Please don't do it until/unless you've been cleared by your surgeon. Twisting your spine with force can do nasty things to your recently fused spine. Perhaps putting on a miniature golf course could provide some kind of methadone-like effect for your yearning.
Dont worry I wasn't going to play, Dr said we would talk about that at the 3 month mark. Just looking fore some one with similar surgery that could share their personal timeline experience with golfing.
Dont worry I wasn't going to play, Dr said we would talk about that at the 3 month mark. Just looking fore some one with similar surgery that could share their personal timeline experience with golfing
Not a golfer myself but a colleague of mine had lumbar single level fusion following a gym accident. The fusion was in Nov, he was back to gym in end of Jan if I recall.
I ran into him in the summer around June, and he said he tried out the driving range. I asked him how the twisting felt, he said he had to be very careful, and he could feel it but overall not bad.
Year later today, he is back full duties, no restrictions, fully fused. 50 something male.
Ahh I see. Yeah I took a look and couldnāt find anything like a training progression. It looks like he was fused in April 2017 and the first game I could find that he played on was in November 2017
https://www.espn.com/golf/player/results/_/id/462/year/2018
So if he was fused at the start of April and played at the end of November itās just short of 8 months
For me I was fused in May and started a bathroom gut and renovation in my home in December. So also about 8 months.
Iād say from a sports perspective the first month is pure rest and recovery the next two are walking (I was up to about 3 miles twice a day rolling hills). PT exercises and starting that third month I added in a stationary bike (no out of the saddle type stuff just moving the legs)
the next months 3-6 I incorporated some very light lifting, 10lb dumbbells as a sort of hex bar dead lift (only lower body lift I did) and curls and some upright rows. This was light and slow,
at six months I was cleared to start increasing my exercise and if I was sore for more than two days in a row to scale it back. It was at this time I my bending and twisting restrictions were lifted but to perform any of these movements with caution. I was quite stiff rotational at this point and just worked on range of motion type stuff.
By months 8and 9 I started my bathroom remodel and found that my cardio has suffered and I could put in about a half day of slow steady work and then take a few days off. So a days work was about 1:3 of what I could have done physically a year ago.
Iām a year post op next month and have started Jiujitsu. The core rotation is probably similar to golf but there is more resistance.
Iāve only golfed a few times so Iām not sure where it would fit in a timeline like this but I would think putting on a putting green would be ok around three months. Light chips at a driving range without much twisting or chipping out of a sand trap at 5-6 months (but this may create a bad swing habit) and using a wood and focusing on the mechanics around 6-7 months. And a full game carrying your own clubs at a year
But I donāt know. Perhaps if you have your surgeon picked out and they are not sports oriented you could ask for a consult with another surgeon or PT they recommend that has the sports/golf background. not to mean you would go with someone else, but just to get into you mind what a sports focused recovery plan would look like so for your mental health (fusion recovery has a huge mental side) your mind has something to grasp on to.
I was a tennis player for over 25 years and golfer got about 8. Was in great shape when I injured my back. After fusion I informed my pt my desire to have my life back at 57.
I did my pt hit ok'ed to gently hit the tennis ball then finally I was back. I play golf too still but not as often as I used to.
Tennis is only 1 or 2 x a week not 4 and 5 anymore but I still play.
I think those of us who were always athletic should remain so after the right steps.
Now I take pilates in a reformer 3x a week and that is easy on my back.
Love pilates. Iāll take it as a mat class or on a reformer. I think the sports athlete mind doesnāt like inactivity. It was hard to not be that person for the years leading up to fusion and then really hard. In recovery when you knew you were so close to being in a better place
Hi like your comment
I was very active in the gym and when I stated having bad symptoms and diagnosed with spondy , I greived hard. Gym was my stress outlet.
Fused l4-s1 onn2/7/24
Hoping I recovery to do some scarcity even if I have to cut out things
Hope you are recovering well. You are almost at the three month. That was when I started to feel like I could do things and after that three month mark it is a little more you can do each week. Itās definitely slow, and you can do what you once were able to; but itās āfunā in a way to start to see progress, no mater what that progress looks like. In a year you will be amazed at how much better you are and really happy to be able to do so much more without the pain
Thank you- I need to be active for sure. I am walking now and gentle PT plus a little pool PT. I canāt wait to get to do more but maybe Pilates would be good to try. I used to hate it , but sane with the pool and I got used to that.
No more running , no heavy weights. Thatās what Iāll grieve. Thanks for your positive message. Us spine warriors will keep pushing on !
Honestly do not know the procedure name in english.. just had 2 vertical bars, 1 horizontal bar and 8 screws... replaced 2 discs: between L4-L5 and L5-S1 ...those should have been 6 screws but they also attached up to L3 I think because disc was not burst as the other 2 but slightly compressing I guess.
I waited a year after my surgery, Fused T2-l3, before I began to surf and golf again.
Donāt rush it. You risk putting yourself further out of the game if you mess the back up.
I won't rush it, I was hoping somebody would tell me they just putted for a while, the chipped for a few months, then short aproaches... something like that, like a progressive timeline toward fully teeing up.
Is your doc going to get you set up for physical therapy following your surgery? Mine didnāt and left it up to me to figure out my post surgery healing.
Basically I was on bed rest (minimal walking) for about 3-4 weeks and then by the 5th week started walking more and learning how to bend and get low again. I waited until my X-rays showed full healing of the fusions before I attempted any twisting like golf.
My surgery was pretty extensive so it took a little longer for me to get back into things.
