Cervical arthroplasty, also called artificial disc replacement, is a surgical procedure designed to remove a herniated or otherwise damaged disc in the neck and insert an artificial implant to replace it. At St. Charles Spine Institute in Thousand Oaks, California, we perform this minimally invasive surgery to help patients to alleviate chronic neck pain. Unlike fusion, this procedure doesn’t limit the range of motion in the joint. What’s more, the recovery time is usually fast, and the patient’s risk of developing herniations in adjacent discs is very low.

Recovering from many types of spine surgery, particularly surgeries that use minimally invasive techniques, can take anywhere from four to six weeks depending upon a number of factors. However, there is a universal truth to spine surgery recovery: your recovery will go more smoothly and be more complete if you engage in a regular regimen of safely exercising your back.