Where most people recover within weeks after the surgery, a few patients tend to have a prolonged lumbar discectomy recovery period.
Lumbar discectomy is a gold standard method to treat low back pain due to a bulging or herniated disc.
If you had a lumbar discectomy done, you must often wonder about the normal lumbar discectomy recovery time and restrictions after the surgery. And to tell you the truth, there are a few things the doctors tell you to avoid for a few weeks after lumbar discectomy.
There are two processes, lumbar discectomy and minimally invasive microdiscectomy that give the same results and help relieve pain.
However, microdiscectomy speeds up the process of recovery and is usually more successful than lumbar discectomy.
Let’s learn about the normal recovery time for discectomy in a bit more detail.
Lumbar Discectomy Recovery
Now you may ask When does the discectomy recovery period start?
Well, your healing time after any surgery begins as soon as the doctors close the sutures. And it remains continued till you achieve a full recovery and get back to living a normal life.
Generally, the recovery time for lumbar discectomy is 4 to 6 weeks, lasting for 8 or even 12 weeks in some patients. It all depends on your overall health, whether you will heal faster or take longer than others.
Only your Surgeon can tell you the exact time of recovery after the discectomy. Moreover, your doctor will also give you a few pieces of advice about what to do and what to avoid during the recovery time.
Your goal is to follow the instructions properly to recover faster.
Now let’s highlight the main points about the lumbar discectomy recovery duration and how to heal faster.
Discectomy Recovery in Hospital
The only symptom you should experience at this point is pain due to the surgical process. This pain will go away as time passes so don’t worry about it. Plus, your doctor will prescribe some pain medications that will help reduce the intensity of pain.
In the hospital, the doctor and nurses will constantly monitor your progress for the next 24 hours or less. They will help you walk around the corridor and perform light activities that don’t put too much strain on the back.
If after a few hours you can walk and sit without excessive pain, the doctor will discharge you the same day.
However, if you do not show improvement, then they might hospitalize you for a few more hours and keep on monitoring the change in the activity.
The First Week after Lumbar Discectomy (Post-Op Period)
In the first week after surgery, you should rest and at the same time move the spine as much as possible. But do not go beyond a limit, as too much spinal mobility can affect your back negatively.
The first week after lumbar discectomy is very crucial and you should be extra cautious at this point. If your doctor had advised you to avoid bathing and swimming, follow your doctor’s advice
If you experience any pain during the first week, know that it is normal, however, it should gradually decrease over time. And most importantly you need to take care of the wound site and keep it clean to avoid infections.
Mostly, the doctors suggest their patients go for short walks. Besides, you should not just sit at home doing nothing as that can affect your digestive system and cause further complications.
Remember: Your spine will only heal if you want it to heal. And it will only function if you want to move it.
Following are the activities to avoid during lumbar discectomy recovery:
- Heavy lifting
- Bending
- Twisting
- Running
- Swimming and Bathing
- Sitting for long hours
- Or other strenuous activities that will put pressure on your backbone.
Your doctor most likely will call you for a checkup seven days after the surgery. And he might give a two-week time limit to perform certain tasks like bending, lifting, and twisting.
Pro Tip: Keep a grabber-tool to lift the things and avoid bending the back. Plus, ask someone to stay with you to avoid reinjury and other complications.
A Month after Lumbar Discectomy
You would notice a dramatic change in your health a month after your surgery. Many patients resume driving after two weeks of lumbar discectomy surgery.
There is little to no sciatic pain a month after the surgery. And if you do not have any other complications you must be able to bend and lift small things on your own.
Six to Twelve Weeks Later
Most people are fully recovered six weeks after the lumbar discectomy. And many recoverers go back to work and start living a normal life.
As with any other surgery, you should only go back to work if it doesn’t include hard labor and doesn’t demand excessive movement of your spine.
However, you don’t have to feel alone if your surgery is taking longer than six weeks to heal.
In some patients, the recovery period might exceed the six weeks limit and their body can take two more weeks to heal. Besides, if you are aged or have another chronic disease, your healing time will naturally be lengthier than others.
However, after eight weeks, almost all the patients resume working, driving, jogging, and perform all the usual life activities. If you are still feeling any sort of pain while performing these tasks, consult your doctor.
From the time you start feeling a little better, assign a physical therapist and continue the therapy till you are fully recovered.
FAQs
It usually takes four to six weeks to recover from a discectomy. It can take up to eight weeks as well. But almost everyone comes back to their normal lifestyle two months after the surgery.
The one thing you will notice after the discectomy is a dramatic decrease in pain that was being caused by the bulging disc before the surgery.
Conclusion
So in short, the three things every doctor suggests you avoid doing till your recovery period is over are; bending, lifting, and twisting.
Always keep a track of your signs and symptoms before the lumbar discectomy recovery period starts and observe your progress. Plus, keep your doctor updated about your condition and take proper medications.