The Better Way Back® spokesman and MMA fighter Nate “Rock” Quarry set goals for himself while he was recovering from his eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF®) procedure. Setting goals helped him progress in his recovery and get back to fighting.
Here’s some insight from Nate about goal setting from “The Ultimate Fight: The Back Pain That Ended My Career and the Surgery That Allowed Me to Make a Comeback,” a free article you can order online from The Better Way Back:
In the days and weeks right after my surgery, I set lots of little goals and went after every one with a passion. Each of those steps helped assist and speed up my recovery. As an athlete, I believe that a body in motion tends to stay in motion. For me, the worst thing I could have done was to be sedentary. It was essential that I work my muscles and get my blood flowing again. And that’s exactly what I did.
My first goal was to walk down the hallway at the hotel where I was staying during my recovery. I made it halfway. Two days later, I made it all the way down the hall. My next goal was ambitious: walk down the hall and back–twice.
Just two weeks after my XLIF procedure, I was doing a day-hike up Mount Charleston, near Las Vegas. It was a three-mile outing, and I felt like a man just released from prison, with his whole life ahead of him.
Within three months of his surgery, Nate was back in the gym training for his next fight. As with any surgery, there are potential benefits and possible risks associated with the XLIF procedure. Individual results will vary. It is important to discuss the possible risks and potential benefits of XLIF with a doctor prior to receiving treatment, and that you rely on your physician’s judgment. Only your doctor can determine whether you are a suitable candidate for this procedure.
To learn more about setting goals during recovery or to order a copy of Nate’s article, fill out our online form or call us at 800-745-7099.
15-NUVA-1220