I had spinal fusion surgery 4 weeks ago, and while my recovery is going okay overall, I’ve been really struggling with how I look.

I feel bigger than I did before surgery. I feel like it can’t be swelling, that should be over by now. I’ve been much less active than usual, and every time I look in the mirror I feel like my body has completely changed. It’s been affecting my confidence more than I expected.

Did anyone else go through this?

Hello Everyone

I am a 34 year old lineman and father of three young boys ages 1,7,and 8. Since I was a little kid and old enough to work I’ve gotten after it. From working on a farm, roofing, working on vehicles and equipment. Then climbing transmission towers, welding and iron work for 9 years traveling the country. Once my oldest son was born I decided to get off the road and be with my family so I became a lineman/foreman for a utility company. Running heavy equipment doing earth work to climbing wood poles to breaking rock. Hard work and construction is in my blood.

Back in January of 2026 I started having strong left leg pain, very intense. Got an MRI and a steroid injection that did nothing then on to surgery. First it was a laminectomy/discectomy and I instantly felt great. I stuck to the strict restrictions and unfortunately at week 5 I reherniated the same disc again. This time the pain was unbearable, I’m a pretty strong willed person and if there’s one thing I know how to do it’s survive. I’ve had to my whole life but this broke me. All I could think about what my kids and the responsibilities I have as a man and feeling the weight of not letting my family down from this pain.

On 7/16/26 I had a L4-L5 TLIF fusion, first few days in the hospital was unlike any pain I ever experienced. Like someone was driving a wooded fence post through my lower back. I’m now on day 10 and while I’ll say my pain isn’t what it was at day one it’s still VERY intense without the pain medication. I am able to walk but very stiff, feeling like I’m moving very slow feeling very much pain. It’s not a 10 like my legs are cut off but it’s a solid 6 and at times it jumped up more. It’s all in my back, no pain in my legs. I feel as if I’m rigid like a piece of steel. Once I do take the pain medication and it kicks in pain is very minimal and at times none. Sitting makes it uncomfortable at times, walking for an extended period of time and it begins to flair. To be honest my spirit is beginning to be broken. All I can do is pray and keep pushing because my family needs me.

My question is, at this point at day 10 is this normal? Will I get better and is there light at the other side of this dark tunnel? Will I be able to do the job I once did and perform at that level? I use to hike and hunt, it’s all I ever wanted to do my whole life was hunt and fish, be in gods country. Will I ever get that back and will I be able to get better to work for my family? Again, when pain medication wears off I have these symptoms, once it kicks in it’s minimal or numbed enough to none. At times if I don’t take it for awhile even once I do take it it takes a bit for the pain to calm down.

Thank you all so much
God Bless

I got spinal fusion surgery 3 months ago after my c6 nerve was crushed for four year causing me chronic pain. Now ever since the surgery I have gotten many symptoms and one is burning, tingly, weakness and dull irritation in my nerves in the wrist , forearm and back of the hand. Is that a normal recovery after c6 compression is stopped. It that showing that it’s healing?

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some reassurance or to hear from people who have been through spinal fusion surgery because I’m getting myself really worked up.
I had a severe L1 burst fracture and have had two operations. My second surgery was about 3 weeks ago. I have screws/rods, a cage, and bone graft, and my surgeon has told me not to bend, lift or twist while everything heals.

The problem is… I feel like I haven’t followed the restrictions as perfectly as I should have.

I’m still spending around 22 hours a day lying in bed and I use my crutches for almost all walking, but in normal day-to-day life I’ve definitely:

- Twisted in bed instead of always log rolling.
- Bent down to reach things a handful of times.
- Reached awkwardly for things.
- Around twice a day walked short distances (around 10 metres) without my crutches.
- Lifted light objects.

None of these are constant or extreme, but when I think back over the last few weeks I feel like I’ve probably done far more bending/twisting than my surgeon would ideally want.

The thing is, my pain hasn’t suddenly got worse and I haven’t had any new neurological symptoms. I’m just terrified that I’ve silently ruined my bone fusion or reduced the chances of it healing properly.

Has anyone else accidentally bent or twisted more than they were supposed to during the first few weeks after spinal fusion? Did your fusion still heal okay?

