“How long after back surgery can you start physical therapy?”

Dear Patient, The timing for starting physical therapy after back surgery varies depending on the type of surgery, the surgeon's recommendations, and your individual recovery progress. In many cases, physical therapy may begin within a few days to a few weeks after surgery. However, it's essential to follow your surgeon's instructions closely and wait for their guidance on when it's safe and appropriate to start physical therapy. They will consider factors such as the surgical procedure performed, your overall health, and the specific goals of your rehabilitation to determine the most suitable timing. Best Regard Tsai Chao MD

That depends on the type of back surgery you are having as there are many kinds. Your surgeon will direct your physical therapy based on the type of surgery you had, and other factors. Please discuss with your surgeon, your post operative plan, prior to having the surgery.

Back surgery for back pain is not a wise choice because back pain comes from soft tissue injury (muscle/fascia strain) in the lower back and pelvis but is unrelated to the spine because there is no pain sensation in the spine. Surgery creates an additional injury to the low back while the real injury remains untreated and unimproved. To get rid of pain, the injured jammed-up tissue must be released and it can only be done internally by the body itself via light touch (Touch-and Hold of The Precision Method) to initiate self-healing. All other treatments are ineffective in resolving the injury including medications, injections, hot/cold applications including laser, electrotherapy, massage including vibration, manipulation, stretching, strengthening, acupuncture, etc. Stretching/strengthening is detrimental in that it irritates and aggravates the injury even more. The Precision Method can be applied immediately after surgery. It takes 2-4 hours to resolve the original and surgery-added injuries so that there is no more pain.