Lumbar fusion

Lumbar Fusion Recovery

Lumbar fusion is a surgical procedure that stabilizes the spine, usually after spinal decompression surgery. It involves fusing two or more vertebrae into a single bone using bone graft material. Lumbar fusion recovery can be a lengthy process, with numerous restrictions on your movements and activities. 

Keep reading for an overview of the typical lumbar fusion recovery process, including common restrictions and available fusion alternatives.

Table of Contents

• What Is the Recovery Time for a Lower Back Fusion?
• Why Does My Back Hurt Months After Lumbar Spinal Fusion?
• What Can You Never Do After Lumbar Spinal Fusion?
• Can You Run After Can You Run After L4 L5 Fusion?
• What Exercises Should I Avoid With a Fused Lumbar Spine?
• How Long Does It Take to Walk Normally After Spinal Fusion Surgery?

What Is the Recovery Time for a Lower Back Fusion?

The recovery time for a lower back fusion is typically three to six months for the bones to fuse, followed by a few months of rehab to regain mobility. 

Additionally, people generally need to stay in the hospital for up to four days after the procedure to recover. During this time, the hospital staff will help you stand up, walk around, and complete essential movements.

After returning home, you’ll likely feel sore for a few weeks. It can take up to six weeks to return to basic activities, like light housework, after a lower back fusion. 

Why Does My Back Hurt Months After Lumbar Spinal Fusion?

Your back may hurt months after a lumbar spinal fusion because of failed back surgery syndrome or adjacent segment disease.

Keep in mind that some patients experience pain for a few months after lumbar fusion simply because it’s a major surgery. Fusion often involves cutting muscle tissue, which can lead to lasting muscle soreness. While this pain may linger for a few weeks or months, the worst of it should be over after about a month, and it should improve over time. 

If your pain doesn’t gradually improve after lumbar spinal fusion, you may be dealing with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) or adjacent segment disease (ASD).

What is Failed Back Surgery Syndrome?

Failed back surgery syndrome is chronic lower back pain that continues or appears after spinal surgery. It refers to pain that isn’t associated with the normal healing process (i.e. muscle soreness).

Unfortunately, failed back surgery syndrome can be difficult to diagnose, as its exact cause isn’t always clear. However, this condition indicates that the initial procedure didn’t effectively fix your lumbar problem. 

Symptoms of failed back surgery syndrome include:

• Persistent back pain, which may feel dull, achy, sharp, or burning
• Pain that doesn’t improve over time with physical therapy and home remedies
• Neurological symptoms, like numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in the extremities
• Limited mobility

What is Adjacent Segment Disease?

Adjacent segment disease is a possible complication of spinal fusion. It occurs when the vertebrae surrounding the fused segment suffer excessive impact to compensate for the lack of motion at the fused segment. This causes the adjacent segment to degenerate more rapidly than usual. 

Symptoms of adjacent segment disease after lumbar fusion may include:

• Lower back pain
• Pain that radiates from the lower back into the legs and feet
• Lower back stiffness
• Reduced lumbar mobility

What Can You Never Do After Lumbar Spinal Fusion?

After lumbar spinal fusion, you should never do high-impact activities that stress the lumbar spine, like weightlifting, extreme twisting, and bending. 

Your physician will advise you on the activities you can and can’t perform after lumbar spinal fusion. While some people return to near-normal function after the fusion procedure, you typically can’t perform repetitive or heavy lifting, as it places significant impact on the fused segment. Additionally, your mobility at the fused segment will be reduced, limiting your ability to bend and twist the spine. 

Can You Run After L4 L5 Fusion?

You generally can’t run after L4 L5 fusion for at least six months. 

Running is considered a high-impact activity, meaning it places strain on your joints and spine. Therefore, running isn’t the best form of exercise for people who have undergone an L4-L5 fusion. It may trigger inflammation, speed up spinal degeneration, and cause back pain. 

However, if you enjoy running, talk to your doctor about your ability to return to it after a lumbar fusion. Your doctor may offer tips, including a physical therapy regimen, to help you run safely. 

What Exercises Should I Avoid With a Fused Lumbar Spine?

With a fused lumbar spine, you should avoid exercises including weightlifting, running, jumping, strenuous aerobic exercise, golf, and gymnastics.

• Weightlifting is never advised with a fused lumbar spine, as it poses a major risk of re-injury. Lifting weights stresses the lumbar spine, putting the fused segment in jeopardy. 
• Running, jumping, and strenuous aerobic exercise place a high amount of impact on the lumbar spine, which can compromise your recovery after a lumbar fusion. 
• Golf requires you to deeply twist and rotate the spine, which can cause pain and inflammation with a fused lumbar spine. 
• Gymnastics is a high-impact activity that requires deep spinal extensions and has a high risk of injury. 

How Long Does It Take to Walk Normally After Spinal Fusion Surgery?

It can take two to six weeks to walk normally after spinal fusion surgery. 

While your doctor will place several restrictions on your activities after spinal fusion, they generally recommend that you start walking as soon as possible. Walking for short distances at a time while your spine heals promotes muscle strength, boosts circulation, and prevents lost mobility. Walking is also a low-impact activity that is unlikely to strain the spine. 

In the first few days after spinal fusion surgery, a physical therapist will likely help you walk in the hospital. You may need assistance to relearn healthy movement patterns and overcome stiffness.

As your spine recovers, you can increase the duration of your walks to gain strength and stamina. Your doctor will offer guidance, helping to ensure you don’t return to normal activities too quickly.

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L4 L5 Spinal Fusion – Best Alternative

The best alternative to L4 L5 spinal fusion is non-fusion implants, like the TOPS System.

The TOPS System is a dynamic implant device that’s been FDA-approved to treat degenerative spondylolisthesis and lumbar spinal stenosis at one level from L3 to L5. The FDA also granted this device a superiority-to-fusion claim, as it restores stability without compromising spinal mobility. 

TOPS replaces the soft and bony tissues that are taken out during spinal decompression procedures. Unlike fusion, the device allows the spine to move in all directions, preventing lost mobility after the procedure. The TOPS procedure also has a shorter, simpler recovery process than lumbar fusion, with many patients walking on the same day as the surgery. 

If you’re considering lumbar spinal fusion for spondylolisthesis or spinal stenosis, it’s worth evaluating all of your treatment options. Talk to your doctor to learn if TOPS could be right for you.