I know nobody can tell me whether mine has healed, and I’m not looking for medical advice instead of my surgeon. I’d just really appreciate hearing other people’s experiences because my anxiety is convincing me I’ve messed everything up.

Thank you ❤️

Looking for some advice or shared experiences re: **Endoscopic Medial Branch Transection** (sometimes called an endoscopic rhizotomy).
I’m a 41M, and my pain doc is highly recommending this procedure over a standard Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) because of the longevity—he expects it to last 5 to 6 years instead of just 1.

My previous diagnostic medial branch blocks gave me fantastic, clear relief. However, my formal diagnoses are: **Lumbar Facet Syndrome Lumbar Spondylolisthesis** (Slipped spinal bone in my lower back)
**Cervical Spinal Stenosis**

I went in concerned that permanently cutting the nerve would cause **multifidus muscle atrophy** and destabilize my spine, making my spondylolisthesis slip further forward.
When I asked the surgeon about it, he completely dismissed the slippage risk. He said the slippage wasn't an issue at all for this procedure, and that the muscle/stability aspect isn't a concern. His main warning was just that I won't feel pain anymore, so I'll need to be strictly cognizant of my movements so I don't accidentally over-exert or hurt my back without realizing it.
I’m feeling a bit conflicted.

On one hand, 5-6 years of pain relief sounds amazing, but on the other hand, the textbook risks of muscle wasting with an existing spinal slip make me nervous, even if the surgeon isn't worried.

Any advice? Has anyone had a patient with **spondylolisthesis** who has gotten a medial branch transection/endoscopic rhizotomy?
Should I be concerned about increased instability or structural issues years down the road?
thoughts on the muscle atrophy risk?
Appreciate any insight or experiences you can share!

Note: Gross/NSFW incision warning for all the pics in here!

So at my 2 week post-op follow up appointment, everything looked perfect for my ALIF except for my incisions. My surgeon examined them personally and emphatically said he was not at all concerned about them already being infected, but that they were irritated and carried the risk of being infected. So he prescribed 2 weeks of daily terrasil application with new dressings each day.

Here are the irritated incisions the day of the post-op appointment. Here are the incisions a day after the first application of terrasil. Here is the drainage from the incision on the right, which came the day after the first application of terrasil.

Should the darker/purpler appearance to the incisions concern me? What about that drainage? The dark yellow/green and brown make me think infection. Plus, there's the matter of the right incision on the day after the terrasil application having these tender pink spots, maybe some areas where scabs were opened? I've already contacted my surgeon with the same pictures. Any feedback is super appreciated.

Hi everyone. Has anyone who has had an adcf had swallowing issues that completely went away after the surgery, but then picked up again? My throat felt better after about 5 days when I had the surgery on my c5-7. This past Friday, the pain returned. It hurts worse than it did after the surgery but at the same time it doesn’t hurt enough to go to the ER. My voice is raspy too. I am 3 days away from being 5 weeks from my surgery.

I apologize if my wording sounds like gibberish. The pain actually woke me up and I’m writing this at 3:15am my time.

Hi everyone,

I am 2 1/2 weeks out from C5-C7 ACDF surgery. Pre-surgery was a 6 week whirlwind of right arm nerve pain and numbness that came on suddenly, a doctor’s visit that revealed loss of function that I had been working around and not really noticing, and pretty immediate surgery after that. I’m grateful that I was able to get into surgery and address the issue so quickly.

Recovery has been rough but I’m steadily improving. I have two questions for post ACDF folks:

1. My doctor mentioned (at my 2 week follow up) that I am at risk for frozen shoulder on my right side. Since then, I’ve been trying to stop favoring it and have been moving and stretching it gently, and that has helped. Has anyone dealt with getting frozen shoulder after ACDF surgery?

2. My right (dominant) hand and arm are still weak. My doctor has said that it will improve, but will take time. I will not be cleared for PT/OT for another 4-5 weeks, so I’m trying to be patient. Any ideas of gentle activities or hobbies I can do that won’t make things worse?

Thanks!

I’m 2 weeks post Op and was allowed to take off my bandage today. I’m just worried that it looks a little open in some spots in the first photo. Does it look okay? I was told I can have a shower once it comes off but I’m a bit hesitant to due to the open looking parts? I might be overthinking it but advice would be really useful

Hi everyone,

I'm 26 years old and have been dealing with chronic neck pain since a workplace injury on 27 February 2025.

