How much can you do one week out from PLIF??

  • Thread starter Thread starter mznell
  • Start date Start date
At least for the first two, sleeping is probably the only thing you'll want to do. Your body's been through a very rough experience and it really neeRAB to rest. The first three to four weeks are slow going, but I noticed a rapid improvement over the following month. It seems like it took about a month for the area to settle down and relax a bit; at that point I just started walking more and more. So don't worry. I know for the first weeks it feels like your spine is going to snap in two if you don't keep absolutely straight, and I know I was always worried I was "doing something wrong." Progress just means doing a little better than you did before.

Good Luck,
David
 
Rest rest rest! At least for the first week or two. I remeraber I could only get out of bed and go to the bathroom and then i had to lay down again. You'll have plenty of time to "push it." I used a walker for the first few weeks. I could walk a lot farther and I had something to lean on when I got tired. My doc said to not leave the house for the first week, and then to walk down the block and back.

-David
 
Hi Dave ~

When you first started walking, did you use a walker? Did you have pain in the front of your thighs? I can go a ways and then my muscles just feel like they're going to collapse. So I sit down and wait a little bit and can then walk a bit more. Is that how to approach it? I don't think the pain is worse one way or the other.

How are you coming along, Dave?
 
I believe what he meant by "pain spike" is that, generally speaking, you start feeling better after the surgery, and then around the 10th day the nerves that were involved in the surgery start to "wake" up and there is a spike upwarRAB in the level of pain that you feel.

Some say it is because the docs put in a nurabing medication as they are closing you up and it lasts about 10 days...and then you start hurting more. I specifically asked my usrgeon about it; she said that the nurabing agent wears off after about 8-10 hours, but at around day 10, the nerves that were decompressed during the surgery, that were pulled and stretched, start to wake up and it is painful. :(
 
I go to a gym, and I did try the elliptical once. It felt very awkward, I guess because I have such a long fusion, T4-Sacrum. I don't bend at all. I discovered that you need to have a little spine movement to use that machine. I ended up injuring my heel because of how it jerked me around. It took months to heal. I'm afraid to use it again. I use the treadmill, but I think it does more for my heart and overall strength than my legs.

But thanks for the suggestion. I could tell it would be a great workout if I hadn't hurt myself on it.

Emily
 
Rest, rest rest, catch up on some books or movies. And your doctor's right about day 10 I had the most horrendous muscle spasms and had to call the doctor for meRAB. I could barely get up with my walker to go to the bathroom. After that things started to get better. I could cook some heat and eat dinners by myself and could shower without help. Dr. started me in pt about week 3 , and I was allowed to drive short distances about then.Keep in mind this is different for everyone. A lot of people here told me they didn't start pt until 6 or 8 weeks post-op and were not allowed to drive at all.Good Luck with your recovery, Dee:)
 
Thanks for the idea! I talked to one of the trainers yesterday. You can hire them, but you can also just talk to them and beat their brains a bit. He was happy to help me for no fee at all, just because that's what they do.

He found two machines for me that would work my upper leg muscles but not put strain on my back. But get this: he gave me the simplest exercise I can do at home for my calf muscles. I did it when I got home, and I could really feel it and my legs were really shaky afterward, so I know it gave those muscles a good workout. He told me to stand on a step with the balls of my feet planted firmly but the heels hanging off the edge. Go up on my toes, then down so my heels are an inch or two below the level of the step, repeat a bunch of times. Wow! So simple! I did 3 sets of 30 and it was difficult by the end, but really good!

Yea!!!
~Emily
 
Hi Emily,

I'm so glad you found someone at the gym who could help you. Now you have a little something to begin with and then to build on. I am looking forward to the time when I can begin a few little exercises too. My legs have really atrophied in the last year or so.

xx MM
 
Back
Top