After a cervical neck fusion you can sleep on your back or your side.
For the first couple of weeks after the cervical neck fusion you should ideally sleep on your back with a pillow under your neck and head.
This helps you to keep your spine aligned and reduces pressure on the surgical area.
As you recover you can then try sleeping on your side with a pillow placed between your knees which can help reduce neck pressure.
If you do sleep on your side after cervical fusion surgery you should make sure your top leg is slightly forward or your legs are on top of each other.
You may also use a pillow placed behind your back to help to keep you from rolling out of the position.
After a neck fusion or cervical fusion you should not lift anything that is over 5 to 15 lbs.
Avoid reaching above your head or doing overhead activities.
Avoid driving for 2 to 4 weeks after the neck fusion or cervical fusion surgery.
Avoid strenuous activities and high impact exercises, contact sports, etc.
Avoid swimming or submerging your incision site in water until your surgeon says it's okay.
And also avoid taking over the counter pain medications or prescription pain medications that contain any acetaminophen such as Tylenol or NSAIDS like aspirin or ibuprofen unless your doctor says it's okay to do so.
After the neck fusion or cervical fusion you should maintain a neutral spine, log roll in and out of bed, sit in a comfortable posture and walk little and often and gradually increase the distance you walk each day.
You can turn your neck after a cervical fusion, although you may experience some loss of range of motion with your neck.
During recovery from a cervical fusion your neck may be somewhat stiff and hard to turn but as you recover the neck should become a bit easier to move and turn.
After a cervical fusion you can expect to lose around 5 percent to 10 percent of your bending ability for each level of spine that is fused.
You should however be able to turn your head left and right after the cervical fusion.
After a cervical fusion you will need to wear a collar for around 6 to 8 weeks.
You should wear the collar for 2 weeks after a single level fusion and 4 to 6 weeks after a multiple level fusion.
If wearing a hard collar after the cervical fusion the hard collar should be worn day and night until the doctor says you can remove it.
You can however remove the hard collar for short periods of time, such as to shower and maintain your neck's neutral position.
But you should not bend your neck.
The hospital stay after a cervical fusion is between 1 day to 3 days although it can vary depending on the complexity of your surgery.
Before being discharged from the hospital after a cervical fusion you must be able to control pain with oral medications and be able to get up and walk around and empty your bladder.
The recovery time for a cervical fusion is between 8 weeks to 12 weeks.
Full recovery from a cervical fusion often takes up to 6 months.
Most people that have had a cervical fusion can return to any light work within a couple of weeks.
However you should avoid any strenuous activities for at least 6 weeks after the cervical fusion.
Cervical fusion is a serious surgery and is considered major surgery as it carries possible risks and possible complications.
Because cervical fusion is a serious surgery and major surgery the cervical fusion is only done when other treatments have not work or when necessary.
A cervical fusion is a surgical procedure that joins or fuses together 2 or more of your vertebrae in your neck or cervical spine.
The cervical fusion is often done to stabilize your neck and relieve any pain or other symptoms that are caused by conditions like neck fractures, severe neck pain, spondylolisthesis and degenerative disc disease.
Degenerative disc disease is the wearing down of the discs that are between the vertebrae.
Spondylolisthesis is forward slippage of one vertebra over another.
During a cervical fusion the surgeon will often remove any damaged discs, insert bone grafts or metal implants between your vertebrae and use screws or plates or other devices which hold your vertebrae in place.
The cervical fusions goal is to create a stable and solid structure in your neck that prevents further degeneration, improves mobility and reduces pain.
Cervical fusion is a major surgery with potential risks and complications so the cervical fusion should only be done when other treatments have not been effective.
After a cervical fusion it's normal and common to have pain between your shoulder blades and neck pain for the first couple of weeks after the cervical fusion surgery.
The pain is normal post operative pain and should slowly get better as the wounds and muscles heal.
It's also normal to have some neck stiffness and neck discomfort for awhile after the cervical fusion until you heal.
After a cervical fusion you may be able to return to work in 3 weeks to 6 weeks after the cervical fusion surgery.
And after 3 months to 4 months you should also be able to go back to any regular activities fully.
Your surgeon may also recommend physical therapy to strengthen any muscles in your neck.