189 thoughts on “The Do’s And Don’ts Of Exercising After A Spinal Fusion.”

1. 30 yr old male. T2-L1 fusion in July this year. Severe thoracic scoliosis, 70 degree curvature. I had no pain before surgery but I was disfigured and it was getting worse, about 1-2 degree in curvature per year. Surgery was scary to go into to say the least. The pain in the recovery was bad, but it was manageable with pain meds. The worst was some muscle spasms I was getting in one location when transitioning to laying down and getting up. I couldn’t have done it without my wife. She cared for me about a month and a half. Recovery was successful and I’m back in the gym doing lighter weights than what I was doing before the surgery.

   1. Hey Ben, I have had the same surgery as you and I’m experiencing pain at my right shoulder blade when doing wide grip pull-ups, feels as if it’s rubbing against the titanium pieces in my spine. I’m not sure if this is something you do in your workouts but if so what is your experience with pull ups?

2. I’ve never posted to something like this before. I’m 56 years old with severe scoliosis, (curve is greater than 50 in both my thoracic area and lumbar).

   My pain is increasing and I have constant numbness in my lower right back. Even though I have a lot of pain, I’m able to function well and stay active down-hill skiing, biking, running, working out.

   My doctors are recommending a long fusion (T1-S1) over two days. I’m scared I’ll give up too much and would like to wait, but they are concerned waiting would take me out of being a candidate. I’m testing right on the edge of osteoporosis, and they’re concerned even waiting two years could prohibit the surgery.

   So here’s my dilemma, Do I take a chance and do nothing and continue to be active for as long as I can? Or, do I give up some quality of life now to hope for higher quality of life 10 years from now than I otherwise would have? I dislike being a spectator and want to continue to be active.

   I’m having a hard time truly understanding the limitations after surgery. I’m not talking the first year, I want to know what my life will be like after that. Will I be able to downhill ski, run, bike, continue working out, ….? Will the pain improve? I’m extremely determined and will definitely be back to this site and provide it to my personal trainer post surgery.

   I’d appreciate any insight you might have. I guess I just want to have a better understanding as to what I can expect.

   1. Hi Kelly,
      I had scoliosis surgery in Jan 2019 & was fused from t4 to sacrum w/ pelvic fixation, posterior approach. My thoracic curve was 45, lumbar 65 w/ Osteopenia. When I hit early fifties, the curves started to progress rapidly, Until then, I thought dodged the surgery bullet.
      I too, was active, although not a runner or skier. I asked the same questions, you’re asking. I spent a year interviewing surgeons. The outcome was going to determine my quality of life- for the rest of my life. I HAD to feel good about my choice.
      During that time, I trained for surgery, like it was the olympics!
      Kelly, I did not know how much pain I was living with until after the surgery. It came on so gradually…I Didn’t realize how Bad it REALLY was! Even in the early months post-op, when the pain could be intense, it was completely different because it was HEALING pain.
      My husband commented often on how I much I was laughing again. Neither of us realized it had become so infrequent.
      There are things that will change; maybe some activities you will have to hang up or replace with something new. That’s between you and your surgeon. (I do have a friend who still skies after her scoliosis surgery. Fewer levels fused but she is in her early 70’s!) I know others that still rock climb, horseback ride, golf, play tennis, bike, hike, pilates, swim, kayak, ride jet skis, etc. It takes time but you’re an athlete & maybe a little competitive (?) That’s mostly an advantage;-)
      Spoiler alert- Patience is an endurance sport and asking for help is a team sport. Both are required for this endeavor. Personally, I sucked at them. But I’m improving! Unexpected bonus- my relationships & quality of life have improved as well.
      There is no guarantee the surgery will relieve all of your pain. And the list of possible complications with a long fusion is… long. I just had a revision surgery 10 days ago. They had to remove 3 screws, shorten the rods and do a bone graft. I’m benched for a little while, but feel good. Surprisingly good!
      Finding the right surgeon was key. From there, it was doing everything that I could do to be physically, mentally & emotionally prepared.
      At 21 mos post op, my strength, flexibility, endurance & proprioception continue to improve.
      For me, having the surgery at 53, while I was still young enough and fit enough to recover.., was the most difficult, best, decision I ever made.
      Good luck to you, Kelly.

   2. I had a spinal fusion when I was 38, I am going to be 50 this year & I have NOT gotten my physical life back.. my thoracic was only very slightly curved but herniated and bulging disks at L3, L4 & S1, with radiating unbearable pain down my left leg. Couldn’t walk, sit, lay, sleep.. I had always been Physical.. track & field, gymnastics, softball, hiking.. I felt I had no choice.. *I have to do the surgery* I couldn’t bear it.. My surgery, didn’t give me my life back.. Since you are still able to functional & enjoy your activities & passions.. Be sure you have considered & tried every option possible before resulting to any surgery.. It may work for you without any complications.. just wanted to share my experience, because I can relate!! Best of Luck!!

3. Hi there!
   I had a spinal fusion L1-S1 due to Osteomyelitis after a disc herniation. I still have a lot of pain, and I am totally frightened to even try anything movement wise. I have the feeling that even the physiotherapist don’t reallly know what to do with me, or if is safe.
   Tomorrow I’ll get a safety vest and I’ll start horse riding again (we own the horse, someone is holding him and I have a trainer) – but I don’t know what to do for physio… I am so afraid that I will have pain for ever, and that I cannot really walk forever. I am actually on a pension, because I cannot work due to the spine problems. (I want to work again. I so want to work again)
   Please let me know if you have any tips for me!
   Love, Eve

4. Hi William

   I hope you are keeping safe and well.

   I have taken the opportunity to get fit in lockdown and have started heavy resistance training.

   I want to build a 6 pack, I have not followed any routines for this as Im not sure about the flex I should be doing. Can you recommend any exercises? Can I do crunches etc?

   I have been doing the main compound exercises and am not sure I should be squatting with heavy loads. Is it ok to do? If I go down so my quads are parallel to the floor I am ok (although the load is quite uncomfortable). If I go down lower I hear a slight clicking noise. Should I continue with doing the exercise without full motion or change the exercise? Maybe a split squat or get a hex bar? My aim is to strengthen and build considerably.

   I would value your opinion and appreciate any advice you can offer.

   1. Hey Rob! Pumped that you are eagerly trying to strength train that is a big deal! The key now is just making sure you are doing it smart. As far as core exercises I would stay away from flexing the spine with exercises like sit-ups and crunches. As far as Deadlifts and Squats in my opinion they are not necessary and should be worked up to overtime after a surgery. There are PLENTY of great loaded exercises you can build strength with that don’t require loading the spine in these ways. I see amazing results with clients following a very specific way of training. You can check out http://www.fitness4backpain.com/smartstrength for my post-surgery friendly strength training programs.

5. I am very grateful for this forum. I had L4-L5 XLIF surgery on August 2, 2019 and read this forum and watched Youtube related videos and their comments for months before undergoing surgery. I was very frightened by reading some of the comments and stories, but a year earlier my body had gone into a “short circuit” for lack of a better term. Just the thought of moving would produce a strong whole body jolt, I was hospitalized for 4 days while visiting Canada and slowly got moderately better, enough to hop on a flight back to Florida. Over the months my recovery was slow, and I thought I should live my life knowing my new limitations and avoiding a surgery that could potentially result in a worst outcome. During the pre-op, were my intention was to tell my doc that I wanted to cancel the surgery, he said it was not as optional as I thought, that a bad fall or an accident would put me in the same painful place I have been while in Canada, or worse, I could sever my spinal chord. I reluctantly accepted my fate. My surgery went without a hitch. I had nerve pain in my right leg for three months and discomfort in many seating positions. I iced frequently and remained as active as possible, with physical therapy sessions twice a week for the first couple of months. I tried to walk as much as possible, lower you expectations at first, I could barely walk around the block at week 2. I have to say that 90 days was the turnaround for me, no more discomfort, no more pain with prolonged sitting, etc. In short, I just want to say, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Stay positive, have goals, and put in the work to reach them, the body is resilient and muscle memory is there, tap into it. Every morning I wake up and feel nothing, the discomfort that had been with me for 20 years is gone. It helps to be in shape before surgery, specially your core. Thought I’d post a positive message. Again, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

   1. Thank you so much for a positive, yet realistic response. Very helpful!

6. Are there any of you spinal fusion patients who are in their 80s? My husband is still having a hard time with his “new disabilities”. His L1-S1 fusion solved ALL of the pain issues from his severe stenosis. However, we both feel that nerve damage both pre-surgery and post-surgery (Dec. 2018) is permanent, and his walking is very impaired. I would like to talk to anyone in a similar situation post-surgery. Thank you.

   1. Hello my name is Jeffrey. I two have L1-S1 fused. I’m having my third repair surgery on May 28th 2020 I have so many problems live to share.

7. I have had 2 spinal fusion surgeries for scoliosis from I think it is C6 to L4, I honestly can never remember how many, but it has been a few years and I have wanted to start exercising more other than physio work I still do because I get a lot of muscle tension and soreness throughout the day. I also have really tight hips now and find that exercising in general can make me really sore. I was wondering whether exercises such as sit ups and flutter kicks are ever a go or whether I should be avoiding them completely. Thanks for the exercises I will definitely be trying them!
   Aisha.

   1. I would not do any of those core exercises. You can watch the video linked in this article which will give you some good insight into what exercises I would prefer someone to do. If you want a more hands-on step by step approach. My course https://fitness4backpain.com/CoreEssentials would take you step by step with doing the right exercises from the basics to more advanced!

      1. Thank you so much this has always been unclear to me but it is good to know that even when people tell me it’s fine, I should be really doing these alternative exercises. I really appreciate this!

         1. Awesome glad it helps!

8. im a month and half post surgery of a T10 to S1 fusion with rod and 18 screws. they also had to rebuild the L2 and L3 vertebraes completely. Right now getting on the floor is not an option. what cam i do in the meantime to work on my core? due to being in and out of the hospital over the last 4 months my arms and legs muscles are not ss strong as they once were. all of this was caused by a bacterial infection in my spine with abscesses.

9. Hi

   Just like the previous gentleman, I too have numb skin sensation and just minimal discomfort from the surgery on the upper discs. Do u know what causes the skin numbness and if this can get worse?

   1. Probably due to nerve pain due to stretching of your femoral nerve during the fusion. It happens 10-25% of the time. Ask your doctor for a prescription for nerve medicine.

10. Hi!
    I’m looking for tips for minimizing lumbar pain after thoracic spinal fusion surgery (Rods T2 to L1). My instance is a little severe to most so I’ve had difficulties locating articles specifically relating to my issue (my surgeon has retired since, and his partner is not communicative). I had surgery in July of 2018 to correct my scoliosis (18 years old at time of surgery). I had a 67-degree curve in the upper region of my thoracic spine (starting near T3, curve normalizing around T9/T10) I underwent thoracic spinal fusion from T2 to L1, it’s been nearly a year and a half now since my surgery. I’ve been medically cleared for work and exercises since January of 2019. Since my surgery, I now have severe lumbar discomfort that was not present prior. However, the pain in my thoracic region has been alleviated (for the most part) since the surgery. I’ve had muscle spasms since my surgery, but they have gotten progressively better with time (still not fully devoid of them). I notice a very obvious protrusion from my back where the rod is connected at L1. It has been this way since my surgery, and because of it I cannot rest my back against any hard surface and any bump or contact with it causes extreme pain. To top it all off I’m also now experiencing numbness on the surface of my skin on just the right side of my thy. I’ve read various things hinting at maybe a compressed nerve? I primarily use cannabis to help me cope with my pain but even that is now effecting my professional and home life. I’ve come to the conclusion that I need more physical activity in my life. I’m too sedentary and I feel that is a large contributing factor to why my pain is still so bad. With that being said, I haven’t found many exercises/ stretches that work for me. Anyone with a similar experience, I’m open to any tips!

    1. Alex, I am T10- Pelvis,including 100mm screws in my hips – That SUCKS!. I am very similar to you. I have numbness. My skin is dryer on one side… and my surgeon left the area. It has been nearly a year and I have more pain down my leg now, but less pain in my hydraulics so to speak. My scoliosis was about 44 and 28 before and I have rods at 9 levels I believe. I too cannot lay on a flat area. It feels great while I am there, but as soon as I get up -PAIN. I am questioning my decision for surgery every day, but I had 3 discs that collapsed and shifted, so Dr. said I may be in a wheelchair if I didn’t do something. I do a lot of positive thinking. Meditation here and there. And try to find joy in everything because joy basically overrides pain, is my understanding. It gets to the brain faster. Just keep moving! I do balancing on one foot while I am waiting in line, I do a squat to the couch here and there, use heat/cold/TENS unit/magnesium baths. Seriously wondering about a heated pool now. Oh, and I am 51. A crazy ADHD grandmother, and had been doing Yoga 3x a week. My heart sinks and I do cry, more than I would like to admit. I get mad that I did this, I get mad at God sometimes, but we know so many people that have died in the war/s and a few from accidents that left the family fatherless, that I do brush myself off and go OK – you go this. And yes, do NOT be sedentary and do NOT smoke and do drink lots of water. The doctors and everyone were amazed at how quickly I recovered, but I was the one who dressed up their walker in Mardi gras colors and glued beads on it, because it was Fat Tuesday last year, when I had my surgery. Alex – it falls on you to do this, and you got it! Sometimes we just need a kick in the arse to get going! I got’you!

