I had the exact surgery done and it took about 6 weeks to get healed. I would definately not recommend any riding for about 2 months to give it good time to heal and always remeber they are not repairing your back they are just releiving some pain and if you are not careful it will come back.

 

. I would definately not recommend any riding for about 2 months to give it good time to heal and always remeber they are not repairing your back they are just releiving some pain and if you are not careful it will come back.

:them:

Do not take chances with it, in fact most of these op's do not work for long if at all, so be careful and don't push your luck.

 

I also have had the exact same surgery, although on different disks. An 800 ft fall with no parachute, was the cause of my issues. Anyway, a big factor to how fast you heal is your age. I was 20-21 when I had mine done (which ended up being around a 4 hr surgery) and it took me 4 weeks to heal. Trust me, you aren't going to want to even THINK about taking a long ride in a vehicle for over a month. It hurts like hell. The surgery didn't work for me, so listen when I tell you to LISTEN and FOLLOW everything the doctor says. I wouldn't wish the constant pain that I deal with now on my worst enemy. If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to talk to someone who has been there before and understands, shoot me an IM and I'll do what I can to help ya out.

 

This question is best ask to your doctor IMHO. He will be the one to know what you should and shouldn't be able to do.

 

:them::them::them:

 

Good luck and heal quickly.

 

Ask your Physiotherapist to put you onto Pilates teacher or Personal Trainer once your rehab is done. Back problems are often the result of a poorly conditioned or misfiring core.
Good luck with it.

 

I installed appliances for 5 years. The constant lifting is what gave me my bad back. I was in great shape before, now im slowly putting on a spare tire since I cant do much. I think I have added 15lbs in the last 6 monthes.

 

I had the exact surgery in 1989, performed by a Navy neurosurgeon at the Naval Hospital in San Diego. I was 31 at the time and extremely fit prior to the back injury. In my case it was related to the vibration of the helicopter I flew, hard shipboard landings ( ships pitch and roll at sea, so you have to plant the helo pretty firmly and the deck crew has to chain the helo to the deck immediately so it doesn't slide over the side ) combined with lifting free weights. Lifting is not the same at sea as it is on land.
Prior to the operation I could not even walk, I was all bent over like a hunchback. The surgery relieved the sciatica, but you feel pretty awful afterward. Every little movement is felt at the site of the surgery. You will walk very slowly and gingerly for about a month. In my case I was able to begin swimming again after a month. In six weeks I was back to some light weight lifting on Nautilus equipment and in eight weeks I was back to some slow jogging. It was a couple of years however before I was back up to my old mileage. Now my knees are shot and I have a spare tire, but that's a different story. In my case the surgery was a success, but there will be residual nerve damage that has caused foot fall and a bunch of little assymmetric problems in my gait. People will tell you you are never the same after a back surgery, but you aren't the same now without it either.
As for bike riding, I was riding in a couple of weeks and was actually more comfortable on the bike than in my car. In the car my back bothered me, and getting in and out was a momma bear. As long as I only used the side stand I found my bike to be easier and more comfortable to use, plus I needed to ride. Don't underestimate the power of being happy in the healing process. My doctor expected a six month convalescence but after three months he pronounced me good to go.

 

I just had a microdiscotomey on Friday, I was having right leg pain due to a herniated disc on L5-S1. When I woke up from surgery all of my leg pain is gone, and all that I am left with is a stiff lower back from the incision. The plan for me is to return to work after a week, I have desk job, but we will see. I put the bike away for the year so that I dont reinjure myself, I dont ever want the pain again. I was really hesitant to have surgery but after 2 years of popping pain pills and a baby on the way I decied to go forward with it, no regrets so far!

 

Plus my doctor wouldn't even let me drive a car for 30 days after the surgery.

 

My wife had it done 3 years ago and she is still far from normal, she has pain on a daily basis, not chronic like before surgery, also he foot numbness never went away completely. She is now 8.5 months pregnant which is causing great concern about her back. Hopefully she will come out ok. Good luck.

Mike

 

Had the same thing the first time. It went well until the disc blew again. Wound up with surgery 2 and 3. Take it easy.