Comfort is important following any type of surgery, including a discectomy or a less invasive microdiscectomy to relieve nerve pressure caused by a herniated spinal disc. This comfort extends to the shoes you wear as you recover. You should not wear anything that is going to put too much stress on spinal muscles in the lower back, as they can be aggravated by the way you stand and move in your shoes. This article describes the best shoes to wear after discectomy surgery.
Wear Slip-Ons
During the first few weeks of your discectomy recovery period, it is best to wear slip-on shoes that eliminate the need to bend over to tie shoelaces. During the early stages of recovery, any stressful movements can increase the risk of reinjury or the herniation of nearby discs.
Many patients prefer Crocs, although any slip-on shoes will do if they are loose enough to easily slip on yet secure enough to avoid the risk of slips or falls. Look for slip-ons with good soles that provide a firm grip as you walk. You may be encouraged to walk as much as possible after surgery, so it is important to have shoes with a solid grip.
Be Cautious with Your Regular Shoes
When you return to wearing your regular shoes, make sure you wear ones that continue to ease pressure on your healing spine. This means avoiding high heels for a while and opting for sensible shoes instead, such as:
• Flat sneakers
• Slippers with a solid grip on the bottom
• Flats
• Shoes specifically designed for walking
Be Safe with Other Shoe Choices
If you prefer to wear heels, opt for ones of medium height. Anything too high can place indirect pressure on your lower back. This increases the risk of experiencing muscle spasms and similar issues that could irritate the same nerve affected by the herniated disc that was just operated on. This is more likely to be the case if the sciatic nerve was the affected nerve. Being the longest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve extends downward into the leg. If the shoes you wear irritate the sciatic nerve, you could experience similar symptoms to those of a herniated spinal disc, especially lower back pain.
Report Any Unusual Discomfort to Your Doctor
When wearing regular shoes, pay attention to any new or worsening discomfort. If the discomfort begins when you start wearing your regular shoes again, you will likely need to reconsider your footwear, at least temporarily. If this is not the case, see your doctor to find out what the cause of the discomfort may be.
Even though discectomy surgery is a common and generally quite successful procedure, a hole is frequently left in the outer wall of the disc. In fact, patients with these large holes in their discs are more than twice as likely to reherniate. Reherniations often require additional surgery or even fusions. Fortunately, there is a new treatment specifically designed to close the large holes that are often left in spinal discs after discectomy surgery. Barricaid is a bone-anchored device proven to reduce reherniations, and 95 percent of Barricaid patients did not undergo a reoperation due to reherniation in a 2-year study timeframe. This treatment is done immediately following the discectomy—during the same operation—and does not require any additional incisions or time in the hospital.
If you have any questions about the Barricaid treatment or how to get access to Barricaid, ask your doctor or contact us at 844-705-1081.
For full benefit/risk information, please visit: https://www.barricaid.com/instructions.
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