    2. Alex, I’m a pelvis to T2 fusion with surgery in November 2018. I’ve had constant pain since my surgery. Initially, I had x-rays every 3 months, and my surgeon told me the surgery was a success with all hardware in place. I did physical therapy, used a Tens unit, etc., but was still in pain (the pain was different than before surgery. I finally went to a pain clinic where I was diagnosed with Myofascial Pain Syndrome. This may or may not be what you now have, but I encourage you to check into it. The pain clinic has given me trigger point injections with some success. I also found a physical therapist who does dry needling and myofascial scraping. My pain level went from and 8/9 to a 3/4 in just a few months. Keep searching for answers!!

11. Has anyone had a TLIF fusion who is a golfer and/or skier? If so, how long did it take to be able to do those again?

    1. I had the surgery 12/12/2020. 54 years old male. All previous symptoms and pain are gone. Recovery is going very well.

       I was told I should be back to golfing around the 6 month mark. I was told by the surgeon that I would be able to ski after 6 months to a year, but he also said it is a risk/reward thing. He would recommend against. I will likely ski again, but wont be running the Black/moguls.

    2. I am also a golfer. I had olif S1-L4 at the end of January. It was done through the lateral/ front left side with bone cages and plates with screws. No rods. I could barely stand more than 5 min. without pain and one or both feet going numb before surgery. I dealt with it with esi s for 6 years, but spinal stenosis became severe and my L4 was slipped forward on L5 grade 2 before surgery. I could ride my bike and swim and swing a golf club but had to squat on the green or go sit in the cart. I was told I could play golf again at 6 months. I was confident enough in my surgeon that I bought a new 3 wood 2 weeks before my surgery. I’m doing great and can walk my dog for over 30 min. with no nerve symptoms and muscle spasms. I was given permission to swim laps at 6 weeks and ride my bike a few weeks later. I have to wear a brace when walking, in the car, exercising, and riding my bike for 6 months to remind me not to bend, twist, or lift anything, I will say that I did back exercises, went to the gym, swam, and rode my bike to get in good shape before the surgery.

12. I haven’t read all the comments on here, but I am thankful to see so many first-hand records of surgery. I am living in a foreign country where I am planning on having my L4 and L5 vertebrae fused… I have sciatica pain and spondylosis. The surgery is scheduled for early December 2019, and I am getting ready for my pre-op tests… kind of freaking out.

    I am 47 years old and relatively healthy. Walking has become very difficult, so I ride my bike everywhere. I am a teacher, and I used to do a lot of standup teaching, but now I sit down most of the time because of pain. I have had trouble sleeping because of nerve pain. I went through therapy and back injections… after the fourth round of injections, they no longer had any effect, so we started talking surgery.

    I have heard so many horror stories about spinal fusion, and it seems so permanent. I think I could live for years with this level of pain and discomfort, but I am really hoping that this surgery will help me to walk again and live a relatively normal life as I get older. I hate this feeling of debilitation.

    I am very worried about complications because I have terrible luck! I am also worried about reinjury and more surgeries later. I will keep reading more and hopefully will keep my courage up for the next couple of weeks.

    1. I had my L4/5 discectomy and TLIF done on the 13th of November because I had been suffering from debilitating pain shooting down my leg as a result of a large posterior annular bulge, grade 2 spondylolisthesis, anterior osteophytes and disc dessication. I had been suffering symptoms off and on for the past 5 years. In the initial stages, therapy used to work wonders, but symptoms got progressively worse until I broke down in July becoming dependent on nsaids and strong doses of diclofenac to even do the most basic of daily tasks.

       While I had a delay in securing my surgery date as there are only 2 neurosurgeons in my neck of the woods who also service 13 other countries, I could not have been happier at the results over the past 3 weeks so far.

       My procedure was not minimally invasive as yours more than likely will be, and I now have a lovely 6 inch reminder of my hospital visit, but what I have been able to achieve post up so far has left my surgeon flabbergasted at my rate of recovery and that I was off the opioid medication 10 days post op.

       All that being said, no need to freak out. You are undergoing this procedure for your long term health and well-being. Keep that in the back of your mind, it will help you to relax a bit and get over the nerves. Secondly, trust the surgeon and anesthesiologist have your best interests at heart. Thirdly, pray to God or whatever supreme being you believe in that He will not let anything happen to you on that table.

       The first couple of weeks post will be rough, you will more than likely experience some aches and pains leaving you questioning your decision, but once you listen to your surgeon and your therapists you will begin feeling right as rain in no time at all.

       PS. I was out of bed and walking down the corridor of the hospital ward unassisted within 4 hours of coming out of the recovery room. It isn’t debilitating at all, just a small bump in the road towards a long, productive and relatively pain free life. I

       You will get through this.

       1. Strong doses of the nsaid diclofenac and Lyrica* (sorry was typing too quick

    2. I had a 4 operations on my back in 5 weeks. I ended with a L4/L5 fusion with severe nerve pain and left drop foot. I am in severe pain all the time. I take prescription meds prescribe by my doctor. Nothing was very effective. I know use medical Marijuana, I use oil and vap that allows me be at a acceptable level of pain in my back. However, I still had severe neuropathy in my left leg and foot with no relief in sight.

       I was at a dispensary and they told about something they supplied called powder. It cleared almost all of my neuropathy to a acceptable level. It does not make me sleepy or drowsy.

       I recommend that if anyone who has severe neuropathy you should investigate this. They do not supply this as a nerve agent. I am a real person with no monetary gain by telling this. I hope it might help others with their neuropathy.

       You will need a doctors prescription to purchase this. I highly recommend this if you have nerve pain.

       If I can answer any questions please feel free to contact me.

       1. Hello I would really like to learn more about what your gonna aljing about had surgery 7 months ago and still in pain

          1. Hey Jared,

             Reach out to me at [email protected] and we can chat further.

    3. Well it has been a while now since surgery ,,, how are you now…..? I am 2 months post opp and am stiff and achy if I dont take tramadol, Brian

13. I had a lumbar fusion with a BAK L-4-L-6, 23 years ago and I would say it was pretty successful. Lifting over my head or twisting are the only limitations. I am an active 59 year old who does Anytime Fitness classes in Denver which focus on core training, endurance and interval training. Lately, I am having trouble with walking up a hill, dancing or stepping up on anything. My left lower hip joint gets irritated. Are there any recommendations for this issue? Any training books?

    1. Hey Suzanne,

       You would need to look at a few different things. Given the fact that you take classes, this is the first thing I look at with clients. I would worry less about the symptoms and more about the overall style of training and mechanics you have. The thing about classes is that it’s not really individualized. They are not designed for people who have your history, therefore, you are left to know what is best for you and sometimes this can get cloudy if you are not sure yourself. Over time this is where the pain comes in and poor habits are made. There isn’t a “book” that addresses this the way I explain it but my students go through Relief Academy which solves the issues I described and gives them workouts and attention they can do safely and confidently.

       Hope this helps!

       Willliam

14. Has anyone had an olif fusion? The doctor that developed it said it would work to put my L4 back in place over L5 and should take care of the stenosis. The stenosis is caused by the L4 slipping over L5.They go in through your side and don’t cut back muscles and avoid nerves. I a, trying to get in better shape before the surgery. I went to physical therapy for 6 weeks. I swim laps and can bike. I also play golf and won’t be able to play until fused maybe 6-9 months.

    1. I had the OLLIF surgery Aug 7, 2019. Surgery was a breeze. Recovery has been quick. The only issues I have are the therapist forget the BLT rule. No bending, lifting or twisting until released by the doctor. They had me doing an exercise that was twisting my back and when I explained how bad it hurt doing it they realized I wasn’t suppose to be doing it.

       1. Geez!! Sorry to hear that!

          William

15. Hello William ,
    I am a 37 years old male. I had a lower lumbar fusion 1 level last year in march 2018. I suffered cauda equina syndrome. However i have now completely recovered , have no pain just stiffness. I would like to know do all patients of lumbar fusion undergo revision surgeries within 10 years. Because thats what i read on internet. I dont want to undergo any further surgeries atleast no for next 20 years. Can you please guide me a little . I am overweight though. Waiting for reply !!
    Bonny Davis

    1. Hey Bonny! I would not be the one to ask about revision surgeries. That’s not my area of expertise. I do know that your strength training and weight loss program will impact this. Training smart and strategic is super important. Are you following any kind of exercise program?

       1. Thank you for reply Mr Richards. Currently i am not following any exercise program however my doctor did provide me a paper with some exercises mentioned. I think i must immediately resort to weight loss program and follow a exercise program. The reason for my question was that several articles mention different stats for the adjacent segment deterioration. Some say 40% would require revision surgeries within 15 years some quote even lower stats. In this post i read about two patients who had not had any revision surgeries for 20 to even 30 years after fusion.
          Any suggestion from you to exercise or any sort of guidance will be very much appreciated.

          1. Bonny, Great so you have something to start with as far as exercise goes. The exercises your doc gave you will be a good start but you will eventually need to move to a more structured program that has you progressing and challenging the “rehab” style workouts he gave you. That is the key to long term resilience. I have various FREE resources through my site so make sure you jump on my newsletter if you haven’t already. As far as training programs you can always check out the courses I have designed for individuals in your shoes. You can check those out here.

             Looking forward to hearing about your progress!

             William

             1. Thank you for reply Mr Richards . I will surely check out the training programs at your site.
                Thanks again.

             2. Of course! Keep me posted!

16. Hey William,

    My BF just had his spinal fusion T3-L3 al thought now we are both stressing as we keep reading about mobility and additional pressure on the lower disks of the spine. Do you have any tips or any advice? do you know if his mobility will be seriously reduced or if his lower back will be in a lot of pressure?? Please help his surgeon don´t talk to us and is a very emotional time for both of us! Thank you!!

17. I am a 42 year old female who had a L4/5-S1 fusion 9 months ago. I had been dealing with worsening low back pain for many years and a motor vehicle accident in 2012 did not help. I was in law enforcement and was and EMT so the extra weight of the equipment belt and lifting of patients was another hurtful factor. I did pain injections for about 5 years before they stopped working. L5 was slipped forward off S1 approximately 50% which compressed my nerve root severely. I would have total leg numbness, pressure type pain, a weak leg/drop foot. Since surgery that pain has nearly gone away. I still have a lot of nerve pain and my entire leg will jump which is excruciating. My family doctor told me I don’t have any more pain its all in my head. I have an appointment with my surgeon’s NP next week to check on things but when the nurse spoke to me and I said what my doctor told me she agreed and said it is all in my head because it is only nerve pain from the formerly compressed nerve healing. Has anyone else been told this?

    1. Hey Rachel, I know this is super frustrating to hear. This is where the medical industry is not helping people who develop chronic low back pain. Its not “in your head” because the symptoms are very real and tangible. As you work through this site I encourage you to pick up the book “Back In Control” by David Hanscom. It will really change your life and help you understand what your experiencing along with how to overcome it.

       1. I’ve had 6 spinal fusions C3toC7 with hardware T 7/8 with gadaver bone and my rib and L4-S1 with hardware .
          I’m in constant pain 24 hours and have a hard time staying in a sitting up position .
          How dare these doctors say it’s all in our head’s . Any help is greatly appreciated!

          1. Hey Julie,

             I suggest all of my students to really focus on learning to control what they can. How they move, their pain triggers and their strength training strategy. This has to be a priority or you will keep going back for surgery. Lots of free content all over the website and YouTube but if you want a more structured plan check out Relief Academy

       2. I understand Julie! I had L4,L5S1 fused in 2000. The injury damaged my nerves. I can’t feel my feet or outside my legs. I have a stimulator since 2014 along with monthly meds and injections. I’m told I have “failed back syndrome “. If I would have know in advance what the future held for me with daily pain, I would have just suffered the injury instead of the fusion!

    2. I have had a fusion, three revisions due to the first doctors fusion which had my feet going direction and my upper body facing the opposite direction with tons and tons of pain. Not only pain from the surgery, pain from from spine, nerve damage, spinal stenosis up and down my spine, bone sours damaging multiple nerves and muscle and to top I all off I had a fracture in my spine the first doctor never caught and he told me all the pain was in my head and that he had cured me which was a shock to here from me. I had my first surgery when I was 36 years old and turned 44 August 20, 2019 and I’m still fighting this nightmare. I’ve had two spinal stimulators put in, the first was out in too low and I could only feel it in my feet and the second one they tried to shove under my original stimulator and it just made things worse. Oh and I still can’t feel 90% of my right leg and foot. I was fighting this
       to tell you that your not alone in this ongoing hell. I’ve been on disability for the last 8 years and I’m no better than when I started and actually feel worse than I’ve ever felt and now my new pain management doctor and neurosurgeon who had to go in and straighten my spine out are wanting me to try another stimulator. That scares me because of how bad the first two were so messed up and it got so bad I had to have them removed. I miss working out and hate the body that has come along with this mess and want to get back to the guy I was before but don’t have a clue where to start or if I even can. I can’t bend over and have to squat to pick something off the floor if need be.

