4 Level Lumbar Fusion recovery

[LC39B]

Hi, I had a 4 level Lumbar Fusion, L2-S1, December 19th. I have a problem with my bones fusing and I am presently being treated by a endicrinologist for a possible Metabolic bone disease. My questions are related to recovery. I would like to know what would the normal restrictions be like 1. How long before You should drive and if there is a problem with driving as You obviously twist to look behind You and such, 2. What kind of weight limit, should You be restricted to lifting 5lbs, 20lbs etc, 3. General activity, is there anything You should or should not do other than the obvious of no contact sports, should You just be sitting or laying in the house in between the walking twice a day?. I would like to know what the rest of You were told by Your doctors. Thank You - John

[ajj1001]

Hi and welcome, I'm 5 months out from my second fusion (first failed and it was only one level whereas i have just had two levels done)

Pretty common instructions are no bending, lifting or twisting (often shortened to no BLT!), more short walks are better than one longer one, 6 weeks or so before PT starts. Normal post op checks are done at 6 weeks then first x-rays to check on fusion are done at 3 months and then restrictions are reviewed. These obviously vary between each surgeon as they all have their preferences. Lots of people in the US have back braces but these aren't used in the UK very often.

I didn't drive for 3 months and I'm still struggling to be able to drive. I had a 5lb lifting limit. Advice re activity is to keep moving, not to stay in one position too long. I was told not to lie on my stomach until I was told it was ok. I try to move every 30 minutes but do have a motorised chair and motorised bed to help me do this so its not always under my own steam.

[LC39B]

Hi Alison, thank You for Your reply. I am trying to figure out if I am being able to do too much, my Neurosurgeon had me not drive for 2 weeks, not lift more than 25 lbs and at 6 weeks that is about all my restrictions. A brother in VA had restrictions more like Yours, no driving for 3 months, no lifting more than 5 lbs for 1 year? That seems a little over cautious to me. I will gladly do whatever I am supposed to do. I just wonder why thee is so much of a difference between these restrictions. I would like to here what restrictions others have as well. Thanks again for Your response Alison - John

[Kimberly]

Hi John. And Welcome to the forum.

I had a two-level ALIF (L4-S1) at the end of June and my restrictions were pretty similar to Alison's. No bending, lifting, twisting (BLT :-) , lots of short walks (I think I walked three times a day) no lifting (5-8 pounds was the limit. No more than a gallon of milk). I had a hard time sitting after surgery so I was either all the way up or all the way down. This has gotten better and better over time, but sitting is still not my favorite thing. I did not begin driving or physical therapy until the three month mark. And even at that point, it was very difficult for me to drive, get in and out of the car, look over my shoulder to back up, etc.) I remember trying to minimize driving and then when I absolutely HAD to drive somewhere, compensating quite a bit by doing things like pulling forward into the parking space ahead of me so that when it came time to leave I wouldn't have to twist around and back out of the spot. I would also plan WAY ahead for my freeway driving so that I could get into the appropriate lane safely when I knew no one was there (and I wouldn't have to look over my shoulder) long before I would need to get off the freeway. I tried all manner of pillows and towels to try and make the sitting more comfortable in the car, but to be honest it just hurt to drive. It is better now (at almost 8 months) but I still don't like it much and can't drive myself for more than an hour or so without stopping and getting out to walk around and stretch. I have been "cleared" to go back to the gym but only for things like pilates (no yoga) the treadmill or the elliptical. No weights! and nothing with impact. But that is also because I have another disc at another level that is diseased and herniated and we are trying to squeeze any extra life out of it before it too throws its feet up in the air and dies. I have heard of other folks returning to higher impact sports after fusions but for me, it's not worth it at this time. My Dr. also recommended I NOT engage in sports that use a lot of trunk rotation, like tennis and golf. Again, that may very well be his recommendation for ME (and my particular situation with another damaged level).

I hope that helps a bit.

Take care and hang in there (a 4-level fusion is major surgery and although everyone heals at their own pace, it typically is a loooooong and slow process.)

