Cervical Myelopathy

Question:

I had cervical myelopathy surgery a few weeks ago on my neck (1-7). They had to break my neck in five places. I am in serious pain. When can I start physical therapy, and will the stiffness go away?

Answer: By Alison Lichy, PT, DPT, NCS

Pain after surgery is normal and is usually managed immediately following surgery in the early stages of recovery with medication and prior to starting physical therapy. If your pain levels are not tolerable, please contact your surgeon’s office right away.

It is important to talk to your surgeon about when you can expect to start physical therapy. The stiffness is also normal and will decrease over time. The start of your physical therapy will vary dependent on the type of procedure that was used during surgery.

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Studies show that treatment by a physical therapist can provide short- and long-term relief for people with neck pain. A physical therapist designed program of exercises can relieve neck pain and improve mobility without expensive surgery or side effects of pain medication.
Proven treatments include manual physical therapy and exercise. Patients have reported they not only [...]

Biographical Information

Physical therapist and American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) member Alison M. Lichy, PT, DPT, NCS, is the current president of the District of Columbia Chapter of APTA. Dr Lichy is the owner of Neurological Physical Therapy PLLC in Alexandria, Virginia, an outpatient physical therapy clinic specializing in treatment of neurological disorders. A researcher associated with the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC, Dr Lichy is a research investigator for the National Capital Spinal Cord Injury Model System (addressing assistive technology disparities); the Rehabilitation Research Training Center (addressing secondary complications following a spinal cord injury and use of electrical stimulation and Lokomat® in treatment protocols); and the Assistive Technology Research Center (addressing bracing in the ambulatory spinal cord injured population). An active member of APTA, Dr Lichy is an APTA Board Certified Specialist in Neurological Physical Therapy and previously served as APTA membership chair, secretary, and chief delegate.