What to expect after spine surgery varies a lot by patient and surgery performed. Generally if it’s outpatient surgery or surgery where you go home the same day, you will have pain, but it should be manageable with pain pills you can take by mouth. Patients that need hospitalization for bigger surgery, obviously have a little bit of a slow recovery and can expect pain in the hospital, which will be managed, either with pain medication by mouth or IV pain medication.
Most patients rehab is part of their recovery from spine surgery and as rehab progresses, patients tend to get more and more back to normal.