How Quickly Can People Return to Normal Work After Spine Surgery?

Worldwide, adult workers are facing a common health problem of chronic low back pain. This pain is responsible for global job-related disability, activity limitation, decreased work productivity, and absence from work. The incident can lead to enormous economic distress.

People who suffer from neck and back injuries crave normalcy in life. Doctors aim to decrease pain by recommending conservative care and appropriate exercise. It is a different solution for spinal fixation in spine surgery that has evolved significantly since its inception. Surgical treatment has proved to be more effective than non-surgical treatment. However, for spine surgery, patients bear the cost for four years.

Common queries regarding spine surgery in people’s minds

With the help of the latest techniques, doctors offer a life of normalcy to their patients, but people still doubt it. They are worried regarding the timespan of recovery, how long it takes to return to work, the consequences of multiple back surgeries, etc.

According to the medical equipment manufacturers in India, most patients can go back to work after a successful recovery from minimal lumbar discectomy, major spinal reconstruction, and fusion of several vertebrae.

Diagnoses for Spine Surgery

The study suggests that patients are usually diagnosed with

● Disc herniation

● Spinal deformity

● Recurrent disc herniation

● Kyphosis or scoliosis

● Spondylolisthesis

● Several arthritic conditions

● Nerve compression

Some patients also require having a revision spine surgery for previous unsuccessful surgical attempts. After surgery, there is a significant development in pain, decreased medication usage, functional improvement in sitting, walking, and performing other activities.

How come surgery determines a patient's return to everyday life?

Incision approaches like T.L.I.F or Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion, P.L.I.F or Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion, and A.L.I.F or Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion has the records of better clinical outcomes compared to O.S or Open Surgery. These techniques are highly acceptable for they relate to initial return to work without undermining the patients’ productivity.

According to the study, patients undergoing lumbar discectomy and laminectomy for spinal stenosis can resume their full-time work smoothly after surgery. Around 80% of the patients with spinal deformity return to the life of normalcy after long fusions.

What is M.I.S?

Minimally Invasive Surgery or M.I.S for lumbar spinal fusion is akin to traditional open surgery. It reduces tissue damage to your spinal muscles and improves outcomes with a significantly low hospital cost. Benefits of M.I.S include,

● Rapid mobilization

● Reduced blood loss

● A shorter length of hospital stay

● Low degree of post-surgery pain

● Reduced need for post-surgery analgesics

● Low risk of infection

Recovery Period for Different Procedures

Modern advances in laser surgery have made it easier for people to return to work.

Healthy individuals with non-physical jobs take merely a week to return to their activities after undergoing a laser back surgery.

Patients with physically strenuous jobs can go back to work within six weeks.

O.S patients with non-physical jobs require six weeks, while O.S patients with strenuous jobs may require one year, to resume their work.

Conclusion: Take-home Messages

The majority of patients do not suffer from any injury following spine surgery. They can go back and remain at work for a long time. Patients witness dramatic pain relief after a fusion of one to two levels. Surprisingly, people with significant spine fusions can also return and remain at work. There is no issue for people who want to return and stay at work after successful revision surgeries or multiple surgeries. The only advice is to follow a healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly.