After back surgery, you should refrain from activities that can strain your back for at least six weeks. Be mindful of your surgical dressings and ensure that the pain medication you are taking won't interfere with the healing process. Additionally, if you're a smoker, you may want to consider not smoking during the healing period as smoking delays the healing process.
Restricted Activities
There are numerous activities to avoid after back surgery says Holy Cross Hospital. These activities include anything that requires you to lift, stoop, push and anything else that puts strain on your back. You should not lift anything heavier than 10 lbs. or lift anything above your shoulders for the first four weeks. Let your back rest for at least six weeks. Also, refrain from smoking as this delays the healing process and ups the chances that lumbar fusion will not occur.
Caring for Your Incision
You should be discharged from the hospital with dressing over the incision. You can remove this one or two days after surgery, Holy Cross Hospital instructs. You should, however, let the steri-strips covering the incision fall off on their own -- usually after a week to 10 days after surgery. Any swelling, redness or drainage from the incision should be reported to your doctor. You should not scrub your incision but you can take a shower two days after surgery, Holy Cross Hospital advises.
Medication
You will experience pain after back surgery but be careful about the type of pain medication you take. Do not use medication with blood-thinning agents or aspirin-based products, Holy Cross Hospital says. Adds the Christiana Spine Center, arthritis medications and anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen should also be avoided. To help take the edge off the pain, you can apply ice to the wound for five to 10 minutes, three times daily, suggests Christiana Spine Center.