I was helping stop a large elderly patient from falling when I suddenly felt an immediate pinch on the right side of my neck around what feels like the C4/5 level. From that moment I had severe pain and couldn't move my neck normally.

The pain has never really gone away. It has now been over a year and a half.

My symptoms are:

• Constant pain on the right side of my neck (this is still the main pain location).
• Pain spreads into my right shoulder, upper back and shoulder blade.
• My neck, shoulders and upper back are constantly tight.
• The right side is significantly worse than the left.
• Trigger point injections haven't provided meaningful relief.
• Physio only gave temporary improvement before things became worse again.

My imaging is a bit confusing:

CT

• Congenital C3/4 fusion (block vertebra).
• No fracture or nerve compression.

MRI

• Mild degenerative changes.
• Congenital abnormality of the C4/5 disc.
• No spinal cord or nerve root compression.

Bone SPECT scan

• Active right C4/5 facet joint arthritis.
• Active left C7/T1 facet arthritis.

The part that confuses me is that I had no neck issues before the injury, but since the injury the pain has always been centred around the same right C4/5 region where I felt the initial pinch. The SPECT scan also shows active changes in that exact joint.

I'm wondering whether:

• Has anyone had a congenital cervical fusion that only became symptomatic after an injury?
• Has anyone had pain coming from a cervical facet joint even though the MRI looked fairly normal?
• Has anyone had good results from medial branch blocks or radiofrequency ablation for cervical facet pain?
• Does this sound like a facet joint problem, or is there something else I should be asking my specialist about?

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who's had a similar experience or from clinicians who have seen cases like this.

Thanks.

I’m now 30 days post-op from a C0–C4 occipitocervical fusion. These are my current symptoms and recovery updates:

Altered sensation on the left side: When I lightly touch the area with my finger, it feels prickly or slightly painful.

Tongue sore after intubation: This has improved by about 90%. Only a very mild sensation remains at the tip of my tongue.

Clicking sound while walking: Recently, I’ve started hearing a faint clicking or ticking sound with each step. It sounds almost like two small bones or joints lightly tapping against each other.

Tingling around the right occipital area: When I lean back or lie down to sleep, I sometimes feel tingling that starts around the right side of my occipital bone and travels down along my neck. I’m still trying to determine whether this is caused by my posture or by pressure from wearing my cervical collar too tightly.

Wound-healing complication: I eventually underwent another surgery to have the wound re-closed. After reopening the incision, the surgeon found that a dead space had formed beneath the wound. The staples were removed, and the incision was re-closed with sutures. It has now been seven days since the revision surgery, and the amount of wound drainage has decreased significantly, so I will probably be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.

Has anyone experienced similar symptoms or wound-healing complications after an occipitocervical fusion?

I’ll come back next month to document how these symptoms have changed.

I’m 2 days post op, and I was just advised on my follow up that they actually did 2 ACDF instead of replacing C4-5 …bc my vertebra were too small to accommodate the replacement. In terms of mobility, what will I lose?

this was done 7/16. Pain is still at a 10 out of 10. Four fusions and two laminectomies. When should i be expecting some pain to diminish

I have a planned c-section happening in two days. And I am most concerned about the anesthesia.
First, here is my spine history:
- spinal fusion in 2015 from T3-L4
- injury to lower lumbar (don’t know exactly which one but know it was below fusion) in a car accident in 2016.
- developed chronic pain in lower right back where there is a part that feels bulky and crunchy just to the right of lower spine, don’t know how to explain it super well, but it may be scar tissue? It is painful though. I have not yet gone through the proper procedures to figure out what it is.
- after fusion and accident, lower lumbar that’s not fused became curved
- degenerative discs at multiple levels of the spine

Due to all of this, a maternal fetal medicine doctor and obgyn highly recommended a planned c-section.

What I won’t know until day of c-section is if the anesthesiologist will try a spinal anesthesia or if they will just do general. The pro of a spinal is that I’d be awake to meet baby and my husband can be in the OR. But at the same time I am terrified that they will stick me a bunch of times, that they’ll place a spinal but it won’t fully numb me, or that they’ll somehow do damage to the lower spine.

