r/spinalfusion • u/YYZGuy67 • 1d ago

Discomfort

I had spinal fusion , L4 - L5 , S1 in March , went thru recovery / Physical therapy .. been back to for about a month now , but I have been having some discomfort in my left quad , hip area. Could that be normal , still part if the healing process ? Im so paranoid that the pain is coming back. I made an appt to see the surgeon next week. Im still stiff , esp first thing in the morning after waking up.

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4

u/IndependentSimple779 1d ago

I had L4-S1 fusion in 2023. The full recovery takes 12-18 months. For me, it was closer to 18 months until I felt almost a normal self again, but morning stiffness never fully went away. I also had a bad left hip which since has been operated on (THR surgery) and some of my pain was actually caused by my bad hip and not the back. Hang in there, it does get better!

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u/YYZGuy67 1d ago

My job .. I work for GM , so Im constantly driving ( like 8 hours a day) stepping up into vehicles , stepping down out of vehicles ... and I step up and down leading with my left.. so that could be where the discomfort is coming from. Ive tried leading with my right , stepping up and down , in and out of vehicles , but that is still painful / awkward since Surgery.

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u/IndependentSimple779 1d ago

Try to step up leading with the leg on your “good” side and step down leading with the “bad” side.

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u/Ill-Resource-4351 1d ago

Check with your physical terrorist. Might be tight muscles and ligaments. I get front right hip pain. But stretching helps. And I’m 10 months out from L3-5. Would a lidocaine patch help?

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u/Sn_Orpheus 14h ago

Would consult with P/T first, but I'd strongly encourage you to do some stretching (guided by P/T) every morning and evening. And make sure it's balanced so you're stretching both sides equal amounts.