#Shifted spine driver#
#Shifted spine full#

#Shifted spine full#

Interestingly, of the 124 patients undergoing a short fusion, namely a fusion of one or two levels to control an unstable segment or something similar, 90% were still working full time four years after surgery. For patients requiring laminectomy for spinal stenosis or nerve compression as a result of arthritis, 81% were still working four years after surgery. Return to work depends on the surgery? - Looking specifically at long term work for these 255 patients, 95% of those undergoing lumbar discectomy were still working four years later. Functional improvement in things like walking, sitting and performing hobbies also had improved significantly four years after surgery. Medication use also decreased significantly after surgery, with average patient taking daily heavy pain medication to control discomfort before surgery, and 4 years later requiring much less pain pill use. For patients who had undergone the largest surgeries, long fusions, pre-op pain improved from 7/10 to 3 – 4/10 at four years. For patients with the smallest surgery, lumbar disc herniation, pain after 4 years was rated 1 or 2 out of 10. One year following surgery, they noted the pain had improved to about 2 or 3 out of 10. 4 years later - On average, the 255 patients in our study complained of pain of 6 or 7 out of 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 before surgery. They were all asked to rank their pain on a scale of 1 to 10 as to severity, asked about their need for pain medication, and asked about their physical fitness and function. The average patient was questioned four years after their surgery. The diagnoses for this group of patients included disc herniation, recurrent disc herniation, spinal deformity such as scoliosis or kyphosis, shifting or unstable vertebra such as spondylolisthesis, arthritic conditions involving nerve compression, and patients requiring revision spine surgery for prior failed surgical attempts.Īll 255 patients were asked to fill out questionnaires before surgery and at regular intervals after surgery regarding how they felt and how well they were doing. We broke down the type of work performed into sedentary (122 patients) medium work (100 patients) heavy work (23 patients) and work type unknown (10 patients). The average age of these 255 patients was 45.2 years old with the age ranging from 19 to age 60.

#Shifted spine driver#

Excluded from the study were patients who were retired, students, the unemployed, and any patients involved in a worker's compensation claim or litigation of any sort (for instance someone involved in a car accident who was suing the driver of the other car). Some had to stop working before surgery due to pain, but they had the capability to work and hoped to get back to work following surgery. Study of Workers - We studied 255 patients, all adults between age 19 and age 60, who were working full time prior to their lumbar surgery. Based on our experience, our hypothesis or expected finding from this study was that the majority of patients, who were working before surgery, went back to work after surgery and were able to stay in the work force for an extended period of time. The purpose of our study was to define the expectations for returning to work for different kinds of spine surgery, from minimal lumbar diskectomy to major spinal reconstruction and fusion of several vertebrae. In order to answer these and other questions related to work after surgery, we conducted a research study through the Sonoran Spine Research and Education Foundation.

Can a person who has had multiple back surgeries ever work again?.

How realistic is it that a person could return to work after spinal fusion?.

So what should workers expect from spine surgery?.

With the latest techniques, we are now able to get people back to work and back to life after spine surgery very reliably. Over the past twenty years of my career, advances in our ability to diagnose and treat spinal disease have expanded dramatically. Rarely did surgery deliver as much benefit as it hoped. Years ago, spine surgery developed a well deserved reputation for causing as much back pain as it helped. Occasionally, surgery may be required to reestablish full function. Usually, appropriate exercise and conservative care is all that is required. Physicians and other spine care providers focus on decreasing pain in an effort to get these people back into their full speed lives again. People with back and neck problems want to get well, get their lives back, and get back to work.