recent back surgery, need motivation

kdavina

Actually I have motivation to lost weight , because I'm determined that my recent back surgery will not stop be from becoming a nurse. I'm 29 and had to have surgery on my L5-S1 related to a work injury. I was in awful horrible pain and could not barely walk. It took over my life. I just want to add some friends on this app for some more motivation. All I can do at the moment is walk everyday, do PT exercises and eat right. I just think losing some weight will help me in the long run and I need to do anything and everything possible.

Thanks!

trud72

Hey honey,well done on the 8lb loss by the way! :flowerforyou:

have you tried hydrotheropy or even just plain swimming it will take the pain off the joints and burn good cals as well!

good luck x

grassette

I haven't had the surgery, but I have problems with the same disc, plus two above it. And I'm finding that exercise is essential to making the back strong again, and to losing weight. So if you need motivation, let's friend each other!

jennyjennbug

Walking is about all the doctors let me do because I have a bad back I was born with spina bifia.. They suggested back surgery but I want to see if losing weight first will help. Because when I was in high school I was smaller and my back rarely hurt then so my hopes are high this time around. I wish you the best of luck.

groomchick

Iv'e had my L4 &L5 fused.... best thing you can do for it at this point is the walking and swimming. Later on... strength training ,but go at it slow. I can be done. Everytime I tried to lift after my surgery i threw my back out ,but this time...I really went slow and have had no problem. Strongest my back has ever been. Good Luck

kdavina

Thanks everyone!!!!!!

grassette

Things I've found useful:

Walking with walking poles. It allows you to put some weight on your arms, sparing your lower back. They also provide good support when you can't have access to a hand rail. You can find good telescoping poles that are under $25. I got mine on sale for $12.

Aquafitness: very carefull at first, doing only those exercise you know you can, avoiding twisting. The water gives you good support, but go slow, use discretion and gradually your strenght will build up. As an alternative, seeing that your surgery is so new, you might find an exercise physiologist who does pool work with people recovering from injuries. They pick up where physio left off.

Swimming. I am having problems in this area, but find that the back crawl doesn't have that torque in it that the front crawl has. Even the breast stroke puts stress on my lower back. So I am training to do the crawl on my side as recommended by a MFP friend, who also recommends using a snorkle so to avoid that twisting motion when you turn to get a breath. I swim a little under 90 minutes twice per week.

Yang style Tai Chi. Shop for your instructor and try out a sample class. I shopped my instructor for over a year. Tai Chi is complex, and not something that you learn from a video. You need to find a master. Again, go slow, and don't do every exercise, especially anything that means bending at first. Modify what you do so that it is within your range. Tai Chi is slow, and develops your balance, and it burns a huge number of calories. If you don't know Tai Chi, see this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDdlw4-sRWY&feature=related

stormy_eyez742

I had L5/S1 fusion surgery a year and a half ago. In the last month or two I finally became determined to not just lose weight but get stronger. It is HUGELY important to stick with PT, the exercises they give you, and check with your surgeon/doc before doing ANY new exercises (kind of my disclaimer). I didn't and I've paid for it. I'm not sure what kind of surgery you had exactly but I had bone grafts so I had to wait several months to make sure they healed properly. If you can do any kind of aquatic therapy/exercise that's really good for burning calories and not impacting the joints/spine.

Can you do a recumbent bike? Do you have weight restrictions? Mine was like first 2 wks nothing over 5lbs then progressively I could lift more and more. Core, core, core, core strengthening is HUGELY important. Along with proper form in every movement you make, especially bending/twisting/lifting. One thing that I've learned is to MOVE. If I lay around/sit around too much not only do I lose motivation but my physical pain comes back with a vengeance. Sorry, you probably already know all of this. I had no one that could support me post surgery that had been through it. So I try to impart everything to others that have gone or are going through it. Take it easy, it gets better, and then you'll be stronger than ever before. I'll stop preaching now and wish you the best! Feel free to add me if you'd like. :flowerforyou:

Jstewartdesigns

I had a fusion of my L5-S1 a few years back, was in a full body brace for about 3 months afterward. As a result of this injury, I have gained weight and lost all of my muscle. I'm in the process of recovery and know from my past experience that the key is sloooooow . . . . baby steps. My mistake has been trying to work out like I did pre-back issues and would always end up inflaming it to the point of having to stop entirely for a while. I'm walking and practicing yoga now. It requires patience, which I have few of, so keep your chin up and don't try to hurry it!!!

TDGee

L3-S2 last year. Good luck!

microwoman999

I friend requested you and told you my story I could use a friend who has dealt with what I am dealing with now! I hope I can be help and motivation for you as I know my doctors would yell at me for everything I do. I do not listen to them at all Ok maybe a little .

kdavina

I didn't have a fusion, I had a discectomyy and laminectomy. But the Dr said it might be a possibility eventually. Otherwise my S1 was severely budging. At the moment I cant lift more than 15lbs and im going to PT. My doctor said in the long run I will be able to starting bike riding again, and I want to do yoga with my mom. The restrictions he has told me is no running at all ever , BUT if I have to run make sure its on a track. But I'm not a runner anyways and never will be, so Im ok with that. I dont have access to a pool at the moment, but hope to be swimming in the summer though. As well as doing my core exercises, im lifting 5lb weights for my arms to strengthen them. Already asked if that was ok After back surgery and so much down time, I have become weak all over! but Im getting stronger, I can tell. and I know when i do to much, and I STOP. I know I have to be patient, but just eager to overcome this. thanks everyone.