18. I am a 69 year od male who had L4/5 – S1 fusion one year ago yesterday. It was absolutely the worst year of my life. I can say that i have gotten better but it took me 10 1/2 months and pain management shots to get better. I went for 33 visits to PT with virtually no help. PT would look at me when i came in and say i looked worse than last time, but never once changed program to see if something else would work. After all that time and money i finally spoke with neurosurgeon and he said try SI injections. 1 set of shots and 2 weeks later i was like a new man.You can recover but, be very sure with PT because it is my belief that if you dont see relief within 20 visits cut your losses and move on.Totally stopped all exercises and with the shots i was 80 % better in 3 weeks. Like they say let your body tell you where youre at. Not easy but you can and will get better in time. Good Luck to all !

    1. Hi Dennis, glad your feeling better! I am 63yrs old, I had same procedure as you back in February of 2019 I Immediately felt so much better after , my pain was gone!!! My surgeon said no PT!!! All he wanted me too do was Walk!! So 4 months later Iam still pain free!! Not all PT !!! Is good!! Good luck!! Take it slow!!

    2. I just had an L1S5 spinal fusion eight weeks ago. I’m 76 year old male and before my surgery I couldn’t walk for more than a couple of minutes without severe pain from sciatica. I truly missed being able to walk. I used to be a runner many years ago and had completed many half marathons and most days I would run 5 miles in the morning before heading to work. Since my surgery I’m happy to say I’ve been pain-free and able to walk normally once again. I’ve been recently walking 20 to 30 minutes a day and yesterday I went for a 45 minute 2 mile walk. Hearing so many negative things about this type of back surgery I procrastinated for years about having it done. Physical therapy and Cortizone shots did not work for me and the pain had become so severe that I finally decided to go ahead with the surgery. Maybe I’m one of the lucky ones, but the surgery has made such a difference in my life.

19. I was never a runner, I ran to stay in shape, I was a high school and college wrestler. I had a fusion of L4,L5, S1 in 2001 at the age of 44…worked my way back to run a few half marathons and then ran a full. In 2010 I had a laminectomy on L4 and L5, worked my way back and ran a few more half marathons, both surgeries took me 9 mo to a year to feel 100%. I ran 2 half marathons when I turned 60. At the age of 61 I had another fusion they added L2 and L3 to the fusion… I now have L2,L3, L4, L5, and S1 fused… they took out some of the metal and added more. The first month after surgery was awful…I went back to the ER for pain twice, I wondered why I had it done. I had Pt for about 3 months.. continued to work out on my own. I was still in some pain at 5 months out, but not taking anything for pain. I tried to run at 5 mo, 6 mo, and 7 mo out and could not do it. It was not until about 8 months out that I could run very little. I am now 9 months and went out for a 5k run today… slow but I did it. I am a little sore but it is from being out of shape. I am 5′-7″ at 170 lbs and plan to run a 5k race next month.. I want to run a 10k in the next few months just to say I am back. I will only run 3 days a week and 3 or 4 miles at a time. I told my self that surgery was not going to dictate my future life style and worked at getting back to a normal life. Recover is very very tough… if you think you are going to be OK after a few months you are kidding yourself, it is a lot!! of work. My last surgery was over 6 hours long and in the hospital for 5 days. I am happy with the results, I knew a few years ago I would need another surgery and knew it would be a tough recovery. It is a very very slow process and you need to work toward a personal goal.. whatever it is. I am still working, I am a construction trades shop teacher. I am climbing on the ladder and on the roof to work with my students. So I have had good results… and yes I am trying to back off a little so I do not have to have it done again.

20. I had L5/S1 in ’07 …just finishing a long mountain biking circuit. Was avid outdoorsman, gymrat, wakeboarder…you name it. I was mad i had to have surgery because it interrupted my lifestyle, but 20 years of pain required it. On a mountain bike I felt no pain, that’s why i was on it so often. I finally found a surgeon that knew what to do and gave me no restrictions, he really pushed me hard to get back to my normal. Maybe i’m not a normal result, but 4 months after fusion i was road biking 100 milers and quickly got back on the mountain bike. I havent slowed since and do every thing in the gym, including squats (not crazy though) and bootcamps with lots of crunches, etc. I’m blessed and haven’t had any issues in 12 years with my lumbar area, although there are 4 more herniated down there…no pinching yet. Everyone is different…I might’ve been blessed on the lumbar, but now I have 4 cervical herniations. So here we go again. I hope injections work.

21. I had my 5th and 6th spine operations the summer of 2018 for spondylolisthesis. I have worked with PT’s and personal trainers but it wasn’t until I started working with an Army Special Forces physiatrist that I learned how to really swim correctly. Everyone thinks that swimming is wonderful for people with spine issues. The truth is if you don’t have the correct form, you can make pain worse.
    I’ve had 3 cervical operations and 3 lumbar. I was up to 4 miles 5 days per week before the latest surgeries and have just been released to get back in the pool.
    I use a center mounted snorkel that alleviates any need to break the alignment of my neck and increases aerobic capacity through V02 max training. There are so many ways to do resistance/weight training in the water as well.

    1. I’m C3-6 T 7/8 and L4to S1
       What are your swimming exercises?
       I used to love weightlifting but that’s outa the question . I’m having a hard time after the T7/8 with core stability . It’s getting tougher to stay sitting in a upright position .
       Any recommendation’s would be greatly Appreciated. Thanks Julie

22. So I had my surgery I want to say T1-T12 but I don’t remember if they went down to L1 or L2. My surgery was 10 years ago. I do want to start core training, I started doing pilates but for legs and arms. I’m quite nervous about my back portion but I do want to have a lean stomach and back. I would love to know apart from swimming if I can continue with the pilates core workouts without doing crunches (if that’s even possible) and not affect my surgery.

23. Hello,
    I had my T5&6 fused together back on April 2017 because of a tumor that grew on my spine that was crushing my spinal cord. The surgery was a success and I have full mobility and strength back. My Dr has cleared me to resume my normal lifestyle but I am concerned about going back to the gym as I do not know what I should not due when it comes to working out. My Dr did mention that I should not do any squats with weight on my shoulder s, but he did not say anything else. What exercises do you recommend to stay away from?

    1. Melvin! So happy for your successful surgery! To be honest, anyone who tries to give you a random list of exercises would be disservice and pretty risky (without more detail). In general I would watch how much you load the spine at first. Stay close to your own personal pain threshold and don’t push anything too far until you have some time under your belt. If you want a more detailed approached geared to you let me know. We could look at some coaching for you. Email me at [email protected]

24. this is michael,
    i currently have 90% of my neck fused and looking at again a 3rd neck fusion. i laso have a 30 to 35 % curve on my lower back and i have 3 major problems with my heart. and my question is simple. before my back got this bad and the neck fusion happened i was riding a pedal bike. i stil have one and after my 3rd surgery on my neck and later on back fusion will riding a pedal bike be recomended?

25. Hi William
    I am a 42 year old women who had L5 s1
    Spinal fussion two weeks ago . I am really struggling . Sitting is the worst and I’m only able to walk around the house currently . I’m really down as before the surgery , apart from the pain I did pilates , yoga and some general gym cardio exercises . Please tell things get better and I can soon get back to pilates and some light weights . I’m currently off work until February but really want to go back gutter than I currently feel now . IS there light at the end of this tunnel ? Kat

    1. Kat,

       Welcome to the community! Yes, things do get better! I would suggest starting to consume everything you can here. You will learn so much that it will prepare you for your comeback once you are released to exercise. Happy to help any way that I can!

       Willliam

       1. Hello, I will be having L5-S1surgery in 19 days and im nervous, I had knee surgery and 5 days later had acdf in August, Now the lower back.i did really good with the other surgeries but this one seems much harder. I use to ride my horses and do ranch type work. Now I’m still not allowed to even move a bale of hay. Could someone please tell me that I’ll get my life back eventually??? Thank you .

          1. Hey Kelly,
             Good luck with your procedure! Your recovery and return to a normal active life is in your hands. It’s all about your rehab and consistency with what you’re told to do. Once you have been cleared by a doc to return back to normal exercise, thats when your work continues. This is a critical point that you need to stay focused with and not assume since rehab is over that you are back to normal. Get plugged in here and come back when you are ready to start an exercise program!

             William

          2. Hi Kellie,
             What is your exact surgery date? I am having spinal fusion next week, Jan. 8. Maybe we are having it on the same day! It will be 3 or 4 levels in lower lumbar area. I am also nervous. I am a competitive rower and have every intention of returning to rowing in a year. I’m mentally preparing for 6 weeks of hell, then having things slowly getting better. I will be as good of a patient as possible and will work hard to recover to my fullest ability. I wish you the best!!
             Sally

          3. Hi Kellie,
             I had L5-S1 fusion done 06/18 after 3 failed micro discectomies. My back feels great at 9 months post op, however, I still have daily sciatica pain. My left foot is still partially numb (4th &5th toes) calf, back of my thigh. I still get cramps and muscle spasms. I laid on the couch and did nothing for months, but finally joined a gym. I’m not able to do nearly everything I used to do. But I am moving and lifting light weights. Hope this helps. Everyone’s journery is different.

          4. Kellie,

             There is life after spinal surgeries. I’ve had C-3-C7 fused and my lower back done. I am up to 50 laps in a 25 meter pool. I no longer lift anything awkward. I also have learned my limits with exercise. It takes some time to figure out your limitations. Once you are aware of what you cannot do, your life is enhanced. Happy getting to know your new body!

             1. Well said Dawn!

    2. I myself just 4 days out of l5 s1 surgery where they found that the vertebra was broken and nerve was wrapped around all off it with the broken pieces of bone lying around had to use rods couldn’t use screws .also loaded with tons of arthritis.doc cleaned it all out and feels good about procedure.the burning in the toes on left foot had gone .came home next day feeling good but on the 2nd day started getting total numbness down both front thighs into front and back of calves and starting to get the sharp pain in The 4 toe on left foot again .called doc he put me on more pain med which helped a little.am I being just scared to soon .I’ve been in and out of work for 3 yrs and wondering if I’ll ever be able to do my physical maintenance labor intensive work again I’m only 47 and scared of having to be disabled for the rest of my life

       1. Lew , I had a cervical and lumbar done. Actually 2 minimal and 1 rod, screw and spacer on my L5- S1. My nerve roots were also wrapped and are now in my scar tissue. After my surgery I went through hell in pain. Both legs and feet felt like they were in clamps and don’t dare touch them. Burning and extreme pins and needles as well. It’s been 14 months since my last surgery and I still have no feeling in my left leg and foot. Pins and needles and muscle cramps also come and go. I would never wish this pain on anyone. Good luck on your recovery and take one day at a time.

       2. I just had my L4 through S1 spinal fusion on the 7th of March. I developed a right-sided hematoma and a left-sided seroma. I ended up having to stay three extra days in the hospital with two drains put in each side of my back it caused a lot of pressure and a lot of pain I’ve hardly remember the first 3 days. I was then admitted into Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital just up until day before yesterday. I had a numbness went around my left foot up close by my ankle then the next day the numbness traveled up to my knee cap from my foot. They gave me a steroid injection in my stomach and that helped to remove the numbness from my knee cap to my ankle but I still felt the numbness in my foot. They continued me on a oral steroid as I’m still taking that now by the way and I’m noticing day by day that everything is starting to get better in the numbness in my left foot is almost gone. Have your doctor put you on a steroid regimen

    3. I had the same surgery on December 18th. My surgeon asked me to avoid sitting to no more than 1/2 hour per day, so I don’t drive long distances. I do office work standing. Hang in there. It will get better. Some people heal slower than others but go on to have great results. My surgeon also asked me to walk two miles a day at this stage. I’m not wearing my belt inside the house anymore, just outside. I only get pain if I overdue. Fusions can take a long time to heal. For sure no less than 3-6 months. Some people take a year. Just be very careful. I fell last week and thought that perhaps I destroyed my surgery, but the x-ray showed that I’m ok. My friend had physical therapy and got way better. He lays on his side, bends the bottom leg and raises the upper leg. He does that for ten minutes. About 4 serious of 12-15 lifts. He said that is all he needed to strengthen the buttocks muscles and be pain free, but these exercises are not recommended for the first three months. Ask your doctor before you do any exercise besides walking. Use lots of ice. I hope this helps. I wish you the best!

    4. I had my L4L5S1 fused Sept2016 and like you was very active at the gym … exercise was my hobbie and still is. I’m able to swim laps for an hour, use all equipment at the gym, strength train, and now do gentle yoga. That being said I was faithful to PT for 3 months 9 weeks after my surgery and I worked very hard to get back to be able to regain my muscle mass and get back in the pool 4 months after surgery. I was at the gym as soon as I started PT. I promise it will get better, it’s a marathon not a sprint and your body tells you when you are ready to take on more. Best of luck to you and getting back to your old self in your new bodie’s timing,

       1. I had a L5 S1 fusion 32 years ago when I was in my early twenties. Although it took quite a while for things to settle after surgery I have had a relatively pain free life until October 2018. The pain this time was very different and as a result I had an emergency micro discectomy at L3/L4 10 days ago. I had been regularly practising pilates and yoga and am now concerned that this added complication might affect my exercise ability in the future

          1. hello Claire, it is so great to hear that you did not suffer any complications for a long 32 years. As i read on the internet all fusion surgeries require further surgeries within 10 years so your post really brought a smile on my face . I had a lower lumbar level 1 fusion L5S1 last year in march 2018. I hope i do not get any other surgery at least for next 20 years as i am too young. I am 37 years.

