POST-PED ADVICE FOR A GOOD RECOVERY AFTER DISCOPLASTY TREATMENT

This information is specially prepared for Kania Riffianti Amalsyah.

POST-PED ADVICE FOR A GOOD RECOVERY

DISCOPLASTY has been performed by Dr. Prem Pillay and you are in the recovery phase. The Discoplasty procedure, done through a small needle, inserted into your discs reduces pressure on your nerves. Your nerves now need time to recover. We will work with you to help you recover well.

Symptoms you had prior to surgery may still be present. Your nerves were under pressure and irritated; and your muscles tight. They have to be reprogrammed to be more normal, less irritable and relaxed. Medications are given to help in this reprogramming process. You will be given a medication to reduce irritability of your nerves and a medication to relax your muscles for a period of time, usually 3 months to a year. These medications are not given as pain medications. You will also be given a supplement for your discs and your joints in the spine. Please take these medications regularly and they will be adjusted by Dr. Prem Pillay depending on your recovery. The longer you had your symptoms before the procedure the more chronic the symptoms. Chronic symptoms take longer to reduce and to go away. Generally numbness is more difficult and takes longer to go away. Some symptoms may persist after Discoplasty as the nerve pressure may have caused some degree of nerve damage. Please remember that the main reason for your spine procedure was to prevent further nerve damage and weakness. Some patients may think that they have a numbness or pain that was not there before the procedure. This is often because their focus has been on the troublesome symptom/s that brought them to us. Those so thought "new symptoms" may have always been there but hidden by the more intense, troublesome symptom/s.

There is very little downtime after the spine procedure. You can usually return to work the next day if you need to.

Remember that pressure in the disc can build up again especially if you don't make changes to your lifestyle. One important advice from Dr. Prem Pillay is to break up sitting. He wants his patients to stand for a few seconds every 20-30 minutes of sitting. Every hour he advises them to walk and get a drink of water or tea.

You will be advised to start a Spine Strengthening Physiotherapy Program. In our practice, we have found that a combination of Physiotherapy strengthening exercises done both in water and on land very beneficial. You should also be taught ergonomics.

In the Gym, you can walk on a treadmill, sit on an exercise bike with a back support and cycle at low resistance and also use the elliptical machine by holding the stationary hand bars at low resistance.

Some patients may have to slowly reduce their weight to reduce stress and load to the spine. This can be done gradually by cutting down on carbohydrates which include rice, noodles, bread, pasta. You can however take complex carbohydrates, so eat brown rice, multigrain bread, etc.

Our Center has a holistic approach and a long term approach to looking after your spine. For this, it's a partnership between you and us. We have helped you reduce pressure on your spine nerves but you have to make changes to your lifestyle. This involves doing the correct exercises including spine strengthening, following the ergonomic advice at the workplace as well as other recommendations given by Dr. Prem Pillay.

Please feel free to contact us at anytime if you need any assistance. We are here for you.

Singapore, December 10th 2014

Dr. Prem Pillay

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Further Information :

Neurospine and Pain Center
Mt. Elizabeth Medical Centre
3 Mt. Elizabeth #15-03
Singapore 228510

Tel. No. : 68354325
Fax. No. : 68354326
E-mail : clinicsg@yahoo.com

SINGAPORE BRAIN SPINE NERVES CENTER
NEUROSPINE AND PAIN CENTER
SINGAPORE

http://www.singaporeneurosurgeon.org
http://www.singaporespine.org
http://www.drprempillay.org
http://www.spine-neuro.org