Spine injuries can be physically and emotionally demanding on your body. The muscles and joints that support your spine are handling the stress of the injury, and you may find yourself faced with added anxiety. Fatigue can also be caused by a lack of sleep due to discomfort or from the exercises you’ll need to do to strengthen your spine. Your body needs rest to recuperate, so making an effort to manage fatigue is equally important.
Modify Daily Activities
Some of your regular routines, whether it’s going up and down steps or reaching for stuff off higher shelves while cooking, can be physically demanding on a healing spine. Think about the daily activities that seem to wear you out the most and make appropriate adjustments by:
- Using assistive devices like reachers and grippers
- Temporarily moving your bedroom to the downstairs floor
- Calling on friends and family members to help with things like cleaning and running errands
Accept Limitations
Fatigue is sometimes caused by frustration and anxiety over limitations due to a spine injury. Working with a counselor or therapist may help you learn to accept what you can realistically do based on your capabilities. Just because there are things you can’t do initially after a spine injury doesn’t mean you won’t regain those abilities later. Mental fatigue related to your injury may also be managed by:
- Keeping a journal
- Joining a support group
- Conveying your concerns to a trusted friend
Initial fatigue is normal, but it should become less of an issue as you continue to recover. If you make some of these suggested adjustments and you’re still experiencing a regular loss of energy or exhaustion, talk to a Beverly Hills spine surgeon to see if you might benefit from an adjustment to your medications or a change in your physical therapy routine.
From fusion surgery to spinal cord stimulation, there are a variety of ways to treat spine injuries and start living a pain-free life. The expert surgeons at The Spine Institute in Beverly Hills are here to help. Just call 310-858-7757 to schedule an appointment.