             1. Hey Bonny! Thanks for commenting! Super pumped to hear about your recovery!

    5. Hi there, my name is Susan and I had an ALIF on my L5 S one on December 19. It was a horrible recovery process… Beginning from the point of almost not even coming back from the anesthesia. I ended up in the ER a week later because of extreme taxing/shock pain going up my back 30 to 40 times a day. They used a BMP infused cage/disc… No screws.
       At the eight week mark I finally started feeling extremely good! I’ve been walking 3 to 4 miles a day and feeling great. The other day I accidentally slipped and fell on my kitchen wood floor but went down on my knee… Ever since then I’ve been having tingling in my foot and in my leg. The doctors Said not to worry and that things were probably just inflamed. Needless to say I’m worried after going through all of this hell! I was walking on a treadmill at a bit of an incline at about a 2.5 but at a very slow pace so I don’t think that would’ve done it!. I am extremely active and athletic and this is just killing me… The worrying, and wondering if I’ll ever be semi-back to where I was before

    6. Hi, I had a 350 Anterior/posterior lumbar spinal fusion L5/S1. I had the anterior done one april 1st 2019, the second (posterior) part was supposed to be done four weeks later but when he got in there on the first one and saw how unstable my spine was he couldn’t wait and did the second surgery 4 days later. I am doing fantastic. I was able to get in and out of bed while in hospital (it was def uncomfortable but not unbearable) I had some weird leg pain for about two weeks post surgery that I didn’t have before but it went away, I really thought this would be a nightmare. Keep the faith, use ICE all of the time, keep the inflammation down. I stopped all
       Meds two weeks post surgery. Walk often, and pray. It does get better. My surgeon is in CT, at Middlesex Orthopedics, Dr. Jeffrey Bash, he is phenomenal.

26. hi michael
    i am potsoperation of spinal fusion L5 S1 since 6 weeks and now walking and pain much better but numbness in left leg that doctor said will go by time , i want to ask is swimming , pull ups , parallel bars is ok after three months or its still load on the adjacent levels cause i am scared to again for another surgery in the future and thats make me not sleeping of thinking too much

27. Hi William,

    I had my spine fused from T4-S1 almost three months ago for idiopathic scoliosis and spondylolosthis. I am back at the gym again which is what brought me to find this article. I am feeling really good compared to pain I experienced before surgery but the one thing that I am concerned with is the nerve pain that radiates into my hips. Is this a common part of recovery that you have heard from others going through this?

    Warm regards, Shantel

    1. Hey Shantel,

       Hopefully someone on here can respond with experience. From my training experience I would rather suggest you follow up with your doctor on this one. Where I focus more on is teaching safe exercise and how to modify what your doing to fit your needs. We talk and teach a lot of this HERE

       1. hi william

          i juts had spine fusion L5 si 6 weeks back and i am doing better now with pain but little numbness and tingling in left leg and i am walking too much daily and just small excercices for legs movement whcih adviced by physical theraiest but my question i came here cause i am so scared of adjacent segment disease as i am only 34 years old and was very active person and i want to be like that after surgery but looking to avoid alot of things which retun me back to doctor and i am very happy to read your articles , my question please can i do swimming and go back to gym and when will be that , also is it deserve to be too much scary from adjacent segment

          1. Hey Karim,

             The key here is not to be scared. Fear does nothing for you and only leads to doing nothing at all. I can’t tell you when your body is ready, you need to be cleared by a doctor or therapist first. Once that has been done this is when you need to start slowly introducing these things back in. Swimming is a great way to do this along with a progressive exercise program.

             If you know what you are doing thats great! Just get the ok from your doc and do your thing. If you don’t know where to start or how to build a strength training program that would support this transition I would suggest you look at getting more involved here. https://fitness4backpain.com/private-membership-access/

             Hope this helps!

             William

             1. Hi Shantal,

                I had a similar procedure done in 2012 and I still suffer from pain. Do you see a pain mngt specialist? I do well with SI injections, TPIs every 2 weeks and I see an osteopath every week. I swear it’s a full time job! I’ve been in PT forever but they are limited to a script. The osteo can work on your whole body in a session which is EXACTLY what we need. She manually releases each muscle between the fusion (excruciating but worth every tear!). Feel free to email me: [email protected]. I’m happy to help with my trials and errors through the years.

                Hope to hear from you. Tina

    2. Hey the nerve pain is fairly normal I had a t12 – L3 fusion after a spinal burst back in June of 2018. The way that my doctor explained it to me was that the body has to adjust to the “new gear” and the brain gets confused sometimes. So more than likely as time passes the nerve pain should subside.

28. Hi, i had L3-L5 fused in june. 4 months later i am still in pain from the surgery. My muscles are a wreck. What do i do to strengthen them up. I walk and i am in aqua therapy right now.
    Thank you

    1. Hey Tom, More time is the only thing you need. Reintroducing exercise and healthy movement slowly is the best thing you could do right now.

29. Hi, I’m 3 months post-op from “L3-S1 fixation and fusion, with right L5-S1 discectomy and facetectomy, and left L3-L4 discectomy and facetectomy”. Finished with 8 screws and 2 rods. My questions is how much is too much when jogging on treadmill at the gym. I’m using a couch-5K app, so the progression is slow. Am I good as long as there isn’t any pain? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
    Thanks
    Larry

    1. Hey Larry,

       Best thing would be to listen to your body closely. Nothing wrong with running (assuming your technique is solid). With every session see how your body responds and progress from there.

       William

    2. I am also fused L-3 to s-1. I have had the L3- L4 fused twice. The first time was three years ago and I pushed myself too hard too fast. The cage that held the bone that would grow and fuse the discs actually tipped causing pressure on the nerve. In all my brilliance I decided that it must be scar tissue or something else in would go away. 2 years later I was still in terrible pain I could not sit or stand without pain in my leg. I finally went back to the doctor and through a CT myelogram he could see that the cage had tipped and the bone had grown awry. So a year ago I had to have the cage and Bone completely dugout and refused. I waited a year to do anything more then walk. Add a year I started walking the treadmill at 3 miles an hour not too fast but to get my heart rate up and strengthen my legs I slowly week by week increased the incline. I also have an elliptical at home I use it but I do not put it on too high of a resistance as then I start to pull very hard with my arms which twist my back. I’m getting good cardio workouts by using the hill on the treadmill and some resistance on the elliptical. I would not run especially with so many other ways to get your heart rate up that do not have you pounding your spine each time you take a step. You can check with your doctor but I’m sure he will say the same the constant jarring motion on your spine, especially with three fused discs, will cause the disc above or the disk below the fusion area to take on all the extra impact. In most cases a triple fusion will mean that you will probably have another disk go bad down the road simply because there is so much extra stress put on the still functioning discs even with daily activity but something with the impact of running will only make that time come so much faster. I’m not a doctor but these are my experiences and I’m glad to share them if somebody else can avoid a faster breakdown of their back like I did. Good luck to you. I am doing well now I am not sitting around doing nothing but I am doing everything much more carefully. Even exercise.

30. I haven’t found information on my procedure I’ve been searching for a while now. 4 months ago I broke my back due to a cycling accident. I suffered from a chance fracture and my back was unstable so I had T9 to L2 fused to prevent deformation of my spine which was already beginning to take place but nothing major it’s back to normal now. Anyway one of the doctors showed me an xray of my back during my followup and said my back wasn’t fused but they did use rods and screws and bone graft to stabilize my spine but didn’t remove the discs. I am an amateur boxer and I guess this is why they didn’t insert any cages in between. But I was still left confused, before surgery all I kept hearing was spinal fusion. So I get that a fusion is when two or more vertebrae get fused together to form one bone, but since I didn’t have any cages inserted, does that mean my spine isn’t fused? The night before my surgery the doctor said, just think of this as an internal brace, after 6 months we will remove it. Also does this mean it’s okay for me to do situps and other exercises I used to do? I already started working out and I feel I am getting stronger and stronger I don’t feel it’s getting worse and I didn’t notice any limits on my flexibility either.

31. Great!
    I finally found an answer’s source for my questions.
    I had a lumbar fusion (from L3 to S1), I used to train in the gym with precaution trying to prevent any damage to my back, because I had lumbar’s hernias (from L3 to S1) since 2006.
    I have 14 mont from my surgery, I haven’t train or exercise since; the pain last a little bit longer than ee expect after the surgery. Now I’m pain free thank God, and there’s my Q’s: which exercise I can do to strength my whole body before weight lifting (if I can do it again)?
    Can I do push-ups and crunh at home?
    I hope you can guide me, God bless you.

    1. Hey Michael,

       There is a lot you can do actually. From body weight to banded exercises and working your way up there. Yes, you can do push ups at home. I would not do crunches though. I would go with more neutral spine work as you build of stability in your trunk and around your spine. As far as full body exercises it would require me to dive a little deeper into your situation before I started spouting off exercises.

    2. Hi Michael,
       I am just finding this website and have been reading through the comments and questions. I don’t see where I can post a fresh question so I thought I would reply to yours. This January (2019) I will be 18 years post-op from an L-5, L-4 and L-e Anterior/Posterior fusion with 6 screws and bone that was harvested from my hips for the bone part of the fusion. I had the surgery when I was 27 and turned 45 in July. I had the exact same questions as you did when I had my surgery as I was an athlete prior and it was a laborious job that ultimately damaged my back and surgery became my last option after all the other normal things (i.e. Strengthening, Physical Therapy, Pain Meds, etc.). It was a 10-hour surgery and I was in pain/discomfort for at least the first year. I then (without getting into the dirty details) ended up having to go into substance abuse treatment (Been clean for 15 years or so). Once I cleaned myself up and was ready to get back in the game, I had no one to answer these types of questions. I went back to the gym and started slowly. Repetitions vs. heavy weight and walked a ton. After about 6 months of that, I started to lift weights again but never anything over my head that would cause any spinal compression. I built up muscle again and about 10 years ago, took up cycling. You would think that position would cause issues but as long as the legs are moving, it stretches things out nicely and I can go 30 miles no problem (and I live in a valley so hills are everywhere!). I don’t swim as much as I should as I know that would keep me limber. I just had a check up with my surgeon who is still practicing and he was quite literally blown away. I had not seen him in 17 years and I wanted to have an X-Ray and see where I was at. I do have some slight degeneration at L-2 but that was to be expected. I think I was supposed to have needed additional surgery around the 11 year mark but I appear to be doing just fine and I attribute that to exercising and building a shroud of muscle around my spine. If I could do one thing differently, it would be to have started abdominal work much sooner than I did. Maintaining a strong core is key to this whole thing. Keep your legs strong as well. I tested myself every 6 months or so until I found what I was capable of doing. At 45, my exercise has evolved back into higher repetition and I can’t do some of things I used to do at the gym although I make do. I would say that I am very lucky although I do still wonder what the next 20 years may bring and that healthy fear keeps me going to the gym and exercising every day in some capacity. The thing that bothers me the most is where they took the bone graft from my hips. I sincerely hope you are doing well.

       1. Scott. I realize your comments were for Michael but I really appreciate reading them. I am a 53 year old male that just had a “simple” L3-L2 fusion 5 weeks ago. Prior to surgery I was very active running, biking, weightlifting, etc. I struggled with pain for 2.5 years before making the choice for surgery. I had to do something to ‘try’ to be active again. 5 weeks after surgery I am feeling great and now struggle not to do to much too soon. My Dr said 3 months for the fusion to effectively take hold so I have decided to only ride my stationary recumbent bike and follow PT orders. But post 3 months I will remember your advice of starting slowly and lighter weights and more repetitions. Having to go through this type of surgery for us ‘active folks’ is humbling because we felt most of our lives we were the healthy ones. And then our bodies don’t behave as we’d like…… it’s a bummer but nice to know we can recover. Congrats on 18 years post op.

       2. Thank you ! I’m so
          Nervous for my upcoming surgery L5-S1! I had a lame/disc 2 years ago and woke up crying with left hip pain which was never experienced before !!! I can’t with this pain anymore 3 years with chronic pain ! I sweep I’m out in bed for 2 days ! I can move but hate it cause if the pain ! I hope this surgery works

32. Hey William!

    What are your thoughts on the hallow body holds for your core vs. the dead bug for someone cleared for exercise after an L5-S1 spinal fusion surgery?

    1. Hey Eric!

       This is a really good question and comparison. I’ll try and keep this brief. haha I think both tools could work with certain types of people. I know for me flattening my back and bringing my legs anywhere past the mid-line of the body would give me sciatic symptoms. I needed to learn to brace and hold myself in a more neutral position and challenge that then trying to smash my lower back into the floor. I really like aspects of both because both can be modified for the individual. From a personal standpoint I would favor the dead bug. Simply because I have used it so much and have modified it for just about everyone. It’s a versatile tool.

33. I am a 47 year old male and 3 days shy of 1 year post op. I had L4/L5 and L5/S1 fused. I am back in the gym lifting weights since April 19th (4 months). Doing squats, dead lifts, leg press, bench press and several other exercises. I think the key to lifting weights after spinal fusion is to increase weight slowly and let your back get accustomed to the individual exercise and weight while maintaining proper form and to pay close attention to your back as you perform those exercises. My back has not felt this good since I injured it at 16 years old. After surgery I had good days and bad days for quite awhile. The most improvement being after I started working out and stretching my back regularly. I would not recommend back surgery if you are not committed to working out and building your core strength afterwards. It was also very difficult when I first started working out which is why I think most people would quit. Surgery is not a magical fix and will not work if you don’t strengthen and build your core. But if you are careful and work through the pain (reasonable pain) and commit to building your core and stretching, you should be able to live almost pain free.

