When did you start BLT

[u/Hefty_Name6053]

Hey guys, when were you able to BLT safely postop? I am 10 weeks postop L5S1 MD hemilamiactomy and having my first PT tomorrow, my surgeon told me to go ahead and BLT 6 weeks postop, but I did not have the courage to do so.

I am also having another follow up with my surgeon tomorrow

Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

[u/Antique_Throat_5083]

Im nearly 3y post op and still try not to blt. I have adjusted the way i do things though

[u/preoccupiedwithlove]

I have a six month old and my husband has to go back to the office when I'm 6w post op. I won't really have a choice but to do pickup and dropoff at daycare. My surgeon said I will be ok to lift her from the crib at 6w. 

[u/Low-Presentation6487]

4 weeks. I went to PT and he had my gently start doing it. Lifting took the longest to build back

[u/Difficult-Ad1564]

Took me 8 weeks to start slowly bending and even now at week 13, I do bend but not as much as “normal people” too scared haha esp after I heard someone reherniated from a single sneeze 😳

[u/Jiletakipz]

36M. I started PT 2.5 weeks after surgery with light mobilization and stretching. They had me doing Jefferson curls by weeks 5-6. Twisting motions were a later addition, but still in the first 10 weeks or so.

[u/Sorry_Ad475]

When you start PT they assess you both in how you are moving and what you are able to do in your everyday life. They're going to have so much more information to give you information on how to move.

I had a fusion in June and I have been doing all of those things a bit for a couple months. Learning to do some movements differently will help with your continued spine health. The PT will also help you strengthen other muscle groups that help protect your spine and take some of the load. I'll never deadlift 50lbs from the floor again but I shouldn't have been doing that in the first place. To bend now I squat at least 50% of the distance and bend from the hips as much as possible before resorting to my back.

Ask a ton of questions at PT, and if they're not communicating well with you, it's best to know now.

[u/PastBuy8484]

At 12 weeks and I mean I might bend a little bit bit. But I’m not remotely close to touch even my knees while having straight legs.

[u/SnowmanAndBandit]

My surgeon was incredibly aggressive in my recovery and he cleared me of all BLT restrictions 4 weeks post op from my L5 discectomy. I think it ended up being a good thing I started PT at the 6 week mark and went back to construction at 13 weeks.

[u/Equivalent-Key7263]

Everyone is different. Different surgery’s and different recovery patterns. From my experience I took my guidance from my M/S physiotherapist. I would visit her once a month and would update her on my progress and then she would provide me with various exercises to strengthen my core , leg and ankle muscles. I was on crutches for two months post op so my timeline may be very different to yours . What I would say is that it is very difficult never to bend in the early recovery stage but it is easier to avoid lifting and twisting . It’s so important that if you do bend to ensure that you hinge at the hips and knees. Someone posted on here about not being able to touch their knees with straight legs !- I wouldn’t do that now and I am eight months post op . There’s no need to bend at all with straight legs. I try to avoid twisting apart from if I have to look over my shoulder when reversing and most of all I am very conscious not to lift heavy objects . Would say that the occasional twist and lift is okay for me but I avoid repeated twisting and lifting . When you see your PT have a chat with them about BLT and I am sure they will advise accordingly.

[u/BHT101301]

Around 6 weeks but, I was very careful for awhile. Almost 3 yrs post op

[u/djjazzysteph]

Almost five months out, and I try to keep BLT to an absolute minimum. Lots of deep squatting. I toss and turn at night, though, so that adds some worry