Physical Therapy For Recovery After Spinal Tumor Surgery

Certain serious medical conditions can strike a special kind of fear in our hearts.

For instance, people with spinal tumor diagnoses commonly experience intense emotions, such as stress and anxiety.

However, you can take comfort in modern medical advancements.

Thanks to modern medicine, many people with spinal tumors live long and healthy lives.

For instance, the American Cancer Society estimates an 87% to 92% 5 year survival rate for people with spinal tumors.

Surgical interventions also play a key role in spinal tumor treatments.

Skillful surgeons can manually remove the atypical growths from your spine.

However, it’s a major surgery and you’ll need post operative rehabilitation to get you feeling great once more.

But you’ll get there, and our therapists are here to help.

Here at Capitol Physical Therapy, we offer physical therapy for surgery recovery, including recovery from spinal tumor surgery.

In this article, we’ll highlight some of the major benefits of seeing one of our Washington DC physical therapists for recovery after spinal tumor surgery.

Keep reading to find out more.

What Is A Spinal Tumor?

Put simply, tumors are atypical cell growths.

They can develop on almost any part of your body, inside and out.

So, a spinal tumor is simply a collection of atypical cells on your spine.

Doctors classify them depending on the type of tissue they are growing in and whether they are benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Let’s take a closer look at benign versus malignant spinal tumors.

Types Of Benign Spinal Tumors

Benign spinal tumors are noncancerous growths.

Nonetheless, benign tumors often still require surgical removal due to the risk of nerve or spinal cord damage.

Examples of benign spinal tumors include:

• Spinal osteochondroma: the most common type of benign bone tumor often found in your cervical spine located just below your skull
• Spinal hemangioma: develops from atypical blood vessels and is typically symptom free
• Eosinophilic granuloma: a rare bone tumor more commonly found in children
• Osteoid osteoma: a type of non-spreading bone tumor commonly found in long bones
• Spinal osteoblastoma: a rare bone tumor commonly found in adults in their 20s or 30s
• Spinal neurofibroma: develops within your spinal sensory nerves and is typically symptom free
• Aneurysmal bone cyst: a gradually growing blood filled tumor typically found pressed against the walls of your bones
• Giant cell tumor: a rare but aggressive type of benign tumor that can destroy the surrounding bones
• Meningiomas: a slow growing tumor typically found within the layers of tissue covering your brain and spinal cord
• Nerve sheath tumors: a benign and slow growing tumor often found within the protective layer wrapped around your nerves

Types Of Malignant Spinal Tumors

In contrast, malignant spinal tumors are cancerous growths.

Most cases of malignant spinal cancers develop following the spread of cancer from other organs in your body, like breast cancer.

When this happens, we call it “metastases of organ cancer”.

Tumors that start within your spinal cord are the rarest form of spinal tumors.

According to the National Cancer Institute, they account for only 2% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States.

Examples of malignant spinal tumors include:

• Chordoma: a rare form of bone cancer commonly found near your tailbone
• Ewing’s sarcoma: a type of spinal tumor that develops in your spine or soft tissue surrounding your spine and is most commonly diagnosed in younger populations
• Osteosarcoma: another type of bone cancer that can spread to your spine. Most common in young children
• Multiple myeloma: a form of blood cancer that develops in your white blood cells and can spread tumors to many bones in your body, including your spine
• Glioma: a group of tumors that can develop in the supportive cells surrounding your nerves, your brain, or your spinal cord

Symptoms Of Spinal Cord Tumors

Many people with spinal cord tumors might not feel any symptoms at all.

In other cases, chronic pain is the first symptom of a spinal cord tumor.

RELATED: Physical Therapy For Back And Neck Pain

The pain may gradually increase over time, be sharp or burning, get worse at night, and noticeable even when resting.

Tumors that are pressing against your nerve root commonly cause specific symptoms, such as:

• Muscle weakness
• Muscle numbness
• Tingling sensations
• Decreased ability to sense temperature, particularly in your legs

Less common symptoms of spinal cord tumors include:

• Urinary incontinence
• Bowel incontinence
• Sexual dysfunction
• Difficulty walking

Will You Need Spinal Cord Surgery?

This is a conversation to have with the physician in charge of your treatment.

Physical therapists aren’t involved in the surgery itself, but we can provide plenty of solutions to help your post surgery recovery.

Your physician can help guide you in your options and whether surgery is one of them.

How Can Physical Therapy After Spinal Surgery Help?

We undergo surgery because it’s the best long term option to improve our health.

But that doesn’t mean you’ll feel better right away.

Physical rehabilitation is a necessity for at least a short while immediately following your surgery.

Physical therapy after spinal surgery can help with your spinal alignment, balance, and general health.

This can help you recover more quickly and effectively.

Next, we’ll take a closer look at some of the more common physical therapy techniques for spinal surgery recovery.

1. Pain Management

Pain management is an important aspect of your recovery following spinal cord surgery.

After all, you can’t fully participate in any physical therapy program when you’re in a significant amount of pain.

Physical therapy is geared toward helping you move your joints and muscles easily and effectively.

After your surgery, your physical therapist will use directed movements to relieve pressure, rebuild strength, and help you work toward recovery.

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These movements will have the added effect of relieving your post-surgical pain.

2. Strength And Stability Training

Your physical therapist will put together an individualized strength and stability training program that is specific to your unique needs.

Strength and stability training improves function in the muscles commonly weakened following a spinal tumor or surgery.

It may also include gait training physical therapy to help you walk effectively and painlessly.

RELATED: Physical Therapy For Fall Prevention

3. Exercises To Promote Healing

Regular exercise during cancer treatment is important for your recovery following spinal cord surgery.

How soon you can return to certain activities, such as work or extensive physical activity, depends on how well your body responds to surgery.

In addition to promoting healing, physical therapy exercises can reduce chronic fatigue and help you avoid reinjury.

Your physical therapist will put together an individualized exercise program that focuses on your specific needs.

4. Patient Education

Patient education is another important aspect of recovery following spinal cord surgery.

Physical therapists have experience with spinal tumors and the post-surgery recovery process.

Therefore, your physical therapist will have answers for any questions you throw their way.

Book Your Appointment With Capitol Physical Therapy Today

At Capitol Physical Therapy, we pride ourselves on our dedication to helping people recover from major surgeries, such as spinal cord surgery.

A spinal tumor diagnosis is often stressful, but we’re here to help.

With the right intervention, many people with spinal tumors can still go on to live happy, healthy lives.

Book your appointment with Capitol Physical Therapy today to get started on your recovery.