    1. Love it Vincent! Glad to hear you are doing so good! Keep up the work and be sure to share your story! More people need to hear the successes of exercise after a fusion.

       William

34. Hi guys,
    im 18, 60kg, 178cm im in good shape and have suffered from severe sciatica in left leg and back pain since January 2017 due to degenerative disc disease in L5 / S1. After months of physio and multiple cortisone injections in May I saw a renowned surgeon who after testing my leg raise (couldnt get over 25° when lying down) and seeing the pain i was in he advised me to get a L5 / S1 microdiscetomy which i got the very next day. He removed bits of disc fragments along the nerve root and the surgery was a success in the surgens eyes however my pain was not releived at all. 6 weeks later i recieved another L5 / S1 discectomy where he shaved abit of the disc away so the nerve could flow through unaffected and surgery was seen as success but yet again no improvement in my pain.

    In March this year About 7 months after weekly physio, daily walking and light weights i had to get l5S1 Fusion which was a hard recovery interms of physio and getting off all the opiates which i was on for 18months i am now just under 6 months post surgery and 10days off opiates. I am still in constant back pain ranging from 3 to 7 and my sciatica comes and goes however its better but can still sometimes be excruciating (once a week). My pain is towards the least painful side of things compared to some of the past 18months which is good.

    I walk 50minutes a day and stay away from most weights. What exercises should i start off doing? Simple exercises to rebuild my core and lumbar back muscles? i do light belly breathing exercises where i hold my core muscles and raising a leg alternating each time.

    I’ve played rugby and been heavily involved in physical activities my whole life and wish to continue many sports down the track. I also wish to join the army in a few years time, in doing so i would be carrying weight and a pack of sround 15/20kg. Is this safe to do in a few years along with the other obvious physical tasks of the army.

    Sorry for being so long, thanks so much in advance!

    To all my fellow pain sufferers, it may seem like its never ending but there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, there’s always good and bad days but its about finding the good in the bad days. A positive mind is the strongest force in the universe and can outpower anything !
    Peace.

35. I have trained in the gym with weights, I don’t do anything heavy anymore – Spent 25 + years
    in Martial arts and have been a Licensed Massage therapist for 33 years. I ruptured L 3/4 disc 1978.’Refused surgery, recovered enough to push through pain 24/7 Competed in a few tournaments etc. I had L3/4 fused in 2003 SO IF cage, That joint never bothered me again after a healing soft tissue. Now (15 years later) I’M scheduled for another fusion L4/5 due to spondylosthesis and stenosis…….been terrible pain for at least a year with various sciatica on both sides, changes from time to time. It scares the he’ll outta me to have another fusion, including rods & screws this time, but I don’t think my quality of life will be any worse than now!! I can’t walk more than a few blocks, can’t stand long, sitting hurts, can’t sleep more than 2- 3 hours at a time. So I’m looking forward to being able to do more in the future, have a 10 year old son, and I’m 63!!

36. My name is Colin Kitzman , I am 7 weeks post op and cage ,6 screws 2 rods and fused . I am walking almost every day (6/7 days ) and walking up 5 steps 5 times almost every time . Lost 70 + pounds . So no one has talked about tony littles gazlle its low impact high cardo .

37. Greetings,
    I had a 2-level spinal fusion (C4/5–6/7) a year ago and it has been a long road but I think I am finally on the road to recovery. 7 days after surgery both thighs began burning/numbness and I was told it was parathesia. A year later I can still feel some numbness. I wear leggings now because I can’t tolerate any pressure on my thighs. 5 months later I began having foot pain in my right foot. I had XS-rays, tried a boot, and could barely walk for 6 months. I got a cortisone shot in my lower spine but the relief only lasted a few days. Eventually I went to a foot doctor who prescribed orthotics and PT and learned nerve gliding exercises which helped. I was told it was tarsel tunnel syndrone from the nerve in the right thigh/leg which had caused most of my problems. I also did massage, accupuncture, swimming and ibuprofin therapy as I did not want to be dependent on pain pills and I need to be able to drive and work full time. I still do the exercises and water aerobics but I want to know what exercises to avoid. Yesterday I was trying to work out from a DVD and lifted 2 – 5 lb. weights over my head and this morning my right thigh was throbbing and painful once again. Now I am afraid to add this to my workout but I am hoping I can golf this year. I would appreciate any feedback you can give me. Thank you!

38. Omg! I’m so happy that I found this post. My name is Yoli, and I had a spinal fusion on the L-4/L-5 level, and a bilateral Laminectomy, in February, 2017. The surgery was recommended, as a result of severe spondyloslethesis and other serious issues. I was in horrible shape prior to the surgery. Unable to stand up straight, and I could not walk, without having to stop and bend over, to relieve the pressure on my nerves. Fast forward to present day. I can walk without stopping to bend over however; my back pain is still present, and this causes me to stop for rest, frequently . On the pain scare of 10 being the worst, I’m a 5, sometimes as high as an 8. The pain is primarily, as best as I can tell, below the level of the fusion. I work everyday but exercise is extremely painful. I use an ARC Trainer and recumbent bike. I also walk however; the pain in my back gets so intense, I have to stop. I’d like to ask you, what would you recommend that I do? Should I just keep hoping that one day, maybe I will get better, or should I see a spine doctor again? Thank you for your reply.

39. I had Lower Lumbar Fusion last May.
    Verebrae slipped way out. 2 level fusion. I could barely walk so that is slightly better.
    Sleeping on my back is horrible. Wake up all through the night.
    Still in pain after almost a year and getting patronized.
    Few questions if you have the answers that would be great.
    Does a vibration plate help or hurt the situation?
    I ride a road bike and swim, ( breast stroke mainly so a bit of arching when you do a great stroke)
    In you opinion are either of those good or bad?

    1. Hey Eddy, it really depends on the person. If I was trying to get more control over my pain I would cut everything out and slowly add one thing back at a at time and see which one causes an increase in pain. From there I would start to play around with what part of that activity is causing the pain.

       I am not sure what vibration plate you are talking about. How would you use it?
       Hope this helps!

40. I’m 28 yrs old and just had an l5 s1 fusion. I’m only 2 weeks post op but can already tell the type of back pain I had pre op is gone and now it’s just incisional and muscular pain from the surgery. I have spina bifida occulta bringing on bilateral pars fractures, grade 2 spondylosis, a severely degenerated disc and an annular tear. I got rear ended in a car accident also and that is what really did it for me – limping, weakness in the legs, knees buckling etc. I had a very poor quality of life before surgery from all of the pain and weakness after the accident and that’s what helped my decision to have surgery. I’m also an X-ray tech and I have great understanding of my condition and knew when it was time. I do think in time I can be my normal self again but even just 2 weeks post op it gets discouraging. I’m still walking with a walker and hoping every time my left foot accidentally kicks the walker it’s just because I have to get my legs stronger again. I’m currently going for walks down the street and I do “laps” walking around the house, all with the walker. The physical therapist who came to my home after surgery to evaluate me told me I can do squats at home, more like baby squats obviously we can’t go too low now but it makes me happy to do something to strengthen my legs with all of this resting. Time will tell how successful my surgery will be but I think it’s going to be great. This takes so much patience, positivity and a strong support system. I’m glad I had the surgery but wish I can fast forward time. I pray for everyone with any spine issue, this is not easy. It’s a long process, it’s difficult physically on our lives and it’s mentally draining and it’s just a lot. Be positive and talk to God.

    1. I had lumbar fusion surgery on my S1,L5 and L4, 6 screws and 2 fusion, i have been in chronic pain ever since, cant sit long periods of time, my surgery was almost 3 years ago , i am 55 year old male, can not sleep till i get just right in my bed and my pain wakes me up . this is what i ended up with.

       1. 53 here and just had to have my initial L5 S1 fusion removed. Now I have an L4/5 S1 fusion, then they went through the abdomen and put in more hardware. The first fusion was a long recovery and painful, and it only provided temporary relief. That was 2013. In February of 18 is when I had my most recent fusion. It’s been night and day between the two. At one month I was off pain killers, and now at 3 months I really want to go back to work. Before both surgeries I was told it could go either way, good or bad or no change at all. I feel extremely lucky, Had x-rays MR I etc. it was only when they did a CT scan did they discover the lower two screws of my original fusion never fused. We are all unfortunate to have these issues. I wish you all the best of luck, don’t give up, try everything and go to the right doctor.

          1. Dear Gary
             May I ask who your doctor is?

             1. 50 her and had ALIF Surgery in 2011 on L5-S1 and it gave me my life back. I was taking pain meds for get through my day of work and after the surgery I take nothing. I was not permitted to bend for the first 6 weeks and it took me 6 months to get back to work, (I clean houses, so physical). I still get low back pain if I stand to long or have poor choice of shoes on (flip flops or old tennis shoes). I also started working out after my surgery about a year and a half and did my first half marathon. I never ran before, it was great with no pain. I then started working out with weights, not a great idea i found out and since have stopped. Rachel stay patient with the process and heal. you will be happy you did.

41. Thanks for the great post! My back pain has persisted and I got an MRI so I am considering non-surgical options and endoscopic spine surgery in Chicago. What is the difference between minimally invasive and laser treatment for herniated disc?

42. I have had 3 lower back surgeries – 2 failed microdiscectomies and a successful double lumber fusion L5-S1. My recovery has been slow but successful. The fusion was in January 2016. I am confused as to what activities I should avoid. For example, I took my daughter to a roller skating party but did not skate because feared a fall would injure me or the fusion. Does the fusion place me a greater risk for being injured in falls? Do I have to be careful of engaging in activities where I may get bumped around – such as jet skiing, horse back riding, etc.? I want to do these things with my kids but also do not want to end of bedridden and in a wheel chair again. (My recovery has been a 4 year process)

43. I had Spinal fusion with cadaver, pedical screws and pin at T10 & T11. I want to know how others returned to weight training and OCR training. This is my passion and I want to continue after healing. It’s 2 months since my surgery. I’m not frustrated yet but I’m getting anxious. Please give input which will be taken also with recommendations from my doctor and PT. Thank you. Anything would be appreciated.

    1. Our cases may be different based on the level of fusion, but I will share my own experience in hopes it may give some insight. I had my whole t-spine fused with rods and screws for a scoliosis S-curve. I was instructed to refrain from any activity for 9 months, just brisk walking. I was told not to even reach across the dinner table for salt or even reach for the toilet handle, instead you should angle yourself beside the toilet because reaching forward pulls one side of your back. After about 6 months, I was allowed to do gentle swimming. I had many complications post-surgery while in the hospital (won’t get into it) but it left me bed ridden for much longer. I mentored a girl who had the same type of surgery, when I saw her 3 days post-op she was in much better shape than I was, already getting herself rolled over, walking etc. However…. she ended up needing many revisions later on. One theory is that because I was bed ridden for so much longer and strict with keeping my body straight, it allowed the fusion to set properly. So all in all….2 months post op I’d say weights are a very bad idea, but listen to what your doctor has instructed. Swimming is great to help the muscles adjust without too much weight bearing. My advice is to give it as much proper healing as possible, it’s not worth the trouble of a possible failed fusion for a few months of activity. And believe me, I understand your frustration, I was a dancer, played lacrosse and soccer then nothing for 9 months, but 13 years later and I have had no problems. Now back at full weights and sports (not lacrosse though, too much contact). Hope this helps. All the best.

44. Hi my name is Aryan.
    I got spinal fusion about 1 and half years ago (L5-S1) . I did not do any exercise or workout . I did loose 20 kg weight . and I am healthy right now .
    I want to work out and have good looking body . my body is weaker than 3 years ago .
    what should I do ?
    because my doctor said that :
    1-running fast
    2-jumping
    3-lifting more than 3 kg
    4-climbing
    are harmful to my body .

    i am 28 years old – 184cm height – and 80kg weight
    help me out .

    1. Hey, I had 2 level AdR at L4/5 to L5S1 in June this year. Things were awesome but at Pilates my instructor push more exercises on me, so much SI work and table top position and soon my psoas both sore. Then I get clicking above and below adr and that goes away, then I get pain across my hips that is shooting out. Am I doing to much or is this part of healing ? I’m doing 3 x a week
       Thanks for any advice

45. First off, you keep saying fusing DISC. They don’t fuse the discs. They fuse the VERTEBRAE. Discs are generally removed and bone, fake bone, or cages are put in place, so the the area becomes solidly fused as a unit. I just had my discs between L4-L5, L5-S1 removed and hardware put in and the vertebrae are fusing together.

    1. Kevin,
       Of course, you are 100% right. It’s more of a personal way of organizing whats going on to the body for me. You are right though, the disc itself is not being fused rather the vertebrae above and below it. I process it as the fusion is not allowing the disc to do its job therefore it’s fused or controlled by hardware. That’s backwards and I can see how that may confuse someone. Thanks for the heads up.

    2. Hi Kevin,

       How is your recovery going on and what is your suggestion for a person who is on the verge of getting the same surgery as yours.

       Thank you,
       Reddy

    3. Kevin, I had the same; L5-S1: and then L4-L5, 9 months later…both with hardware. Do you care to expand on how you are healing? How long it took? Do you have any residual nerve pain (I developed neuropathy in my left leg/calf, forefoot and toes). It’s pretty severe and debilitating. Also, are you on an exercise program? Thanks and best wishes. Cindi.

