Paddling and tripping post spinal fusion?

[Alan Gage]

Apologies for cross posting this to multiple forums but I know the membership doesn't always overlap and there are opinions I respect on all of them.

I've had sciatic pain for a year now due to bulged discs. It's pretty bad and I haven't seen any improvement. In fact it's gotten a little worse in the last couple months. I've been seeing a spine specialist and we're about out of more conservative options. He recommended I speak with a neurosurgeon, which I did, and he said if I elect to go ahead with surgery that I'd be looking at a disc fusion. For sure L4/L5 and probably L5/S1 as well.

Curious to hear from others who have had similar procedures how this has affected your paddling and tripping. How long after recovery did you feel comfortable doing a strenuous trip? Or don't you feel comfortable with it?

Alan

 

[Mason]

I fractured C7 twenty years ago and had a diskectomy/fusion/plate. My recovery was rapid, painless (except for my hip where they took a chunk for the fusion), and with no real long-term limitations. My surgery was in May (accident in April), and I was stupidly glissading coming off a climb about a month later, but to no ill effects. Also, I had a field job at the time, and I wasn't slowed down much. If I have a reduced range of motion, it doesn't really affect any thing--besides, I'm 20 years older, and that sort of thing is expected.

Of course this is a wholly different part of the spine, but recovery can be quick. A friend had a similar fracture (same year), and he had cadaver bone inserted instead of his own. I think his recovery was much longer (or he was just smarter by being more conservative, which may very well be the case).

 

[dougd]

Alan, I had an operation on L3/4 for stenois last March. It's still bothers me but I have been very lax on exercising which from what I'm told has a lot to do with recovery and it doesn't help that I have arthritis in other parts of my spine. As mentioned a different part of the back. I think every person's recovery is different and how well you follow recovery directions. As far as paddling if I'm kneeling it's OK but sitting in a canoe seat still hurts some. When I take out the Rob Roy, butt seat, I do just fine. Carrying a load is still a problem so I'm not planning any long trips this coming summer. I wish you luck, back pain is almost as bad as dental pain!

dougd

 

[yellowcanoe]

I had a friend (now deceased) that had a fusion of three lumbar vertebrae many years ago
Ge not only continued to paddle many times a year ( probably 200) until he started building wood canvas canoes Then he had not as much time dor paddling as he was in the shop building.
After he did BWCA trips still with school groups but did not use the tumpline any more
He also usually knelt.

 

[Gerald]

Hi Alan,

I had a discectomy/fusion L4 through S1 in 1972 at age 33. I am age 80 now and have had no regrets. With time there are a few minor inconveniences such as a little less lower back suppleness but other than that I've had no problems. I've had and still have a very active life style. After the surgery I ran 3 full marathons, many cross country ski marathons and still mountain bike in rough terrain. Spent 30 years thereafter portaging an Old Town Tripper which weighed +/- 80-85 lbs.

You must spend the time and effort required for the post op physio or otherwise it may not be as successful as could be.

Good luck with that and keep us posted.

Gerald

 

[scoutergriz]

I'm a lot worse than you- I've ruptured L3/4 crushed L4/5 and and L5/S1, unstable wedge fracture of my L5, and several severed nerves! I'm not a candidate for surgery due to rheumatoid arthritis in my hip and a tilted pelvis. I'm still able to paddle and hike for about 2 hrs at a time, then I need to stretch my back and legs for about a half hour. Weight is a different story- I can carry 10 lbs all day, 20 for an hour or so, and forty for a short portage (my canoe is 42lbs, so no more than 100Yds at a time)
Take your lumps and get it done, find a good physiotherapist (preferably a sports one) and DON"T push it!

 

[Jim Dodd]

Hi Alan !

Before I went under a Surgeon's Scalpel ?
I'd pay Steve Mueller in Algona Iowa a visit !

I'll PM you

 

[Guest]

Very sorry to hear that. I know the pain, I had an impingement and lateral shift that went on for years and eventually blew the L2/L3 disk which bulged out pressing on a nerve. My left leg from knee to ankle is still largely numb on one side.

I never had any of the recommended surgeries, opting for PT and exercises and being cautious about things I know I shouldn’t do. I still do them, carefully, and if my back starts to hurt find something else to work on.

Not that that always works. I can move furniture, split wood and shoulder boats, and then be bedridden because I picked up an acorn in the deck with my toes (the docs laughed when I told them what I did).

The last time I effed up was spending part of a day installing washers and nuts under the brightwork on a canoe, something I have no-problem done hundreds of times. This time, for some reason, maybe as simple as having the canoe at a bad work height and not stopping when I first started to hurt, I was hobbled for days.

Of the (several) dozens of people I know with back problems no one’s condition, treatment and results have been exactly the same, which does little for recommendations.

Two personal cautions about living (and working) with back issues. I came to realize that my physiological positioning while working, especially in a stationary stance, was critical. For me working hunched over is a killer.

