Numbness after a spinal surgery procedure can cause patients a lot of alarm and anxiety. In this physical therapy patient education article, we are going to talk about feelings of numbness after spine surgery – what causes the numbness, when to be worried, and how physical therapy can help.
Feeling Numb After Spine Surgery
A certain amount of numbness is not uncommon after spine surgery. The numbness itself typically stems from the spinal nerves, which send signals from the brain to and from all the other areas of the body. When these nerves are irritated or impacted, numbness or loss of sensation can be the result. These nerves are very delicate, and spine surgeons often need to get very close to the spinal nerves using instrumentation during a procedure. This, along with the trauma of surgery can irritate the nerves and cause numbness in the back or extremities.
If you feel some tingling or numbness immediately after surgery, there is usually nothing to worry about. As your body recovers from the procedure, the numbness will dissipate. If the numbness does not go away after several weeks, or gets worse, there may be something else wrong and you should consult with your surgeon.
Physical Therapy in the Twin Cities
Working with a physical therapist after your spinal procedure can significantly speed up your recovery time, and help you reduce pain while improving functionality. The Twin Cities physical therapists at OrthoRehab Specialists have nearly three decades of experience helping patients recover from trauma. We have over 600 local providers who refer their patients to us after surgery. Additionally, we offer direct access to physical therapy care, so you can set up your appointment even if you don’t have a referral. If you have recently had spine surgery, a physical therapist can help you through your recovery. Contact us today to set up your appointment with one of our Minnesota physical therapists. We have clinics located in Edina and Minneapolis, but we provide physical therapy care to patients throughout the state of Minnesota. See what physical therapy can do for you by giving us a call today!