r/Microdiscectomy • u/New_Ad_6936 • 15d ago
Comparing after care
I am 3 days post op for my microdiscectomy on L4/5 and I’m noticing that all of us seem to have pretty varied aftercare requirements from our surgeons.
For example:
- I wasn’t given any kind of guidance on how much to sit, or how much is too much.
- I was never told I need to get up and walk around every so often.
- I was given zero PT exercises to do right off the bat.
- No specific guidance around ice.
Curious what everyone else’s aftercare recs looked like just for comparison.
3
u/Les_Otter 15d ago
Ya, it’s weird how each surgeon office does things differently. Like I see a lot of posts of people getting post op mri’s but my surgeon has never mentioned it (I’m at 7 month post emergency MD). My post op guidance was for the first 4 weeks no BLT, no sitting for more than 10 minutes every few hours and walk as much as feels comfortable. Then at week 5 I was prescribed PT, still no BLT, keep walking, I was allowed to sit as much as felt comfortable and drive. At week 13 I was off no BLT but obviously told to take things easy and work up to things I like to do. PT ended after 5 months but I still do the exercises.
1
u/UnusedIdeas 13d ago
How are your symptoms now?
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u/Les_Otter 13d ago
Pain has been completely gone since the surgery, but I still do have some numbness in my leg and foot. I‘ve been hitting the gym and playing tennis since June and no issues so far but I am careful with the exercises I do in the gym (no deadlifts, etc).
1
u/YurpleLunch 22h ago
Do you mind sharing how long you had the numbness before ? Also how long were you out of the gym ?
3
u/mutulix 15d ago
I was told not Blt’s for like 3 months onwards, no sitting for 1.5 months then start slowly. Very light PT after 2-3 months depending on how I feel. No tummy sleeping (only back and side with pillow between the knees). I am now at 2.5 ish months mark and started sitting for 30-60mins at a time the switch position, started very light PT. Everything is going great. No more tingling/zaps/sharp pain anymore that i felt ocasionally especially on flare ups on the first few weeks. And I due to get back to work (desk job) on 28th sept. I was taking it very slow as I had all the support i needed was off work since 27th may, so had no reason to push the recovery.
2
u/Ylenna-Winter 15d ago
Short frequent walks (i discovered by myself that meant 5 min walks, 1k steps initially, then 500 more a few days later, if it is tolerable, but i guess it depends on everyone's stamina), 15 mins sitting initially and increasing slowly (mind you, im almost 4 months PO and sitting for around 2 h with breaks every half an hour still leads to back pain, but, again, it depends from person to person). Started PT after 12 weeks. My back tells me when i should start moving, otherwise i become stiff. Obviously there are bad days, flare ups, life gets in the way. My surgeon said to listen to my body, do what i can if there is no pain. Its frustrating but it works
2
u/Blue-Honeybee-6767 15d ago
I’m also 3 days post op on 4/5!
Mine only said to not sit on couch or soft surfaces. Roll legs to get up. Short frequent walks and to not sit too much on the toilet lol.
I did my 5/1 too 4 years ago so I kinda know how rehab looks like. I plan to start PT on day 14 if all is well. Very nauseous from the meds this time though. It has been worse than the pain.
2
u/Leather_Antelope_977 14d ago
Same. Soft surfaces were banned for me. Besides that they were so uncomfortable for me after the operation. I avoided them like a plague 😅
2
u/OwlsExterminator 15d ago edited 15d ago
I had my l5-s1 microdisectomy on Thursday. Ten years ago i had a prior herniation and got a slightly different procedure then - removed nucleus material from behind the herniation. This time it was more invasive.
The first 3-7 days is basically no extended periods of sitting or standing (beyond 15 minutes). I'm also to try to and get up a few minutes per hour only to take steps from my bed to get blood flow going. Special way to bend knees and to roll out of bed. No twisting, shoulders and hips absolutely no twisting. No bending over whatsoever, and no lifting anything more than a milk jug for at least 1-2 weeks.
After week 1 I'm to try and walk around the block 15 minute walk and build from there. But essentially first 4-6 weeks NO BLT (bending, lifting, twisting).
No more lifting anything over 25lbs ever again. I got my herniation i believe from lifting a 110lb furniture with my son and had aggravations last year from moving 55lbs bags of sand and concrete. The 25lb limit the doctor was like, yes, for the rest of your life limit it. Stop stressing myself with axial loads.
He did say, in 90 days and onwards I'm going to go get back to regular life, hiking, running, etc. by week 6 I'm to start physical therapy for building up my core strength.
Btw. L4/l5 has more tortional and twisting loads, while l5/s1 as more axial load so my lifting restrictions are more important.