And, when working in pain, I compensated for years by using other muscles and abusing other joints. Overcompensated, “Lift with your knees, not your back” doesn’t mean only your knees.

Hope it works out. Don’t pick up any acorns.

 

[Guest]

Everybody's condition is different, but a kayak paddler I know switched to a solo canoe with a canted seat and now paddles kneeling in comfort.

 

[Alan Gage]

I forgot to update this. Things continued to deteriorate and I continued to exhaust other options. I went in for surgery (ALIF) on April 1st and woke up in bed with no back pain, which felt great! They fused L4/L5 and L5/S1 by coming in through both the front and back so it was a pretty big surgery. I elected to spend 2 nights in the hospital but they would have let me go next day had I wanted. The first week was a bit rough but still better than how I had been feeling. I was on a light pain pill regimen that I quit after 12 days.

I'm not allowed to lift anything over 10 pounds nor am I supposed to bend or twist my back until the fusion is complete, which takes some getting used to. But recovery is going much better than I anticipated. Today is 4 weeks post-surgery and while there are still a lot of things I can't do it feels great to be able to go for walks again and be mostly pain free. There is still some lingering nerve pain but it's easily manageable and much less than what I was dealing with before. And it keeps getting better every day! They told me up front that nerve pain would be the last thing to heal.

Hopefully on July 1st they'll release me from my restrictions and I can start getting back to doing the things I want to be doing. Until then I'll just keep walking, which is what the doctor (and the dog) wants.

Alan

 

[PaddlingPitt]

A good news story, Alan!!

 

[Alan Gage]

And it's too bad Mike won't get on Facebook or else he could have seen my before and after pics, which I'll be sending to the Geraldon Grinders Club where I hope they land me a job working next to The Plaid Prancer.

Alan

 

[Odyssey]

All good wishes, blessings, prayers and karma sent your way, whatever works in the universe, I am glad you are recovering so well Alan.

 

[dougd]

I'm glad to hear the surgery was a success! When I had my neck operated on I couldn't look up/down/left or right, I had to turn my whole body, this was for 37 days. When I finally could it still took me a week or more to not use my whole body to look around! I also got addicted to drinking out of a straw. Go slow and do what the docs say!

 

[Canotrouge]

Same disks as me all of them... I had Sciatica problems on and off for 20+ years, and a few years ago it was really really bad where I had to spend the plane trip from Vancouver to Toronto standing in the plane about 4+hrs.... Anyway, I went through a lot of specialist and lots of different therapist, physio, massage, acuponcture, IMT, etc etc etc... Then I get to my mom's place and she said you should try to see my Osteopath(the witch) and 2 sessions, done, never any pain again, I still see here anytime I go back and I do see one here every few months for maintenance. I have a pretty demanding job physically as a carpenter, and I can say that here surgery isn't really an option they suggest you unless you can't walk anymore... Anyway, that is my experience!
Good luck!

 

[Jim Dodd]

Hang in there!
I'll bring up Black Pearl ,If I ever get it done ! And you can critic it for me !!!

Jim

 

[latremorej]

Glad to hear the surgery went well! Dont slack on the recovery instructions!

wishing you a speedy recovery

Jason

 

[scoutergriz]

Canotrouge; I'm in the same boat, but far more severe! I've got crushed or bulged L3,4,5,S1 compression fracture of the L4/5 vertebrae, 5 crushed or severed nerves,no cartilage left in the sacroiliac joint, and a rotated pelvis.
Sadly I'm not a candidate for surgery because if they repair the pelvis, it'll increase strain on the spine, and if they repair the spine (fusion) it'll increase strain on the SI and pelvis.
I get weekly nerve blocks and moderate painkillers, which get me through the day, and although I'm limited to 20lbs, frequently, 40 occasionally, and 60 rarely, I can still paddle for about 2 hours at a stretch- a lowered and angled kneeling thwart helps tremendously as it allows my back to rest in a more natural position, and when double it serves as a foot brace to prevent me from shifting about when leaning or pulling hard!

 

[Guest]

And it's too bad Mike won't get on Facebook or else he could have seen my before and after pics, which I'll be sending to the Geraldon Grinders Club where I hope they land me a job working next to The Plaid Prancer.

No Facebook for me. I’ll try to catch the live show.

Hope your recovery continues successful, and you are on the water soon and planning the next big trip.

 

[Alan Gage]

I've continued to improve and I had my 3 month follow up visit with the doc last week. They took more x-rays and said everything looks good. He told me at this point the fusion should be set and there is little chance of damaging it. He said I can start doing whatever I can tolerate. So I have been and it feels great to finally be doing something!

Been cutting up some downed trees and hauling logs to my sawmill (skid loader is doing the real work) and now I'm in the process of tearing down my rotten old garage to build a new shop in its place. I still have some pain and need to be careful about what I do but the last week has seen a lot of improvement with the increased mobility and no pain or soreness as a result.

I'm hoping by next spring to be as healed as I'm going to get and that I'll trust my back enough to start canoe tripping again.

Alan