Kimberly

[LC39B]

Kimberly, I appreciate Your input as well. My concern is that I am having trouble recovering and I see My restrictions are very lax compared to Yours and alisons and my brothers for that matter which really makes me wonder what is going on, should mine be more stringent, specially with the trouble recovering I am having. I would like to Hear from more of You out there to see what Your restrictions and recovery times are. Thank You again - John

[Justin]

Hi, I had a 4 level Lumbar Fusion, L2-S1, December 19th. I have a problem with my bones fusing and I am presently being treated by a endicrinologist for a possible Metabolic bone disease. My questions are related to recovery. I would like to know what would the normal restrictions be like 1. How long before You should drive and if there is a problem with driving as You obviously twist to look behind You and such, 2. What kind of weight limit, should You be restricted to lifting 5lbs, 20lbs etc, 3. General activity, is there anything You should or should not do other than the obvious of no contact sports, should You just be sitting or laying in the house in between the walking twice a day?. I would like to know what the rest of You were told by Your doctors. Thank You - John

Hi John,

Welcome to the Spine Patient Society!

Wow, you've been through a big procedure. There are many insightful replies above. First and foremost, I would follow the advice of your neurosurgeon. I had the following restrictions following my 2-level lumbar artificial disc replacement surgery: no driving for 6 weeks, lifting restricted to 10 lbs for first 6 months, avoid low-level bending (bending down to tie your shoes) / twisting / and high impact activities for the first 8-12 weeks (I opted for 12 weeks, as I felt I only had "one shot" at giving my body the best possible chance at healing completely from surgery and I didn't feel the risk was worth it, especially considering the hell that I had been through 2 years prior to my surgery).

One last word of advice: listen to your body.

Be well and please let us know if you have any other questions...we are here to help.

[LC39B]

Hi Justin and thank You for Your reply as well. I am listenning to my Neurosurgeon and my body and unfortunately my body is telling me that I hurt and it does not take much to get hurting worse. What started this question was that my brother said that he thinks I am doing too much and should not be driving yet, He said his doctor would have You not drive for 3 months, not lift more than 5 lbs for a year and no bending, lifting or twisting. He said You really should listen to Your doctor. I told him that I am listenning to my doctor and his restrictions were no driving for 2 weeks, no lifting over 25lbs and no bending, twisting or bending.His doctor also told him that he recommended getting rid of his small car and getting a truck. there is obviously a bit of differrence between these recommendations and I was curious what restrictions others had. So far mine seem to be the least restrictive. What I would do with this information? I dont really know. Anyway, I do appreciate everyones input so far and I am truly happy that all of You seem to be doing well. Thank You again - John

[Pbchoclovr]

Hi LC39B,

Like everyone else, I had the typical no lifting, bending, twisting restrictions. I returned to work at 9 weeks post op part time and then full time at 11 weeks. At the same time I was cleared to drive short distances to be able to manage simple tasks like buying groceries. I'm on a 10 pound limit and was told this should be for the rest of my life, unless I want another level to make its presence known. I drive a manual and initially it was difficult sitting in the car. Like Kimberly, I positioned my car in ways so that I didn't have to back up whenever possible. Shifting wasn't an issue since I managed to do that just by flexing my foot as opposed to lifting my leg and pressing on the pedals. I also got my doctor to sign off on the paperwork for a temporary handicapped parking sticker, so I don't have to worry about finding a close parking space most of the time for days when my pain levels are higher. I have about 3 more months on that. For me the worst part of driving is getting in and out of the car. Now, once I'm in and seated, I do ok. I have good lumbar support in my seat and they're heated. I will say, though, that I can't drive for more than about an hour before I need to get out and stretch. Anything longer, ramps up the pain levels. Initially, I was only allowed to walk backwards in the pool at the gym, but have now been cleared to swim, and used the equipment. I've also been told I can take classes like pilates and yoga, but have been warned to make the instructor aware of my spine issues so that I'm not put in a position that puts undue stress on my lower spine. I don't think I'm quite ready for classes, but have begun swimming laps in addition to walking. Using the pool was probably the one area which I thought caused the most improvement in my mobility.

While we all have similarities in our stories, we've each traveled a path that is slightly different. Yours will be the same.

Linda