Back surgery pros/cons/recovery

[Parrot]

Here is my experience and thoughts for what they are worth.
I have grade 1 spondylosis in my SI L5 joint. I went to MRI's and two surgery centers. One Dr wanted to schedule the surgery the next day. The other said I am too young for fusion surgery. I was 43 at the time. He recommended lose my gut (still working on this one) stay active and find a good chiropractor. When I sit around and do not much on the weekends my back hurts. So I try to stay active. My chiropractor has became a good friend and I see him at least once a month more if needed. I try to golf once a month some months I go 3 times.. if my back feels good I go chiropractor says it probably helps with the movement. Get a stim unit they help way more then drugs. And good inversion table for flare ups. PT and maybe a chiropractor. However I have worked with a few guys that have had the same thing you have and are way better now then before.. sorry for the long post just wanted you to know of options you might not have heard of yet.

To me, this is the right way to treat with a chiro. With the MRI, the problem is known and the doc knows, and the chiro should, whether a problem can be helped with chiropractic treatment.

Only chiro I’ve ever used is one recommended by my neurosurgeon.

 

[J4U]

I feel your pain, literally. I sure hope you can get some relief. On the path to get 2 disks replaced in my neck and then deal with the thoracic and lumbar down the road. Also in the same stenosis path and it's just a matter of time I think for me.

Injections have provided some relief. Doesn't go away and flares up again for my neck. It does bring back sensation in my extremities and can raise my legs higher and actually feel the legs working. It's not a permanent solution though.

Pain meds do nothing really and it's hard to sleep. Having that bone-on-bone sensation and the sound is awful. Fortunately there is some spinal fluid in the disks still and isn't a must decision right now.

Going to try acupuncture next after meeting with the doctor about how this series of injections went next Monday.

I'm afraid I'm in store for the disc replacements. Thankfully the spine surgeon I've met doesn't want to jump straight to fusion. He also said 3 joints need addressed, but only 2 have been approved before fusion. Stability becomes an issue if more than two disks. Fusion is a last resort as it just moves the issue to the next joints (outside of the stenosis).

I get it and about to say "let's go" just to try and get relief. Also with you about not wanting to because it's just the start of continual processes as other joints could take on the stress.

The stenosis is a different animal and know that once the pressure is gone, the body can sense and heal better elsewhere.

With them just wanting to clean out and not necessarily fuse, I would be leaning that way.

Here if you want to bounce thoughts off of, just give me a shout.

 

[golfinnut]

I'll be following your experience. I have the same issues with my lower back ... compression of the spine, sciatica, arthritis, etc. Compression of L2 thru L4 nerves. All of my pain originates from having a bad hip for the longest time (right hip was replaced just 6 years ago). So I walked the 'wrong' way for the longest time, it made my back crooked around the discs just above the sacral bone. I've tried PT, injections, tens device, inversion therapy, & unfortunately opioids. Those are the only thing that gets me thru the day. Having a sedentary job sitting at a computer doesn't help, nor a long commute sitting in the truck going to work. So .... the next step is surgery. I've been given multiple referrals to back surgeons in my area but I have yet to go because I'm afraid of the outcome. So I just bear with it every day. Some days are better than others, of course.

 

[MudFlap]

Sounds like you had a great experience, that’s awesome. After surgery, how long was recovery before you could play golf?

The hardest part after was not doing too much because I felt so much better. I had 6 weeks off work and lots of stuff around the house I could have been doing.

As soon as the stitches came out I was chipping and putting. After about 4 weeks, I was riding in a cart and dropping balls in the fairway playing easy half swings from 100 in. About 8 weeks I was taking full swings and playing again.

Inversion/traction and a good neurosurgeon are my number one tips. I would never let an orthopedic touch my back.

 

[Duffer Seamus]

Nobody I know has ever had back surgery with positive outcomes.

This is the problem: A successful outcome from back surgery seems to be such a craps shoot Depending upon the nature of the problem, the surgeon, the individual, and the phase of the moon it may be successful, it may not, or it may actually make things worse.

Read the results of a meta study a few months back that showed non-surgical interventions (PT, strength training, etc.) had a higher overall success rate than surgery.

I have sciatica. Have had for 40+ years. At least twice it's affected me so badly I was essentially crippled. As long as I stretch regularly and maintain a strength training regimen I wouldn't know it was there anymore.

I've no recommendation on how to approach your problem, but I will say this: Whatever it takes, I would not put it off in favor of vacation or golf trips. Whether it's PT + strength training or surgery: Get it taken care of. Get pain-free and fully functional. Then take your vacations and golf trips confident you'll be able to enjoy them to the fullest.

 

[1860VS]

I had a friend who had had numerous back/neck surgeries. When the Feds had that freak out about the "opioid crisis". They made medical professionals afraid to prescribe painkillers to even the most needy of patients. My buddys prescriptions were cut in half. After a few months of living in incessant agony, he killed himself.
Great job Feds........ overreact because addictive personalities may become addicts. Go figure. Then the people that were pushed to off the street pain killers started dying from fentanyl laced garbage. Addicts or ill people, they were still better off alive than dead.....

 

[milehighgolfer]

I had my procedure today. Already most of the nerve pain is gone. 1" incision in my lower back that has to heal and some muscle soreness but overall not a big deal for the instant relief it gave me. Dr. prescribed rest and light walking on MASTERS WEEK!!

 

[Alan4014]

I was just reading this thread wondering what you decided.
I had the same 6 years ago after putting off surgery for years. My only regret was not doing it sooner.