JDunbar82

Hi! I'm 29 also...I had a disectomy and later a 2 level spinal fusion at L4/L5 and L5/S1....that was almost 2 years ago...and about a year ago I had a spinal cord stimulator implanted. It is a slow process..but it does get better. I think everyone on here is right...lots of walking...recumbant bike is good...and I did do some aquatherapy that helped...especially with some of the nerve damage I have in my legs. The other thing that helped while I was in PT was that they showed me some core exercises that didn't put a stress on my back...which also really helped. I know it can be frustrating...especially when you get the " you're so young" attitude from folks...at least for me anyways, almost made me feel guilty that I was having problems with my back when people kind of expect you to be a healthy person when your younger( I know yours was from injury). You WILL be able to do what you want to do if you set your mind to it...I had several doctors tell me I shouldn't have any more kiddos...I just had baby #2 about 7 weeks ago and my back was fine the whole time(Praise God!)...now I just gotta get all this baby blubber off! Feel free to add me if you want...even if you just need someone to gripe to..sometimes that's that best therapy of all!

sarvissa

You have to keep moving, but don't overdo, especially if you're still in your first 6 weeks post op. Strength will come in time and with effort. I had laminotomy on L5-S1, and I know the pain you mentioned.

Just keep moving...

jenj1313

Good luck to you! Keep it up :-)

The suggestion(s) re: pool therapy are great... you can take weight off your back and still get an effective workout. And there are lots of things you can do in the pool besides swim... starting with walking. You can even mix up the walking by going forward, backward, left, right. Google is a great source for other exercises... just do what doesn't cause you too much pain.

With back pain, you usually have to more despite the pain, but don't overdo it... and take it slowly if you try the pool... often times you'll feel great while in the pool but you don't realize how sore you're going be afterward.

Make sure your incision is well healed before you get in the pool though! Check with your PT too... they should have some good ideas.

Good luck with your recovery and with nursing school!
Jen

AllisonMart

I have a herniated L5-S1 and L4-L5, so I feel ya. I didn't have surgery but I did have an epidural last week and it has made a world of difference! No one understands the pain unless they've been through it. As other people here have said, keep moving, that's the key. Pool exercises are great, I went back to Aqua Zumba this week and it was fantastic, much better than land exercises. I haven't tried regular swimming yet but I hear that's good too. I totally agree with the poster who suggested Tai Chi. I did that before the herniation and it's a fantastic exercise, but don't bend or twist. I've also found I have very strong leg and back muscles, but poor ab and upper body, and my doctor says having that much difference in strength between your abs and your back causes more problems. I'm starting Pilates to work on more core strength, so maybe look into that and yoga too. Losing weight of course will help as it reduces the pressure on the discs.

If you need to, look into a med for depression. I was in a real dark place for 2 months with this injury, and now that I feel so much better I can look back and see how low I was. I kind of wish I'd started taking a mild anti-depressant just so I wasn't so depressed and down, which is extremely de-motivating and made me just sit on the couch and be sad. I did no exercise for 2 months, and I'm so happy to be back to it I nearly cried tears of joy in the pool on Wednesday. I know you can do it too! Friend me if you want, this is a tough journey and we all need support.

Cactusjeff

I am a PT with L5-S1 Disc failure...completely extruded. I too was depressed, life was different afterwards. Here is what worked for me, the stationary bike. I lowered the seat so I could keep a neutral spine, and and worked on getting my heart rate for sustained period of time. My goal was to release endorphins through cardiovascular exercise without stress to L5-S1. Walking causes compression at L5-S1. Walking is dificult to increase heart rate for the endorphin release and there is a rotation component that can stress the the damaged disc. It can be complicated, because at some point introducing rotation and compression to the area is beneficial but not right away.

So here was my goal....endorphin release is key so you have to get heart rate elevated, make sure your doctor says it is ok to exercise. Endorphin release will change attitude and control pain. Now you are on track to lose some weight. Next find a personal trainer that will work on core strengthening focusing on the glutes and correct posture. When performing gluteal exercises, the range of motion needs to be very limited at first. No crunches, standing exercises are best while keeping stomach tight. Then start a walking program on a soft surface like a trail to reduce compression. A good massage therapist is a good tool to have also, but only in side lying position, not on your stomach. The massage should focus on both legs, not the back. I do not like pool exercise for the low back, at least early in your rehab. Combine all this with calorie counter and hopefully you will have fun and find success. GOOD LUCK

Long term goal, plan cool hike somewhere in the mountains etc...GOOD LUCK

dmpizza

Its tough after surgery, my surgery was very different, but it takes a lot of time and effort.

MaraDiaz

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1313-back-pain-weight-gain

Support group for those of us with bad backs. Mine isn't surgery level yet, but it will be eventually if it follows the family pattern. It helps to know other people have gone through and even come out the other side with a good quality of life.

Donnacoach

Feel free to add me. I had surgery on my lower three disc about 2 1/2 years ago. It seems so good to finally
be able to move without pain. You can do this. The more you get up and moving the better you will feel for
sure. Just do what you are told to do and know that the end result will be so much better then where you were
at before the surgery. Good luck

chevy88grl

I am fused from T3-L4. I also have a bulging disc at L5-S1. It isn't bad enough to require surgery, but does cause me a bunch pain. Because of all my back issues, I was told to simply walk at a comfortable pace. So, I did. Now, I've worked my way up to jogging again (the fusion is from 1992, bulging disc just happened with a fall on the ice in Jan 2011). Take it nice and slow. Give your body time to heal properly, but I'm proof that even with spinal issues - you can still do a lot of stuff.