    4. Hi Kevin,I have had my L5-S1,L4-L5 fused for the front ( calll AFL fusion) plus L4-L3 full disc replacement to stop further deterioration in my spine.The disc L M-6 mimics the full motion of the normal disc.
       My op was done on 21 of July this year ,so far I’m doing fine, but my left leg was pretty bad before op,so I still have some pain in my left leg that comes and goes.Spasms I think is normal when I’m starting to be more active. I’m seeing my surgeon on 30 this month, finger crossed,,,,,,,

    5. how are u feeling?

46. Pingback: YouTube Live: Exercise with Spinal Fusion and When is exercise bad for back pain | Fitness 4 Back Pain

47. Hello

    I love your website and all the information on there, plus the downloads are really interesting. I am a 59 year old lady from the UK with degenerative discs in my spine, particularly lumbar, which causes agonising pain throughout my back, buttocks and legs (particularly right one). I have been on various painkillers (which I try to avoid), physio, injections, caudals, etc etc, all to no avail. I have also had breast cancer which obviously resulted in having aggressive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and medication for five years, I now have osteopenia and a lot of my health problems are linked to breast cancer treatment. Anyway, my surgeon has recommended spinal fusion, L4,L5,S1 and I am very worried, hence this email. I have tried to read up on it but the internet stories are frightening, mostly negative. I just wondered if you have had any contact with anyone who has been through the exact operation and can help in any way? I do have a 50% slip of L5 over S1 with narrowing of the spinal canal at that point and I have lost almost 3 inches in height. My hobbies all include movement – I love walking, dancing and gardening etc and I am terrified that I will become rigid after the op and no longer able to participate in my interests. I have to go back to see my surgeon in a few weeks and so I am trying to find out all I can in the meantime.

    Thanks for anything you can offer.

    Kind Regards

    Jean.

    1. Hey, jean I responded to this question on the article “Test and Correct The Way You brace Your Core to Prevent Lower Back Pain”.

       Thanks

       William

    2. I can understand your fear as I was in the same position two months ago. I had the lower lumbar fusion and fixation (plates, screws, rods and bone grafts). Surgery took about ut 4 hours and the pain was managed in the hospital and at home. All the pain I had prior to surgery was completely gone, immediately upon wakening after surgery. Basically, it requires a lot of patience to heal as you can’t bend, twist, or lift. Incidentally, I am 66 years old and in excellent health otherwise. Now, I just need to heal, low impact exercise, walking… and on the upswing. So happy I did it. Best of luck. It’s scarier before the surgery than after. ?

    3. Hi, I am 3 1/2 months out from L4-S1 spinal fusion surgery. I am a 54 year old female, former Powerlifter. I suffered with arthritic pain caused by extreme weight training for at least 15 years. Surgery was my last hope. I am doing very well, able to walk the dogs, grocery shop, cook, do the dishes without ANY pain! So thankful to God for a second chance. Also thankful to my wonderful surgeons & husband. Surgery should be last resort, but can be successful. Take heart. Nan

       1. This is awesome Nan! so glad to hear of your successful recovery!

48. Is an elliptical or bowflex better after you’ve had L4 -S1 Fusion surgery with hardware; it’s not a fresh surgery and I’ve had some pain flare ups in the last year. I walk at least 5-6 days per week but would like to start doing something different. I did yoga for years and for quite awhile after surgery but it makes me hurt too much that’s why I want to try the elliptical or bowflex. Thanks

49. I have been educated alot from this site. From Ghana.

    1. Awesome! Thanks for checking it out!

50. Is it safe to do a squat using a ball against the wall to support your back after a spinal fusion? Are preforming dead bugs shown in your video safe after spinal fusion? What cardio equipment do you recommend to start with?

    1. Hey Trish,

       It is safe as long as your not in pain. I prefer starting with doing sit backs on all 4’s and working through fundamental core exercises to strengthen the muscles that make up your trunk. After a fusion, I always suggest starting from the bottom (basic fundamental movements like pelvic floor contraction, breathing and introducing leg movements while doing these things)

       You can experiment with the ball squats just start in small increments and listen to your body. Make sure your trunk is stable and your spine is neutral.

       William

51. Hi- I am one year post op for a burst fracture of a lumbar vertebra. I had a cage, two rods and several pieces of hardware placed in lumbar vertebrae.
    After the first surgery, the cage had moved and a second surgery was required 2 weeks after the first one.
    The cage was re- situated and more hardware required to stabilize the spine.
    Before the surgeries, severe pain in left leg and surgery was indicated.
    After the second surgery, PT was ordered for12 weeks. It was determined that nerve damage was limited to left thigh area. Pt exercises continued at home, now walking with a cane, previously a walker. It is now 13 months later, walking with a cane, and again in PT as I am not standing straight. The exercises are helping but still in pain with soreness in lower back.
    I lost two inches in height and my upper body is compressed, no torso just a larger stomach starting right below my breasts. Is this common? I have lost 10 lbs. since my surgery and have kept it off. I’m doing more stretching now, in the hopes of maintaining a straighter, more neutral spine. Any suggestions as to body changes with post op spinal fusions?

    1. Hey Mary Ann,

       I am not sure what you mean by body changes. If you could be a little more specific I am happy to help any way I can.

       William

    2. Hi, I cannot believe what I just read–you just described exactly what I have been going through since my surgery in Nov. 2015. I have 2 rods, 16 screws and 4 cages in my back. I did 5 mos. of water therapy and have been going to the Y 3 times/wk. I, too, have the larger stomach starting right below my breasts and always seem so tight–sometimes hard to even breath. One year after the surgery I had to have one screw and part of the rod removed as bone had deteriorated around it. I often wonder if it was worth it but then I think back on how much pain I was in before surgery and I just wanted it fixed. I don’t think I asked the right questions and probably should have had someone with me when surgery was discussed. I honestly do not remember being told about the loss of mobility. Anyway, 4-5 mos. ago I had a neurostimulator implanted in the hopes of getting off of pain meds. So far, it’s not working. Anyway, I have an appt. with another orthopedic surgeon in Pittsburgh, PA early October to discuss having all of the hardware removed. The doctor that did my surgery said I would be able to have it all removed. I don’t know what else, if anything, can be done other than some reconstructive surgery at the top of my spine. (I also have scoliosis–it is down to a 10 degree curve from 27 degrees).

       I am so grateful that I came across your post. Please feel free to stay in touch.
       Best,
       Linda

       1. Hey, Linda!

          I am so happy you find this content! Any way I can help let me know! I have been off the grid as of late due to relocating to Florida only to turn around and evacuate from Irma (the storm) ! I am getting back to normal so email should be a safe place to reach out!

          William

52. 14 levels including the SI joint on both sides with 80mm long screws, quite a sight on an x-ray. Im 3 months out and had no therapy as of yet. I think I will buy an exercise bike with arm attachments and stick it in front of the TV, yeah, I think I like that idea.

    1. Throw in some walking now and then. Sitting won’t do much for ya unfortunately. Maybe a treadmill and bike in front of the TV?

53. I saw your article online about lifting after a cervical fusion. Since March 2016…I have had a big knot between my left scapula and spine. It has caused a lot of pain. MRI revealed a bulging disc c5 c6.

    I had treatments from a chiropractor, masseuse, spinal epidurals, trigger point injections, acupuncture…nothing helped. So in December I had a cervical discectomy and fusion. It’s been 3 months and I still have the same knot and pain. The surgeon said the knot would subside after surgery…but no luck. I have recently tried dry needling. The knot will not go away and still have same pain one year later. Is there anything else I should try? Thank you.

    David

    1. Hey, I think we are chatting through email so I’ll stick with that so there is no confusion.

       1. I’m just jumping in here as I literally just had my fusion on L5 S1 as well as two additional decompressions six days ago. I am not a gym junkie but constantly active gardening, attending to my animals, hiking, playing tennis, or basketball, etc with my grandsons. I was told no lifting over ten pounds, take it easy, and walk. Walking feels good no problem there. But, is it ok to squat or bend over to tie up my plants, weed, pick tomatoes…. Can i bend or squat to remove animal waste daily from my yard or load and unload my dishwasher. My neuro surgeon expected me to be unable to move this much without pain but I’m finding I can do these things without too much difficulty. I do not want to deter my healing though. I would appreciate your input very much.

          1. Hey Andrea,

             As long as you have been cleared to resume “normal activity” then yes it’s okay.

             BUT

             You have to be very mindful of HOW you’re doing these things as you continue to recover and rehab. It’s not about whether squatting is good or bad for you, it’s a matter of how you’re doing it that is bad.

             Feel free to read through the “Start Here” section for a lot of great free content on this topic. If you want a little more detail and instruction I cover this heavily in Breaking The Pain Cycle

             William

54. Hi, I’m almost 6 weeks post op from a L5/S1 fusion having had a partial discectomy just over a year before. I’m 51 and wanting to improve my core strength to help protect my back but don’t know what is safe to do. I’m English but live in Spain and I’d like to know what I can do at home as we don’t have a gym nearby and it’s not really my thing anyway. My surgeon wants me to walk in chest deep water, starting in another 3 weeks and I’m aiming to walk for an hour a day at the moment. I’m generally not in too much pain but can’t quite do without pain relief. I’m taking Enantyum 8hrly and Gapabetin morning and night for a small amount of nerve pain. I’m able to do my normal chores about the house but I’m not lifting anything heavy and am only bending with my hips and knees so to keep my back straight. Any advice greatly appreciated as I really want to get back to being more active over the next few months and to strengthen my core. I’m not in a great rush, I don’t want to mess this up! Thank you

    1. Hey Louise,

       A few comments back someone asked a similar question. Check out my response and let me know if you have any more questions.

55. I am a competitive cheerleader, and former gymnast, and on my team I’m a flyer and a tumbler (I get thrown really high in the air, and I do flips). 3 years ago I had terrible back pain and I found out that I have spondylolisthesis at l5-s1. I wore a brace, and did physio until my symptoms were completely gone. I’ve had mild back pain that comes and goes, and it seemed to be unrelated as I didn’t feel pain in the same area. Now however, the pain is back, and the disk is displaced twice as far as the last time. If my symptoms get worse, my doctor recommends spinal fusion, but as of now, the pain is predictable and not constant. If I end up getting surgery, is there any way I could come back to cheerleading, or would spinal fusion be the end of my competitive career? The sport requires explosive movements, some back extension, and impacts from takeoffs an landings during tumbling. I’m still young (17), so I still have time before the average cheerleader retires. Should I go for the surgery?

    1. Hey India,

       I am in no position to say whether or not to get the surgery or not but I can give you my own advice. At your age, most coaches aren’t really thinking about their athletes spine. They just want you to perform. What you have to take on for yourself is building a support system around your spine that will help naturally support what you have going on. If you were to say naaahh I don’t have time for that, then all you have left is to wait until you are forced into surgery. If you do have the surgery, I wouldn’t say that your career is over but it will be a slow recovery and you still won’t have the support system your spine needs since you chose not to take the time and train for it. Make sense?

       Odds are your coach doesn’t know the right way you should be training your core to help build that stability you need. Best thing you could so is get connected at a place like this and learn how to do it the right way.

    2. I’m a 50 plus year old women who just had spinal fusion on L4/L5 May 3, 2017. I suffered for over 4 years with the pain, I did not want to do surgery, I put it off as long as I could, I did get steroid shots @2, did not work. I finally got to the point that it was debilitating, the last week before the surgery I was like hurry up, so glad I did this. Pain is gone, however, I was told no lifting at the gym or anywhere for that matter. Walking or swimming is pretty much it for me now. But, the pain is gone so it was worth it to me. I believe each case is different and only you will know the answer to if you should get the surgery. Good luck and hope you get the relief I got.

56. I am an extremely active person. I was a firefighter for 10 years & personal trainer for about 2 years when I hurt my lower back at work. I changed my workouts & made them more calisthenically driven, but continued to battle the lower back pain (2 herniated discs w/ a pinched nerve). 2 years after initially injuring myself the pain had gotten so bad I finally elected for a spinal fusion as opposed to the lasectomy procedure to avoid having multiple procedures. I had surgery (L5-S1 fusion) just over 12 weeks ago. I did a lot of walking when possible as my suregeon said movement would help the healing process. The strength greatly improved & shooting pain in my right leg was completely gone. After my first post op X-ray I was given the green light to begin light exercises & sporadically started light weight & cardio. After my 2nd post op I further advanced my workouts & running & occasionally jumping rope with no issues. I was then begin my physical therapy program along with my exercises & was trying to get back to the regularity I was accustomed to. I noticed when standing upright & tilting my head down I would get a thoracic ache/pain/discomfort & told my therapist. He has since been working on my thoracic area & I did cupping for the first time last week. After the cupping I was very bruised & sore & just assumed it was routine. 2 days later I expressed my soreness & the therapist then used a metal scraper type of instrument to break up abrasions in my mid back. This was excruciating but I assumed it should be painful. After that session I went to gym, stretched & jumped rope & felt a pull at bottom of my lat muscle. It’s now been about 3 weeks since the thoracic pain initially occurred & I am now worse off than when I started physical therapy. I’ve needed pain medication to sleep & the pain is now thoracic, wrapping around the right side of my ribs. Sitting, getting up, head tilt, bending over I experience pain. Rolling over while sleeping is excruciating. I have been trying to stretch for long periods & workout thru all of this & nothing seems to be helping. I’m REALLY worried this will be more than a bump in the road & want to nip it in the bud. Do you think I should completely shut down my exercising program? I have a very hard time not being active. It’s very depressing for me & I’m having a difficult time knowing when to push thru & when to lighten up. I just want normalcy. Any suggestions & thoughts would be greatly appreciated…

    1. Hey Vincent,

       Thanks for sharing your story. A few things that come to mind just by reading this.

