You probably know that physical therapy can make a big difference in your recovery from spine surgery. Physical therapy after surgery focuses on minimizing swelling and pain, and can help you regain strength and range of motion.
But did you know that physical therapy before surgery can also help you to be in the best possible shape for the procedure, maximizing the benefits of surgery?
The North American Spine Society (NASS) is highlighting the importance of pre- and post-surgery physical therapy with a special “Ask the Experts” video, which will be featured on their website.
The video comprises a panel of top experts in physical therapy, sharing their professional opinions and the available evidence regarding pre- and post-surgical techniques. One of these panel experts is our own Evan Johnson, D.P.T., Director of Physical Therapy at The Spine Hospital at the Neurological Institute of New York.
Dr. Johnson is no stranger to NASS. He has spoken at their national conference for many years, sharing his research and expertise, as well as learning from other experts in spine care.
This year, in addition to participating in the video he moderated a spine symposium on tandem spinal stenosis, a condition in which the spine narrows in two different places.
Dr. Johnson brought together spinal experts in the fields of neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, biomedical engineering and interventional pain medicine from around the country while contributing two talks to the symposium.
Evidently, he kept a busy schedule. At previous NASS meetings he’s spoken on the dangers of smartphones to spinal health, and tested participants’ balance and muscle strength.
You can watch Dr. Johnson’s episode of “Ask the Experts” on the importance of pre- and post-surgical physical therapy, here.
You can learn more about Dr. Johnson and his work from the following links:
- Neurosurgery Residents Learn About Diagnosis From a Physical Therapist’s Point of View
- Where Does It Hurt? Dr. Evan Johnson Explains Why It Can Be Tough to Find the Source of Lower Back Pain
- Is the Smartphone Ruining Our Spines?
Learn more about Dr. Johnson at his bio page here.
