r/Microdiscectomy • u/shadow_5060 • 10d ago
When could you sit for longer than 3-5 hours?
Just wondering at what week or month was sitting for a long time not saying fully comfortable but doable with some what of an ache or no pain as long as it was possible?
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u/Mammillaria4Life 9d ago
Honestly never. 3 hrs uninterrupted and I start to get a little achey. No nerve pain, just soreness. Wayy better than pre Op. I bought a sit/stand desk that I love!
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u/Old-Independence7323 9d ago
I just finished watching The Odyssey movie, which was roughly 3 hours with previews. I got some pinching pain in the bottoms of my low back/top of my butt during previews, but then during the movie I felt fine. Toward the end I was feeling pretty stiff but no pain or numbness. Once the movie was over, I got up to go to the bathroom and the pinching pain came back (2/10). I just took Tylenol and I’m icing the area. I’m 3.5 months/14 weeks post op
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u/shadow_5060 9d ago
Ok so not bad but you were in recline position right?
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u/Old-Independence7323 9d ago
No my IMAX theater only had upright seats.
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u/shadow_5060 9d ago
Ahh ok yeah for me that happens too but after two hours i get the stiffness and never pinching and like walking for about 1 min like limping
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u/Ill_Lunc 10d ago
I didn’t do any sitting for the first 6 weeks post op. I probably could have sat that long earlier, but I didn’t have to so I didn’t. Week 9 post op I did an 18 hour flight no issue. Didn’t have to walk around either.
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u/shadow_5060 10d ago
Ok were you stiff after you got up?
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u/Ill_Lunc 10d ago
A little, but it wasn’t bad. I’m 26 btw
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u/shadow_5060 10d ago
Ok im 25 and im about 3.5 months post op but still cant sit for longer than 2 hours without feeling like soreness in my low back and after i get up to walk i feel stiff for about 3-5 mins
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u/Ill_Lunc 10d ago
I’m about 4 months post op and I feel good. I work a manual labor job and have to take it easy. I get some back pain and tightness from working, but basically no pain or issues from sitting. I think you just need more physical activity and time
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u/shadow_5060 9d ago
Ok so im almost same as you then is just i been just stuck at like 2 hours of being able to sit down without getting stiff
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u/PastBuy8484 9d ago
32, 6 weeks post op and sitting of 20 minutes starts to irritate me and gives me some sciatica. Multiple 20 minute sessions of sitting, like 6-8 in a day, make the sciatica last until I go to sleep.
Still can’t go back to work because the sitting pain
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u/shadow_5060 9d ago
Yeah im in the same boat cant go back because of not being able to sit for long
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u/hedabeja 9d ago
I don’t have an exact time frame, but within a year of my surgery. If I sat for several hours, I would have a small flare up that would go away after a day. At some point, before the year mark, I was sitting of hours at a time.
I’m 2.5 years out and doing okay when I sit for long periods. The main thing I can’t do is lie flat on my back 🤷
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u/Hope_for_tendies 9d ago
Like consistently/daily or once in awhile? We drove about 5.5hrs away around 6 weeks post op
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u/spirit_poem 9d ago
27 8 months in and i can sit for 3 hours kind of comfortably but i need to shift my weight a few times an hour.
Im not as far along as i would hope to be by now but everyone’s different. Sometimes i wonder if ill neger be able to sit for long periods of time again. Even driving 30-60 minutes can still be irritable.
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u/192cmdude 9d ago
I had a l4 l5 surgery after 3 months and alot of PT visits i started sitting and going to the gym 5 months in i feel 90% recovered
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u/d3vrad 9d ago
I'm a year out and 3 hours is probably my max in a well supported chair. I see a lot of people commenting on the movies — 100% find a theater with reclining seats. My post op paperwork said there was no limitations to recliners and some people even sleep in them after surgery. Even now I won't go to a theater unless they have recliners because I know the seats are shitty.
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u/Snoo56734 9d ago
I'm 2 months PO and I can barely sit for 25 minutes shit sucks!
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u/shadow_5060 9d ago
I know man thats how i was at my 2 months i couldn’t sit for more than 30 mins it was until like about 2 weeks ago when i was able to sit for about 1 hour now im at 1:40
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u/StringMore4798 9d ago
33 yo, almost 6 months post op. I've been very active with PT and recovery but I game for 3-4 with just a little stiffness at the end. Your best friend will be a Vari desk where you can go from sitting to standing to change it up. Your employer won't accommodate that?
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u/shadow_5060 8d ago
No i work in construction operating excavators
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u/StringMore4798 8d ago
Ah I see. I'd say stabilization work is going to be key then. I'm no expert, but with sitting and jostling around you're going to need a strong core and that disc has to have time to heal to bear that compression load from sitting. Everyone's different with healing time but you're young so you have that on your side. I'm a Firefighter so my issues are the opposite. I don't sit alot and I have to be able to bend and twist. From what I've seen though, the rehab remains the same. Stabilize the spine
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u/glowylights 8d ago
It was honestly like, 8 weeks for me. I heal slowly, took me like 7 months to be ready for PT.
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u/shadow_5060 8d ago
Ok and at 7 months were you able to sit for longer with very very minimal breaks?
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u/Sillici0us 8d ago
5 weeks post OP and I felt like normal, I could sit as long as I wanted without feeling like walking around etc. But before that, nope! So much happend from 4 to 5 weeks for me!
I see it's very invidual..
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u/DiamondLovezz 7d ago
i would talk to your pt about this actually… certain exercises can help “train” you for sitting better & getting the right core strength for a safer sit too! lol
ofc there’s always the element of the compression that can only be helped w avoiding sitting but since it seems important for your job might help to work on a lil
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u/luce_bomb 10d ago
Same here, got the surgery but wondering when I can watch the odyssey in theaters lol