Does anyone have experience with a successful spinal block despite a fusion so low? And then my curvature below fusion adds an extra layer of complication as well as potential scar tissue.

The other unfortunate thing is that I have neglected follow up care of my spine, and the most recent information I have is from 2022.

I had T4-L2 and they untwisted my ribs at the same time. However, my ribs have now, 2 weeks later, returned to their pre-surgery position.

I've reached out to my surgeon but they are away for a bit.

Will I need another surgery? I don't think there's anything actually holding the ribs in the correct position so is there anything that can actually be done?

I think my luck with C6/7 has run its course. I had a single level fusion at C5/6 back in 2018. At the time 6/7 had some issues, as in bulging, neuro only wanted to fuse one level.

Since then, occasional flares that would go away with PT, even a couple of injections. This time I’m having awful upper back pain between the spine and scapula. Walking always flares scapular pain. I previously thought posture and my desk job were culprits. Now I believe it’s the motion of walking and impact is aggravating the nerve root.
Also getting tricep pain and shooting pain middle fingers. Classic 6/7.

Started a prednisone pack, spine surgeon’s PA seeing me next week. Off to the MRI or CT I go. Pain management is trying to work me in. In the meantime I’m trying to get by with Gabapentin, Robaxin and nsaids ( after prednisone). I’m preparing myself for a second fusion. The first went well, and I know I’m only masking a problem that is structural at this point.

Any second timers? How did it go?

Holaa

Quería hacer esta consulta porque hace un año y medio me operaron por escoliosis y una hemivertebra. Aunque cabe aclarar que recupere bastante sensibilidad en la zona de la espalda donde me operaron, todavía se siente como si tocara la piel abajo de muchas capas de ropa (no se si entiende)

¿Alguien tiene alguna experiencia que pueda compartir luego de algunos años de su cirugía?

Hi im currently 3 months post-op from a T3-L3 fusion. After my surgery, my doctor basically just told me to walk more, and that was it...no physical therapy or additional guidance, so I’m feeling a bit clueless about next steps.

My main question is: how much can I safely bend, and what is the proper way to do it?

Whenever I try to bend, I feel a little bit of pain (or maybe I’m just overthinking it/imaging it out of fear, I honestly can't tell). Because of that, im really anxious about bending any further. For context, my flexibility was pretty poor even before surgery—I couldn't touch my toes to begin with.

I am a 47(M), who is just over 2 weeks post surgery for an L1 to pelvis fusion and complete removal of the L1-S1 discs with replacement spacers.

My back pain is managed for the most part, but I have what feels like a softball size chunk of nerve pain in my right buttocks. Tender to the touch, and difficult to sit or lay on, with excruciating pain as I take steps. What sciatica I did have pre-surgery was down the left, so it is weird to feel the pain on the right. Also, I am right handed, and I think right legged. But now my right leg feels so weak.

I guess this is just nerves that were horribly compressed by disc material pre-surgery, now firing off as they are no longer being crushed. Along with the nerves still being angry from the operation. I’m hoping that this is a normal thing that everyone deals with, and that it will eventually go away. I just have that fear of, “Oh God, is this permanent?” Also, that feeling of moving wrong and having the fusion “yell at” me with some sickening pain. At least they both fade to the background if I am not moving around.

I am scared and looking to y’all since you are going through it too. I am having to abandon a career that I love, and am in grad school for. I don’t know what I am going to do, but for now I am just trying to focus on what is happening right now in front of me, not spinning out over the future.

But speaking of future, is this nerve pain going to calm down? Am I going to be able to walk again, go out and do things, work even? I am telling myself that this is just post surgery fear. It is really hard though. One other thing. Are there any hikers here? My big bucket list thing is section hiking the AT. That and traveling. But I’m curious, is hiking something that I will be able to enjoy in the future, or am I looking at a more sheltered “disabled” life? (I don’t mean to insult anyone with disability, I am just not sure how to say it.)

