
  • Green beans
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Liver
  • Broccoli
  • Lentils
  • Garbanzo beans

Eat These Foods To Speed Up Post-surgical Recovery

Diets plans after knee replacement determine the recovery speed and the surgery’s effectiveness. Surgery doesn’t only lead to more calorie demands for recovery but also increases the metabolism pace.

Brightly Colored Fruits Are Good After Knee Replacement

For a significant intake of vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, carbohydrates and calories that can lead to a fast recovery, bright and colorful fruits and veggies need to be consumed.

For vitamins and energy-boosting carbs, fruits and veggies like the undermentioned are required.

  • Melon
  • Apricots
  • Oranges
  • Mango
  • Apples
  • Grapefruit
  • Berries
  • Tomatoes
  • Papayas

Fruits benefit one during the process of healing. But there is another advantage that they bring. The fruits are light and suitable for small and regular portions. Therefore, having a nutritious diet for recovery is one of the things to do after knee replacement surgery.

Make sure to have an ideal diet plan after knee replacement. Of course, one must include nutritious foods in the items needed after knee replacement surgery. So stay aware and have diet plans after knee replacement that benefits you.

05 Nov 2022
why-does-my-neck-hurt-Neck-pain-causes-and-treatment.jpg

Why Does My Neck Hurt? Neck Pain Causes and Treatment

What is neck pain?

Even before we explore neck pain causes and treatments, we need to know what it is. It is simply a pain in your neck at any point in time. It is common and has numerous causes.

The neck has a tough job holding up almost 11 pounds of bones, muscles and ligaments. Bad posture can cause it. But, generally, it doesn’t indicate any severe complications.

What are neck pain symptoms?

As we approach, there are some neck pain symptoms.

  • While on a computer, driving or doing other tasks, the pain increases in a specific position
  • Muscle tightness/spasms
  • Difficulty moving head/neck
  • Headache

 

Symptoms usually depend on the neck pain causes. So if you are looking for more information on neck pain causes and treatment, come over to Germanten Hospital.

What causes neck pain?

There can be various neck pain causes, including medical issues and injuries. Some conditions that may cause neck pain are:

  • Muscle strain and tension: One of the most common neck pain causes, it can be the result of activities and behaviours like:
  • Poor posture
  • Injury
  • Neck jerking during exercise
  • Wrong position of the neck while sleeping
  • Sitting too long in the same position.
  • Vulnerable to car accidents, falls, and sports injuries, the neck can have muscles and ligaments forced to move outside the normal range.

The spinal cord may get damaged in case of neck bone fractures. Whiplash is a neck injury resulting from sudden head jerking.

  • Heart attack: Neck pain can also indicate a heart attack. There are many other symptoms of a heart attack.
  • Shortness of breath
  • Sweating
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting 
  • Jaw/Arm pain

 

In case of neck pain or other heart attack symptoms, go to the emergency room or dial the emergency number immediately.

 

  • Meningitis: It is the inflammation and pain of the brain and spinal cord surrounding thin tissue. Meningitis patients may experience:
  • Stiff neck
  • Nausea
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Sensitivity of light
  • Vomiting

 

A few of the other neck pain causes include:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis leads to pain, joint swelling and bone spurs. In the neck area, they can cause neck pain.
  • Usually affecting hands/knees, osteoporosis weakens bones and can lead to minor fractures. It also occurs in the neck.
  • Fibromyalgia is muscle pain throughout the body, especially in the shoulder and neck region.

 

Cervical discs can degenerate with ageing. Also called spondylitis or osteoarthritis narrows the space between the vertebrae and adds stress to your joints. In a slipped disc case, a disc protrudes and may add pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. Spinal stenosis occurs when the spinal column narrows and pressures the spinal cord or the nerve roots as it exits the vertebrae. That can be from arthritis or other condition-led long-term inflammation.

Rarely neck pain can indicate:

  • Congenital abnormalities
  • Abscesses
  • Spine cancer
  • Infections
  • Tumours

If you experience any of the above-stated symptoms of neck pain, seek medical care. If you want more information on neck pain causes and treatment, come to Germanten Hospital.

How can you treat neck pain?

Muscle relaxant medications, physical therapy, padded neck collar, or traction, form neck treatment. Cortisone shots or surgery might be needed rarely.

With treatment, neck pain is a few days’ deal. Medicines like ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin can help ease the pain. For the first 2-3 days, put an ice pack on your neck to reduce swelling. Then moist heat can help heal. Exercising at home can help gently stretch neck muscles. 

For short-term relief, visit a chiropractor or do a neck massage. But for a permanent neck pain treatment, come over to Germanten Hospitals and get an appointment with our experts today.

How to prevent neck pain?

Here are a few ways you can prevent neck pain: 

  • Fixing posture can help improve neck pain. Adjusting the chair or desktop can also help. One should also take frequent breaks.
  • Carrying heavy bags with shoulder straps is a big no. In the case of a stiff neck, different pillows can help.
  •  Changes in sleeping postures can also help ligaments and muscles relax.

 

These were some other ways of neck pain treatment that can help. At Germanten Hospitals, we offer quality neck pain treatment. So if you have any neck pain symptoms, come over to Germanten today!