       1) Never work through back pain. there is a reason for your discomfort and working through it or doing anything that is making the discomfort INCREASE is not taking you in the direction you want to go.
       2) Yes, I would shut your program down to simply walking for now until you can desensitize your lower back and symptoms. This is not forever but the worst thing you can do is continue to workout and further irritate what you have going on.
       3) I would never suggest to stop seeing a medical professional you trust but encourage you to ask questions and try (the best you can) to lead your rehab…don’t just follow protocol. This takes research and a better understanding of what’s going on (which is what your doing here)
       4) Not knowing a whole lot about the specifics of your training program, it sounds like you have a lack of spine stability. A simple test you can do is attempt the same movements you do that cause such as bending, getting out of a chair, rolling over in bed etc. with a braced core. This is key to any movement is knowing HOW to brace the right way for the given activity.
       5) Lastly, and the area where I see the most people fail is mastering basic mechanics such as how you sit, stand and bend. Not only in the gym but with EVERYTHING you do in your life from brushing your teeth to tieing your shoes. Good form not only needs to be addressed in the gym but when you bend to grab your gym bag and leave is when it needs to continue.

       This is literally the single misunderstood thing about back pain I see the most. People accumulate too much time in poor positions and use poor mechanics way too much.

       1. William, I can relate to Vincent’s story, especially the need to keep active, and I found your reply very helpful.
          I thought his activities to sound like a lot for that soon postoperative, and the hands on therapy — cupping and what sounded like graston — seemed soon. As firefighter and no doubt more youthful than me, maybe not so extreme. I wanted to say I admire him for working so hard on his recovery, and for his awareness of his body’s reactions and for sharing. He can be proud of himself. Your reply to him is very helpful to me, too. Thanks again.

57. Thanks a lot. I had seen the Bird Dog and Stir the Pot but had not tried them because they appear to incorporate a twisting motion. Right?
    I will attempt them tonight. I do the other two, 1-arm Farmer and Plank.
    I am very cautious, because after nearly two years of severe pain, I woke up from 3 3/4-hour surgery with no pain whatsoever. Still get emotional over no pain! Needed no pain pills, not even a Tylenol.
    When I ‘overdo’ as in everyday housework, I feel a tight back ‘ache’. Maybe lame but fear I might hurt it. Has anybody else felt that way?

    1. There shouldn’t be any twisting going on. Your spine should be neutral and stable.

       Key thing is to make sure your “pain-free” moments don’t allow you to lower your standards when it comes to how you sit, stand and bend. Always be working on your mechanics to ensure you don’t become a repeat customer!!

       1. Thanks William. I am now at 18 weeks post. Surgeon says I’m doing fine. Can increase miles and speed of walks, but still no bend, twist, lean, lift. I get backache whenever I overdo, which is too long car ride, sit or getting in and out of car too many times a day on errand/shopping day. Been walking on beach and yesterday encountered soft sand areas which take more effort, and some boardwalk stairs over dunes. I haven’t had many stairs to climb since surgery so have been left more sore this time. Also jogged 1/8 of a mile on hard beach sand day before. Will take a few recover days. Do you think I could do long term damage with that activity this many weeks postoperative? Thanks again, Sandra. Daytona Beach

          1. Hey Sandra!

             I would listen to your body. It sounds like you love the active life which is great! But you have to keep in mind the health and longevity of your active career. You want to move and exercise as pain-free as possible. Be careful with the running simply because of the jarring that it creates. Keep your pace and distance at a place where you can recover and not be in pain. Pain means you went to hard. I would spend some extra time learning how to properly brace your core while doing activitie such as getting in and out of the car. I did a recent post on this exact thing. Check it out

58. Great article! My spinal fusion was l4-l5. I am 16 weeks postoperative and anxious to get working out again in and out of a gym. I’ve been a distance runner for 30 years and missing that too.
    I am a 75-year-old very active person, dying to get going again. What specific exercises should I avoid now and/or forever.
    Thanks!

    1. Hey Sandra!

       It’s all about how your body is reacting to what you’re doing. I am not one of those “let your body guide you” kinda people but when it comes to testing the limits and staying within the boundaries of what’s it healthy for your body, you have to use this natural instinct.

       The number one rule to coming back from a spinal fusion is to watch excessive bending and twisting. If anyone tells you that twisting should be in your exercise program RUN. Don’t judt blindly do things because someone else is doing them.

       Exercises to master and do daily.

       Stir the Pots
       Bird Dog
       1 Arm farmers carry
       Plank

       Hope this helps!

59. Hi
    I’m glad I found your post.
    I had a l4-s1 alif in March 2014 and it was almost debilitating for 6 months. I started swimming and the following Janruary I did my first 1k swim and all felt fine. I did a half marathon 4 months later then half ironman that December.
    In June this year I did my first full marathon and all still seemed absolutely fine. My training (under the guidance of my brother, who trained as a PT to train me, then when I got faster than him said I need a professional coach to continue developing), while I was with him my training was slow, controlled and I was always very aware of my body and if I wasn’t Justin was.
    I started with a coach and within 3 weeks had terrible pains. After an X-ray the surgeon saw pseudoarthrosis and I had a midlf with hardware.
    What I’m scared of it not being able to compete again. Any advice?

    1. Hey Mathew,

       What you don’t know is whether or not the current injury diagnosis is from the time spent running with your brother. Even with great technique and form, we will pay for our hobbies eventually. Most pain is cumulative or a flare up of what once was an injured area. It sounds like while you were with your brother, not only was he in-tuned with what you were doing but you were pretty in-tuned with what you were doing as well. The one thing a coach can’t do is read your mind and know how your body is feeling. This is where you are the expert. I would take a step back and start fresh with a slower pace and see if you can get back to where you were without this new coach. Once you are there pain-free, try to progress on your own at your own pace. Injury spots can be very sensitive and don’t need much to throw them back into a pain cycle. It sounds like you have done really well staying off that pain cycle but may need to make some adjustments to your training.

60. I was in a motorcycle accident in 2011 and broke a lot of bones: both femurs ankle back. The doctors fused from L2 to T12 and placed rods in both my legs. My left knee is held together from scar tissue they say and the tendon that connects to the knee is not connected. How did this happen, I was driving to fast and slid into the side of an overpass and was ejected Over the top and fell down under the bridge 60-70 feet down. Surprisingly I am doing really great I only have the fusion and I have dropfoot in my left leg so I have to wear a brace. It really hasn’t limited me much I still golf and ride bicycle and work with cattle and lately started lifting weights again. After reading this article I would just like to know what I should stay away from with that fusion so that I don’t end up hurting myself down the road. Mostly I do weights where my back is supported or on a bench. I do use an AB machine with lighter weight but not sure now if I should be. Thank you for the article and any help or advice you have on this.

    1. Wow, Jeff!

       My little brother is a Honda bike specialist and rides as well so this hit home for me. Glad you’re doing okay.

       As far as what you should or shouldn’t be doing will all depend on your pain tolerance and limitations from the accident and also surgical procedures. The main thing you have to understand is since the fusions have been done its the discs above and below the fusion that are now taking the brunt of the force. It’s not so much what you shouldn’t do but how well you do what you’re doing. If that makes sense. Pay close attention to your bending and make sure your hip hinge ability is on point. Listen to your body and get someone to help coach with more compound exercises such as Deadlifts and Squats if you choose to do them. I personally would stay clear from loading the spine too much with a bar. I would rather preserve what I have and spend more time doing single leg stuff with less weight.

       Hope that gives you some direction!

       Thanks for reaching out.

61. Hi William,
    What an awesome website thank you. Im a 40-ish mum of 4, im an accountant so i sit – alot! I’ve had a rough year with a laminecromy L5/S1 in January 2016 complicated by a csf leak 4 days later and back in surgery. I ended up having good a fusion L5/S1 in July as the disc got worse, and had severe nerve root compression. I’m up and back to my old routine – well mostly. If it hurts, I don’t do it. But in the mornings, or if I haven’t been moving for an hour or so my lower back aches. It’s so stiff and sore and I battle to get it “loose”. Any suggestions?
    All the best, thanks again 🙂

    1. Hey Ray!

       Thanks for posting!

       There is a mind body connection that I personally am still learning about. This is the first thing to comes to mind when I read what you wrote. I know for me personally My L5-S1 issue which is leaps and bounds better then it was 5 years ago, still gives me random muscle tightness and stiffness around the area if I have been spending a lot of time in “bad positions”

       This is what I would suggest you consider.

       1) Your fusion has changed the mechanics of how your lumbar region operates. This isn’t a bad thing it’s just the reality of having a fusion. With this come great responsibility of controlling and being mindful of what aspects of your “old routine” could be causing some irritation.
       2) Your mind wants to protect that area at all costs and unfortunately how our mind tells our body to do that is through stiffness. Our brains think more stiffness equals more stability which equals a safe joint. What this means for you is that you have to teach your mind how to trust the way you move and to allow that area to relax. You do this by exception movement habits over and over and over. This is where I am still learning myself.
       3) What I have seen work. Being hyper sensitive to the way you sit, stand and bend. These are the fundamentals of our life. If you can do these well and safely your body will begin to trust your movements and be able to relax.

       Since your back is already super sensitive you have to be very mindful of the subconscious activities and movements you do. Even down to brushing your teeth needs to be on your radar as to how you’re bending. The less stress you put on that fusion the more the surrounding muscles will be able to relax.

       I would suggest you take this information and apply it to what your physio (if you’re seeing one) is suggesting.

       Hope this helps!

62. I had a lumbar L2-L5 fusion done in 1999. Recovery was absolutely horrible but the results were outstanding! I always said I’d do it again if I had too; I’d cry my eyes out, but I’d do it again. Well, here I am going on 17 years later and gradually been having unbearable pain in my lumbar/hip/pelvis region . . . so bad some days that I just want to lay in bed and cry. I truly do not want to have surgery again and hoping someone out there has some positive info for me, like exercises, self-therapy, something.

    1. Hey Tammy,

       It sounds like you have some cumulative issues going on. Not sure of your history but most back issues are a result of poor mechanics over years and years of movement.

       I would suggest you do a complete audit of your daily habits and start fixing the way you sit, stand and bend. You can start with this

63. Hi,

    I came across this site and I’m glad I did. Aug 15th I had my L5-S1 fused. I had my first post op visit with my doctor today (Sept 27th). The fused disc look good and I no longer need to wear the brace. In the office I could hardly bend over and touch my knee. Doc said this is normal after surgery. He wanted me to start physical therapy for a month. I got him down to two weeks. I really want to go back to work. Doc obliged but said if I needed more time to let him know. Especially if I plan to go back full time.

    I’m flat on my back as I write this and feel sore and totally stiff. Feels very different without the brace. I’m no longer taking any pain meds other then Tylenol. It took me 4 weeks to ween off of Tramadol. The worst ever withdrawals and now with insomnia. I was taking Tramadol for eight years.

    I want to work out in a pool and see if that would help me with the addition of some stretching? My question I have is that once I took the brace off I feel it’s difficult to move around and it hurts but not enough for me to go back on pain meds. Is two weeks enough time to get some flexibility? Also, will the pool help? I plan on being very active the next two weeks.

    Yes, I will be working with a physical therapist.

    The doc did mentioned I was more active in my recovery and getting off the pain meds compared to most of his patients.

    1. Hey Jason!

       Glad to hear of your recovery going well so far!

       I would definitely suggest you keep your doctor close by as you work through this new level of pain but it sounds like everything is going smooth.

       Getting back into an active lifestyle can be tricky and needs to be taken slow. DO NOT rush anything. You may FEEL good but your body is still healing and if you don’t give it ample time, you will get right back into a pain cycle.

       I think the pool is a great idea. Go slow and always underestimate what you think you can handle.

       As far as time goes, you never know. From what I see, it is a case by case situation and actively pursuing a life of healthy movement along with safe and slow rehabilitation is key.

       While you are starting to get around read this article and take to heart everything it says. You need to fix the root cause of the fusion in the first place.

64. Hello, I am 51 yr old female who is 3 years post op L4-L5 spinal fusion. I play tennis , yoga, and now weight training. I have been seeing a trainer, but am afraid some of the exercises are hurting my back. My current other issue is arthritis in my knees. One of my knees has a floating bone chip, and I slight meniscus tear. My trainer is giving me light load exercises to do. However, at times my knees hurt worse, and so does my back. We have done bent over rows, squats (in the beginning used hack machine, but not anymore). My last visit, i walked around the room carrying a kettle bell hanging at my side with one arm, and then walked switching to the other arm. My back really hurt after this training session. Maybe it’s because the muscles around the fusion are just sore from being worked, but I don’t want to mess up my back (or opportunity to play tennis) with the wrong exercises. After 3 years, and active, what exercises would you avoid in the gym?

    1. Hey Tracy!

       Thanks for stopping by!