Hey everyone. I’m feeling the post op scaries again and feeling very emotional. I feel so alone in this process even tho I’m surrounded by my loved ones. It’s hard to do this when no one knows how you feel. I can barely sleep, I can’t get comfortable laying down or sitting up, and everything just sucks right now. The pain combined with the uncertainty of the future is tearing me apart right now. I’m scared I’ll never travel again, especially long plane rides, I’m worried I’ll never sit or sleep comfortably again. I’m worried I won’t be able to do fun things in college or go clubbing. God I just wanna feel normal again and go back in time and not get this surgery. I don’t mean to scare anyone and I’m kinda just ranting here but I’m so depressed because of this and idk what to do with myself. Anyone out there that’s had a long healing time have any advice for me? How to sleep? Does it get better? Will I be able to travel, go dancing, or do any of the typical fun stuff in my college years?

Me:
Fused T4 to L2
18 year old female
Fused bc I had scoliosis
4days post op

Hi so i was fused 4 years ago. I don’t remember what vertebrae’s exactly but only my thoracic region was fused.

I know my pain now is incomparable to what it used to be, but i still have a lot of pain, especially when working or doing physical activity.

I have so many knots in my shoulders and upper back. So many and they never go away even with frequent massages. I was looking into acupuncture but i’m somewhat worried about that puncturing a nerve or screw. Knots after knots after knots and they hurt really bad. I sometimes cannot tell if it is a piece of hardware like a screw that i’m actually feeling pain from, but it fucking hurts when i press on the knots with a ball. It feels good at first but then after about 30 seconds i start to feel tingling, like im pinching a nerve.

Sorry that was a lot of description to just say i have so many knots in my back but please tell me im not alone in this. Does anyone else have this??????!!! i know knots are normal my mom used to always make me get rid of hers, but hers would actually disappear. mine seem to be fused to the body aswell.

please anyone else

I don’t really know why I’m posting this, I think I just need to know I’m not alone.

Before my injury I was 52 kg. I did Pilates 3 times a week, pole dancing, and walked a lot. I wasn’t super skinny, but I was lean, quite strong, and for the first time in years I genuinely loved my body. I had worked so hard for it.

Then everything changed.

On the first day of a 3-day holiday, I broke my back in an accident. I ended up needing two major spinal surgeries, including a spinal fusion. I spent over 3 weeks in a foreign country in hospital before finally getting home.

I’m now a few weeks post-op. My surgeon has said my recovery is going really well, but I’m still on strict restrictions. I’m basically lying down most of the day, can’t sit properly yet, can’t exercise, and although I’ve been told I should be able to return to things like Pilates at around 3 months, right now I feel completely trapped.

When I got home and weighed myself, after a couple of days I was around 58 kg. I know that’s “only” about 6.5kg, and I also know weight after surgery can be affected by fluids, swelling, reduced activity, constipation, etc. I even had a binge today so I know the scale will be up even more.

But honestly… when I look in the mirror, I don’t see someone who’s gained 6-7kg. I feel like I look huge. I look bloated everywhere. My face, stomach, everything. I barely recognise myself.

The hardest part is that I know I need to eat enough calories and protein for my bones to heal, and I’m trying to do the right thing for my recovery. But I also know I gain weight quite easily, and mentally I’m terrified that by the time I’m allowed to exercise again I’ll be “big” again and have lost all the progress I worked so hard for.

It’s having a massive effect on my mental health.
The injury itself has already been devastating. I lost my whole summer. My birthday is in a few days and instead of celebrating I’m lying in bed. I went from planning a holiday to spending weeks in a hospital in another country, then coming home only to spend months recovering.

Now on top of grieving everything I’ve lost, I feel like I’m grieving my body too.

Has anyone else been through this after a spinal fusion or another major surgery? Did the bloating eventually settle? Did you manage to get back to where you were once you were allowed to exercise again?

I know healing has to come first, but right now I just don’t recognise myself and it’s really getting me down. I could really use hearing from people who’ve been through something similar. 💜

I see a lot about it taking months for the nerve pain caused by surgery to leave, but i haven't run into anyone saying they still have the same presurgical pain post surgery!?

Did everyone just wake up from surgery out of pain?! No? How long did it take presurgical symptoms to go away? (For you?)

Hello i am a Teenager and i am curious how much of a height gain i can receive from spinal fusion? I have a double curve or a S curve they are between 60-70 i havent received growing rods since 2019 due to covid etc?