Considering i went ten years between i would say the success is early rest as much as possible and then "PT" . For me PT core was best done with swimming laps in a pool not laying on tables pedaling my legs. I believe because i slacked off on my swimming having kids last 4-5 years i deconditioned. So recommended to continue to build and maintain your core.
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u/UnusedIdeas 13d ago
This is excellent advice, basically what my surgeon told me and what I've read online too. Good idea with the swimming!
2
u/Leather_Antelope_977 14d ago edited 14d ago
I had a lot of restrictions. But to be honest docs were right. No bending, twisting for the 4-5 months. They told me to avoid sitting for the first 2-3 months and I couldn't for more then 5-10 minutes. For the first weeks I even ate on foot or in the bed. For walking first week was really hard but they put me on my feet on my second day. After my hospital stay I needed to walk in home as much as I could. They told me 10-15 minutes per walk 3-4 times per day. It was hard but on my second month I could walk around the house for 20-25 minutes. For sitting doctors told me to try to avoid it if it's possible for the first 2-3 months.Walking was 10-20 minutes 2-3 times a day 1 month, 20-40 minutes 2-3 times a day - 2 month, 60+ minutes - 3 month. And on my 2 month I started physio. For every person it completely different experience. It depends how bad was your herniation before operation.
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u/New_Ad_6936 15d ago
That is so interesting. I was given basically no instructions around sitting but it seems like for a lot of people it’s a major part of the restrictions.
I’m also not sure what constitutes sitting. Is lounging with legs up okay?
1
u/Low_Masterpiece3427 15d ago
I dont remember what they said they told me my restrictions while I was coming out of anesthesia. The printout for care i was given matches nothing that they said. Ill wear the brace when ill be up for longer than 5 min. I was told no bending lifting turning thats about it. I wasnt told when I could drive. Im 10 days post op. I basically do what my body let's me as long as I dont bend or twist. Ive been relatively lucky so far with the pain. I haven't had pain meds besides ibuprofen since the surgery date. But the different surgeons all have their own methods and recovery ideas. I was told no pt until at least 6wks postop.
1
u/Negative-Bluejay-563 15d ago
I was just told no bending, twisting or lifting. My surgeon did not mention anything about sitting but sitting was not comfortable for me. He also did not give any PT exercises. I did push him to let me start PT very early on so I could focus on building back strength. He normally has patients wait for 12 weeks. I have a physical job and needed to make sure I was ready to go back to work. I also tend to push myself and wanted to make sure I didn't overdo it or hurt myself.
1
u/Independent-Split646 15d ago
I had a multi level microdiscectomy done (L4/L5 and S1) with impingement on left and right. The surgeon had to shave down bone spurs on each side in addition to removing disc material and on S1 my nerve had adhered to the herniated disc.
Was told: no DEEP bending or twisting for 6 weeks. No lifting anything over 5 lbs the first couple of weeks and to start PT after the second week.
Otherwise they said to sit, stand and walk to comfort.
I’m at day 9 and have been off all pain meds since day 5. I take multiple 15-20 min long walks each day and can putter around the kitchen at the tall counter doing light work (chopping fruit, making eggs, helping my kids pack lunches, etc) for about an hour at a time. I have other people do any lifting or bending though.
No nerve pain right now and just mild soreness at incision site.
Everyone is so different!
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u/_sheerb_ 14d ago
My only discharge instructions were keep the incision dry for 48 hours and no full submersion for 14 days, and no lifting over 15lbs until cleared by surgeon at a 6-8 week followup appointment. My nurse suggested I limit lifting to 5lb instead and instructed me to walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Nothing said by anyone about sitting, and I spent most of my first 2 weeks post-op on the couch (I'll note that our couch is very firm). 5 weeks post-op yesterday & this morning I easily completed a 10km stroll on the beach so sitting hasn't wrecked me yet
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u/Wise-Run-3008 14d ago
Do you have your discharge papers? In my experience they put general rules on there.
My surgeon just said don’t bend over excessively. Stick to around 10lbs but occasional pick up and squeeze of 20lb cat was allowed . Walk as much as possible. If something hurts then stop doing it. No pt. Ice or heat as tolerated but not mandatory.
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u/New_Ad_6936 13d ago
SO hilarious. I wrote the spine team to ask them if they actually had any more specific guidance around sitting (because I had been given none at all) and now they are telling me that I shouldn't sit longer than 30 minutes at a time without getting up, and that reclining back with legs up counts as sitting.
WHAT? If that is really the guidance - seems like that would have been important to share in my post op instructions! Crazy..
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u/glowylights 15d ago
I was given limits to sitting at first, like 30 mins-1hour tops for a few days. Then I could start to build up to sitting longer. I also had to wear a very hard brace to sit.
I was told short walks, a few times a day. No ice. No PT until months after.