Back surgery, need advice

[The_Rush]

I have a habit of making long stories so I'll try to keep this succinct:

About 3 months ago I started having severe back issues (lower back and leg pain, sometimes so painful I felt paralyzed from the waist down). Finally an MRI showed that I had a tumor growing from my spinal cord which was pressing it against the inside of the spinal canal. Almost 3 weeks ago I underwent a successful surgical procedure to remove the tumor which invoved removing the back "spiney" portion of the spine and in turn manipulating the back muscles which cover that area. Now I'm on the road to recovery but I've got 2 big qualms.

1) The doctor released me of any physical restrictions so I can return to my workout routines. However, I've found that getting back into it is very difficult after 3 months off and the trauma the back muscles have endured from the surgery. Its amazing how many movements will incorporate the flexing of the lower back muscles (which I find quite painful). So the first question is: Does anyone have a good routines or advice to strengthen injured back muscles?

2) I now have a fairly obvious scar. Does anyone have any advice on the best way to reduce it's appearance?

Here are some pictures:

Before surgery






After surgery

[DanicaX]

Ouch! I think it would be helpful to eat foods high in Vit E and antioxidants. Also, I haven't tried it, but have heard people get amazing results with Bio-Oil http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_199785...re_2oz_reviews

Also, I know they sell this at Walgreens and Walmart. I don't know if you can put that on a fresh incision like yours, though. I've read about ingesting colloidal silver for speeding up healing (an idea if you can't put anything on a fresh wound like that)...just don't turn yourself blue.

[gimpy835]

my surgery was l5-s1 fusion, but after i got freed by the doctor i just did all machines and no free weights when i started going back to the gym. i had constant problems when i first started and still do sometimes but just take it slow and listen to what your body is telling you...

[Fresch]

No doubt there is a lot of scar tissue in the area and, unfortunately, some dead muscle tissue.

I assume you were not given any rehab program or advice?

[Revmachine21]

OK, I'm surfing the net late at night when I see this thread. I'm only half paying attention, and I'm thinking to myself...

Picture 1 - Nice!
Picture 2 - Nice!
Picture 3 - Nice!
Picture 4 - Nice! But what is that piece of gauze on his back? Took a few more seconds before I realized there were stitches above it.

So, sweetheart, you are a good looking man. The scar won't be noticeable with all the staring at your other body parts. If anything, the scar will cause people to stop a little, reevaluate the eye candy for the deeper story. And oh my, with your story, you have depth.

I would x2 the above suggestion about physical therapy. You really need it. I've heard anecdotal stories about therapies with swiss balls for patients with spinal issues, but I hesitate to give anything more concrete given your medical history.

Keep the faith. The body is an amazing thing, you will recover :-)

[agsuper]

I used my wifes stretch mark cream from her pregnancy.