Anyone in here had spinal fusion and returned to Cf?

jaded082

I'd love to meet other Cf people who have had spinal fusion and been able to return to lifting.

I had a spinal 360 fusion of the L5-S1 in June of this year. I had spinal stenosis and had herniated it twice in the past year and a half. Was in so much pain, I was in tears turning over in bed at night.
I'm so much better after my surgery, but the surgery itself was very hard mentally. I was in the best shape of my life before and since I feel like I've lost 70% of my muscle tone, plus put on almost 15lbs. It's been really hard getting back into the swing of working out again, when I have been so limited over the past 4 month of healing. What use to be a habit (almost addiction), is now hard again. Diet is horrible and I so badly want to get back into the shape I was before.

My main question is, how limited are you with your heavy lifting? Bending and lifting?
I really want to go back to crossfit, but never go back to super heavy lifting there. Just to maintain tone and grt my muscles back.

bostonwolf

I've heard of people doing it and slow and steady was the verdict. Strict form at all times and if you couldn't get strict form adjust for it (boxes to lift the bar if you couldn't get down to it, etc.)

Healing comes first. Talk to your trainers and PTs about where you expect and want to be and they can tailor your rehab to meet that goal>

Hope all is going well so far!

cavia

Didn't Matt Fraser have a spinal fusion done?

bostonwolf

^yes, he did.