       When it comes to working with a trainer it’s a tough call for someone like me looking in. I have no idea how proficient your trainer is or what kind of education or background he has. I actually use 1 arm carrys in my rehabilitation program so to say those are a bad exercise would be a lie. On the other hand, you can misuse that exercise and go to heavy too soon or too much volume over one workout and end up hurting someone.

       For you, I assume tennis is your love so focusing on keeping the stress down inside the gym so that you can focus your time and energy on tennis should be a priority. If he has you doing lunges and squats and that really hurts your back and knees than you need to flat out stop doing them. Find another way to train your lower body or just reduce the load you use. It’s not so much about “staying away” from a certain exercise but rather stay away from the ones that cause discomfort and hopefully your trainer is experienced enough to make adjustments in your program .

       You don’t want to do exercises just to do them. Have a reason for each. Pull out where you are weak or why your back is in the condition that it is in and build a program around that!

       Contact me at [email protected] if you want to chat in more detail!

65. Hello,
    I am a 31 year old male who is 9 weeks post-op lumbar L5-s1 fusion. This is my fourth and hopefully my last back surgery. At the age of 13, I had correctional surgery for scoliosis. I had (T3-L1 fused). I had no PT and very little knowledge of the proper lifestyle to protect my spine back then. However this made me interested to obtain a BS in Exercise Science and Associate in PT assistant. I was living a normal active lifestyle until abruptly I started experiencing severe back pain. I was diagnose with a stress fracture to the right pars. This became the trickling effect for years to come. For 6 years I suffered with right side low back pain that radiated down right leg to the dorsal foot. Extreme weakness lead to foot drop on the right foot. I spent years searching for a doctor who would take action rather than instruct conservative approaches. Went through therapy, nerve block, pain management. With the grace of God I finally found a doctor in New Albany, Ohio. The first surgery was an laminectomy of L5. This procedure was a waste of money. 6 months later a fusion of L5-S1 was performed. This surgery alleviated all my pain. I felt like a new man! So with that being said..I had jumped the gun a ended re-injuring myself in the gym. I was performing skull crushers with an 30lb ez-curl bar. When I finished my set I brought the bar to my mid abdominals and tried to sit up from the flat bench. This is when I felt a burning sensation like my back had been ripped open. Well long story short. The doctor had to go back in a repair the hardware. A screw and nut were both loose and needed to be replaced. So after reading this article about training smart & not training how you used to..really hit home. I do know the importance of neutral spine exercises & stengthening core. But I am curious about exercises that would be ok for legs. Like leg press, hack squats, lunges, ham curls, quad ext?? Mostly everything I plan on doing for strength training would be done on machines. But I don’t plan on doing anything until my doctor clears me. I’m just thinking ahead. Your thoughts would be much appreciated. Thank you..

    1. Hey Tyrone!

       Thanks for stopping by dude. I had tobe very careful when doing lower body due to the shearing affect it would have on my inflamed L5-S1 area. My first goal was to lower that inflammation and get it stable. Once I did that I introduced legs back in very slowly and was super anal on form, depth and how hard I pushed. My goals have massive legs kinda of went out the window but I will take that over living in chronic pain!

       For you I would start with single leg work and go for higher reps. Your goal isn’t to get sore but to perform more than normal work and recover without any issues. For back pain suffers it’s not necessarily how it feels while we do it but how we feel AFTER we do it…sometimes days after. With machines I would stay away from spinal loading until your confident in your ability to maintain a neutral spine at various depths. Due to a lake of mobility the issues come when your trying to reach a depth that your body can’t handle. That’s when the discs up and down stream from the surgery site start getting abused.

       I would stay off squatting on smith machines and hack squat machines all together. Your body has to confirm to the way the machine or bar moves. In exercise it should be the opposite. You want to (as much as possible) be able to control WHERE the weight is at while your performing the exercise. A little to far forward or a little to far back and you can really mess some stuff up.

       Hope that gives you a place to start!

66. Hi,
    My 21 year old son was ran over by a train and dragged. He survived with all his limbs but had many broken bones including C7, T10 and L1-L5, lacerations and spleen removed. He had badly damage his T10 so they fused T8-T12 on Aug 16th. He is a very lucky guy!
    We are now home, it has been 5 weeks since the accident. He is walking and doing stairs, We are doing stretches in the morning to help him get up. He was a vey active guy. Rode BMX and did competitions and would love to get back to his sport…He was never much into the gym. He only did that when he played football. I would like to help him get strong again, I have an idea of what he needs to do as I am a personal trainer with 30 yrs of experience and have worked with a spinal specialist as a tec. He has an appointment with the neurosurgeon on the 29th of Aug. They may give him some exercises but i’m not sure. He has no heath insurance so we are going to have to do the therapy ourselves. The problem is I have to go home this week, back to Cali where I live, he lives in Virginia. I will be helping him over the phone. So if you can give us any advise, it would be greatly appreciated.
    Thank you, Kristyn

    1. Hey Kristyn!

       Wow I am so sorry to hear about your son but thats is AWESOME to hear about his road to recovery!

       With his rehabilitation a lot of what you will need are the limitations he will have issued by the doctor. For example, if due to surgery he shouldn’t do XYZ for a period of 6 months. Thats the info you need. The things that I would focus on with him the most is learning to move properly within his limitations. What you don’t want him to do is create new movement habits around an injury that are poor yet get the job done. You want him to literally relearn how to bend, sit and stand better than he did before (as much as possible). Preserving what he still has bone, tissue and joint wise is the smartest approach to take while getting back to doing what he loves.

       The strengthening will come but the foundation needs to be improved and relearned before anything else. I would love to hear more about his situation and help in any way that I can. Email me at [email protected]

67. I just turned 60. I had scoliosis and badly herniated discs and the performed a lumbar discectomy with fusion s-1 to l-3 late May 2016. I now have metal road and 4 screws inserted in back. My dr only wants me to walk but I feel very stiff and I feel like I am rusting inside. I used to do yoga before and I just want to stretch so bad because I feel so tight my legs, my hips even my feet feel tight. I am afraid to do anything to compromise the surgery and my dr. just tells me that all I need to do is walk. Any suggestions please?

    1. Hey Iza,

       For starters it’s really important to listen and trust (as much as possible) the professional you have chosen to look over you. In this case the surgery is done and whether you like the guy or not its really water under the bridge. The goal now is to understand where you are and what you should and should not do with your given situation. I would never suggest you blow medical advice off WITHOUT extensive research and other opinions from other professionals. For you specifically I would ask your doctor these questions.
       1) What is the walking going to promote?
       2) What is the next step AFTER the walking part of your recovery?
       3) What are his/her expectations for my recovery 3-6-8 months from now?

       Question his reasoning. Is he following what the textbook says or what he sees for your specific case and how your body is reacting? That’s the difference between a good and bad doctor.

       When it comes to post-procedures like this, you have to understand that even though it’s been a few months everything is still fresh. I promise you, you are NOT rusting but I can’t imagine the discomfort and stiffness. The best part about this whole thing is that walking is VERY POWERFUL. I suggest even those who have not had any kind of procedure done to walk DAILY and multiple times a day if possible.

       When you do walk, walk briskly if you can and only walk UP to your pain tolerance. If all you can do is walk for 5 minutes then stick to that every day until you can push it to 6. Seriously. You have to look at every step of your recovery as a massive stepping stone. Don’t focus on what you used to do. Just worry about whats in front of you and where you are. Walking is good, so do it. Walking is going to help loosen what may feel sticky right now. Its not yoga but its still activating muscles in the area that has been worked on without causing damage.

       Also, keep in mind that you’re not made of glass. Even with this surgery your body is strong and able/will recover from this. Your life will change as far as what you can do now vs what you used to be able to do but that’s life and that is one of the risks of surgery. You WILL have a productive and active life you just have to jump through these hoops first.

       This is not medical advice but something I would look into. I don’t think doing light stretches will compromise your surgery. BUT and a big BUT. There is a right and wrong way to stretch. If your stretching like a 70’s exercise tape than stop. Find out what stretches your doc will allow you to do and we can go over some modifications to fit your current situation. If the doc is adamant about no movement other than walking then respect that but demand a time table of when you can expect to be able to begin to progress.

       1. Hi Richard,

          I had lost the link to this page and just found it today. I thank you for taking the time to respond.

          I just had my 6 month checkup and the bones are fusing but I still not 100%. I am still stiff but he said I can do light streching, swimming, stationary bike and stay away from any heavy lifting or extreme twisting. I am doing exercises with 3 lb weights for the most part but I am happy I can do some type of exercise and to keep myself active.

          I am working on losening my body and hopefully some time in the future I hope soon, I may be able to do more. For now I am concentrating on protecting the surgery and moving as much as my body allows me. I listen to my body very carefully nowadays.

    2. i ‘m 60 to. and with a good diet,& plenty of walking 1 or 2 miles after a lite meal will knock off plenty of unwanted pounds. by the way,i ‘ve had a fusion to s-1,l-2, l-3,& l-4. still walking feels good.

       1. I had two spinal fusions within 6 months of each other. L3-4-5. Also had huge synovial cyst in spine that had to be removed before fusion. Lots of nerve damage. Walking is impossible. On a good day maybe 1/4 mile slowly. Lower back seizes and the pain is awful. Will it ever get better?
          Margee
          NJ

68. I had l2 fusion five inch rod two plates four screws.. I just want to go for a jog soooo bad It’s been almost three years since the surgery.. Can I?

    1. Hey Ashley, Well the honest answer is that I am not the person who can give you that clearance. If your doc has cleared you for exercises then I would suggest you go for it but work up to it over a month or two time. For example. Start with a short brisk walk. See how your body does 1-2 days after. If you feel good then increase the distance. Keep doing this every 2-3 days and work up to a 30 min brisk walk, none stop and WITHOUT pain. If you can do that I would either suggest you try to walk for longer or add in a short jog followed by walking to end the workout. It’s all about taking it one step at a time. Your back can’t handle going from 3 years no jogging to one day jogging without consequences. At the same time your back IS NOT this brittle structure that is at risk of snapping at any moment. Have confidence in your body and its ability.
       Hope this helps!

69. I am 11 weeks post op from an L5 S1 fusion. I am really trying hard to lose some weight at the gym. I could stand to lose atleast 30 lbs. I have just decided it was time to feel better as well as take the added weight off of my back. My doctor told me that I could excercise but to make sure it was low impact excercises. I walk with a pace and incline on the treadmill for 30 minutes and work out with the elliptical an hour a day. Honestly, im feeling great these days but was just wondering if im doing to much? I know that some excercise is good but can I overdue it with what im doing? Thanks, Shane

    1. Hey Shane,

       Thanks for reaching out dude! You can do “too much” but the cool thing is your body will typically tell you when that is. If movement makes you feel good than keep moving! As long as you don’t have any pain that gets worse then keep it up!

70. I’m so glad I found this post. I had spinal fusion in December 2015 spanning from T2-L3; 2 rods and 28 screws. I am now just over 5 months post-op and finally to the point of feeling well enough to begin working out at the gym again. Up until now I’ve just been waking daily and only recently reached 5 miles a day. I am beginning with a personal trainer to show me modified usage of the gym equipment to stabilize my spine and strengthen my upper body, specifically my back muscles. It’s imperitive to keep these muscles healthy as they directly affect spinal strength. There are several machines I’ll never be able to use again in addition to free weights but there are still many options that I will be able to utilize and this is my main focus. It’s a lifestyle change and acceptance of our new bodies and its ability is half the battle.

    1. Love the way this is put! It’s the people that come to terms with the fact that some things may have changed but it doesn’t mean you can’t continue to improve, that see the best long term results! Glad your back on your feet! Take it slow and if it feels sketchy then it IS sketchy. Focus heavy on a neutral spine and work that core!

71. Am looking for some answers because my surgeon does not communicate. I fixed you now go get well is his response. He is, as I hear, a great surgeon and this is my second fusion in two years. My L4,5 and S1 are now all fused together and I have rods and screws. My surgery was 12/21/2015 and I am still using a walker. Cannot walk but across the room without it. Have horrible muscle spasms on one side. Ask to go to PT for spasms. They started me with reduced weight treadmill at 60lbs but hurt too bad so reduced to 35lbs. Hook-Lying Bent Leg Lift, Unilateral Isometric Hip Flexion, Straight Leg Raises, and Bridging. He also did a therapy called Primal Reflex then put me on a vibrating table for 10 minutes. I get Charlie Horses in legs when doing the exercises. I now after 2 rounds, have severe back pain and nerve pain down my leg to my ankle which I have not had since before surgery. Can’t even lie down now without pain. Robaxin 750 does nothing nor does Tylenol. I stopped the exercises at home and am due to see the therapist on Wednesday. My first appointment was last Friday.
    Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I am at a loss as what to say to the therapist on Wednesday but sure not doing exercises.
    Thanks much for your time and thoughtfulness.
    Trish

    1. Hey Trish,

       I am sorry to hear about your experience. Unfortunately, surgery can be unpredictable. It sounds like your best bet would be to continue seeing a specialist you trust. Maybe not the guy who operated on you but getting different opinions as to what could be causing the nerve pain. Pain, for the most part is simple. If your experiencing nerve pain then something has trapped that specific nerve and causing irritation when in motion. Unless you have a sever neurological disorder, nerves don’t just randomly causes issues if nothing is affecting its normal function. I would be adamant About getting all the work checked and rechecked for any other source of what could be causing the pain.

       Keep me updated!

       William

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