Question

What happens if you accidentally bend after spinal fusion?

Answer 1

If you accidentally bend after a spinal fusion it can delay and disrupt process of healing and even damage the surgical site.

After a spinal fusion you should avoid twisting or bending your spine for 3 months to 6 months to allow for proper healing.

If you did accidentally bend after a spinal fusion you should seek medical attention.

The reason why spinal fusion is so painful is because during the surgery the muscles in your back are cut, lifted or moved to expose your spine.

This can disrupt the blood supply and the nerves to your muscles which can cause pain.

Your muscles and your tendons that are around your spine can also be damaged during surgery.

If the muscles are not strong enough to flex and contract then they can shrink and atrophy which increases pain.

What you can never do after spinal fusion are activities that put lots of stress on the spine such as high impact activities, powerlifting, bending or twisting your back repeatedly or lifting more than 5 to 10 lbs.

You should also avoid driving for at least 2 weeks after the spinal fusion surgery and if you're taking prescription pain medications or muscle relaxers you should avoid driving.

You should also avoid any chores which involve lifting, bending, cleaning and washing laundry.

After spinal fusion surgery you should also not go jogging or running for at least 6 months after the spinal fusion surgery.

After a spinal fusion you should walk at least 30 minutes each day and then after 2 months you can and should try walking as much as a mile or 60 minutes each day.

You can walk after spinal fusion surgery and walking is a good activity you can and should do for at least the first 6 weeks after the spinal fusion surgery.

Slowly start out walking and then increase your walking to around 30 minutes twice a day after that.

You can sleep on your back after spinal fusion surgery.

Doctors actually recommend that you sleep on your side or back after spinal fusion surgery to allow you to heal better.

Sleeping on your belly is not recommended until you have healed.

A spinal fusion is spinal surgery which entails connecting two or more bones in any part of your spine.

Connecting the bones prevents any movement between them and preventing movement of the bones helps prevent pain.

During spinal fusion surgery the surgeon will place bone or bone like material in the space between your two spinal bones.

A level 2 spinal fusion is a spinal fusion that joints 3 vertebrae together.

The two vertebrae need to be fused to stop motion at one segment and an L4-L5 fusion is a one level spinal fusion.

Spinal Fusion Surgery costs between $14,000.00 to $30,000.00 depending on the hospital or surgeon who does the Spinal Fusion Surgery.

Health insurance will usually pay at least part of the cost of Spinal Fusion Surgery if the Spinal Fusion Surgery is deemed medically necessary.

So if you're in very severe pain and had your spine messed up and need the Spinal Fusion Surgery then your health insurance might pay all the cost or at least a portion of the cost of the Spinal Fusion Surgery.

If not though then you would need to pay the cost of the Spinal Fusion Surgery out of pocket.

Recovery time for spinal fusion surgery patients is around 4 to 6 weeks for partial recovery which means that you can return to a job such as an office job or other sedentary activities or Jobs.

But for full recovery it can take 3 to 6 months before you can return to more heavy work and less sedentary activities.

Spinal Fusion Surgery recovery requires you to take it easy for at least the first 6 weeks and then slowly you can get back to your normal activities.

Spinal Fusion Surgery is a pretty safe surgery as far as surgery procedures go.

Most Spinal Fusion surgeries are very successful and most people who do have Spinal Fusion have no complications afterwards.

But just like any other surgeries the Spinal Fusion Surgery can lead to complications in some people.

Some complications that come along with Spinal Fusion Surgery but are rare are the possibility of Injuries to blood vessels or nerves in and around the spine.

And there can sometimes be pain around the site where the bone graft was taken.

But the complications that happen sometimes with Spinal Fusion Surgery are rare and most people come out of Spinal Fusion Surgery and recover just fine.

Comments

Good insight

Answer 2

I had a lumbar laminectomy with Michael R. Wheeler, MD in Dallas, and here’s what it felt like and what happened when I accidentally bent too soon after surgery.

A few weeks into recovery I reached down to grab something without thinking, it was a normal, everyday movement. But the moment I bent, there was a deep “stretch-pull” sensation across my lower back. It felt like all the muscles around the surgical site tightened up instantly. It wasn’t searing pain, but enough discomfort and “uh-oh” alert in my body that I paused. After standing up, for the rest of the day my back remained stiff and tender almost like the surgery site and surrounding tissues were saying: “Hold on, we’re still healing.”

I didn’t rush to the doctor because there were no red-flags (no numbness, no radiating leg pain, no loss of strength). But I called Dr. Wheeler’s office the next morning, described the incident and asked whether I should come in. They replied that unless I developed new symptoms like sharp shooting pain, tingling down the leg, or weakness, it was fine to monitor and rest. I was told to avoid bending forward, twisting, or lifting anything heavy for a bit longer, and to apply gentle ice/heat and keep moving but carefully.

Over the next 3-4 days the soreness faded. The stiffness eased gradually and I felt more confident again but I also became more mindful: my body had just been through something major and I needed to respect the healing window. This was my experience.