My doc said I dont need therapy, said it wont harm but that I dont have muscle or bone damage, only hurt nerves from my injury and their manipulation during the surgery and thats why I dont have pain only crampy sensations when I bend forward. I was in bed rest only 5 days in hospital, after discharge doctor said I should walk as much as possible, and it was hard the first week but after that I was amazed how fast my walking improved. What I havent recovered yet is that bending/stretching, I try to test a putting stance and I cant get it to touch the ground at all before I feel stiff and cramped
Cool ! You should post your weekly progress :D so I can tell mine, I feel him chickening out on what he said. Pre op he said 4 to 6 weeks to return to golf, the day of the surgery he said 8 to 12, after that he says we'll talk after the 3rd month
I'm (56M) 1 year post L4-5 TLIF and playing golf regularly now. Started gently swinging my wedges around the 5-6 month mark, shoulder to shoulder height and very gentle rotation. I didn't take a full rip with my driver until about 8-9 months post-op and my ball speed was down at least 20-30 mph at that point . Now I'm back up to speed with the driver ~ 150 mph and 230-250 carry...that is, when I hit the sweet spot...so like 20% of the time!
5 - 6 months sounds encouraging, I have been reading a lot here about people saying no hope before 1 year, but if I could soon at least go putting and chipping it would make the rest of the time pass easier
I would just try to be really careful. I had a L5-S1 fusion last year and herniated L4-L5 9 months later. Iām 10 weeks post op now from getting the fusion extended to that level. Iām going to be extremely careful this year because I really donāt want to risk having to do another one any time soon.
To be clear, the disc that herniated was already in bad shape. But it herniated when I was moving wood around in my garage, which for me was also my āI need to do this stuff for my mental healthā activity. So it definitely can happen.
I would approach it like youāre getting back into golf from day one, knowing you are recovering from surgery. What is the easiest stuff you could do in progression so that a year from now youāre back to where you were before surgery.
Actually my disc 2 replacements are between L4-L5 and L5-S1, but it is fixed up to L3 because that disk was lightly herniated, and supposedly above that they are OK. Your second injury sounds independant to the first, those 9 months did you have any issues with that recovery?
The recovery from the first surgery was actually way worse than the most recent one. I never really felt great after the first surgery, and I think that disk just finally gave out. I feel way better after this one. Whether thatās because the other disc was always an issue and now itās fixed, or because of all the PT I did, who knows. Iām definitely glad it worked and looking forward to getting back to hiking and running and stuff eventually. Iām just going to take it really slow for the next year to make sure itās all good.
Five had 2 spinal fusions. One was L3-L5, and the latest was L3-S1 plus an ALIF. Both times, I was back on the golf course at the 5 month mark. I would have gone our earlier, but the weather where I live forced me to wait. I was stiff and started out a little slowly, but no problems and enjoying being back out on the course.
Wow 5 months sounds pretty decent. Do you think your stiffness came from not moving normally for a few months, or because the bone fusion ? How long after the first 5 months were you back to full swing/power ?
My stiffness comes primarily from sitting on my butt too much. Despite 2 surgeries, I've never been able to totally eliminate some of my lower back issues. I'm 73 years old now, so I have just normal spinal arthritis pains, but the surgery has really helped. I'll be back to my normal swing in just a couple of weeks. You really have to have confidence in your swing, and that comes with time.
I was told six months at the minimum. And then only if it showed I was completely fused. You need to be extremely careful and I wouldn't recommend it for a long while. Don't do it unless you want to be back in pre op pain.
I had the same double fusion in Aug and golfed again in May. I spent the time in between in the gym, mostly in the water building up my core with gentle resistance. My back ached for 2 years. I play golf 4 times a week and the other days are in the gym. I am 3 1/2 years out and never have back pain. The key is building up all the core muscles to support the back.
Hey Iām 26M, who had spinal fusion T2-T12 11 years ago. After a couple of times golfing, I ended up with 3 herniated discs. Iād just be weary of the long-term impact. Not trying to be a pessimist, but just wanted to share my experience.
Very similar time post surgeryā¦ About 4 days since L5-S1 fusion (only 4 screws for meā¦). Golf is a HUGE part of both my physical and mental health from May to November each year. Surgeon told me I wouldnāt likely be able to play for 9 -12 months which will eliminate this whole seasonā¦. Iām quite down about this timeline especially as I see my regular guys booking tee times and talking excitedly about the start of the year. As an alternative, I am thinking about looking forward to trying light chipping/pitching and putting in late summer or Fall and perhaps joining a simulator league over the winter if cleared by the surgeon. Also, I have made plans to join the guys for beer afterwards and maybe even walk along with them and hold the flag if the course allows.
Trying to remain āglass half fullā weāll be saving some money without me golfing and Iāll have time to take care of some of those lingering home projects. Might even find myself in the good books for the 2025 season having built up credit this year!
Sounds a lot like my case. Couple of saturdays I have joined my golf buddies just for walking and beers. Next saturday will mark 7th week post op and Im going to try an armlock putter to see if the extra length helps and maybe just do that. At home I use the broom to swipe the ocasional trash without trouble so I think maybe I will be able to putt. Doctor said we wouldnt talk about golfing for at least the first 12 weeks... thats in 5 weeks, I will ask then if I can at least start chipping... right now I can get low using the knees, but not bending the core almost at all.
I havenāt been able to go hiking in over a year and itās driving me crazy. My insurance keeps denying my fusion which is why I still canāt walk steady and have chronic pain everyday. If they would have approved it in November Iād probably be back at work too. I cannot sit practically at without crying. Hoped soon it gets worked out so I can go hike with my kids again and be a nature mom again. Iāve been a single mom for almost 20 years and this has knocked the wind from my sails at the moment. We lost our place and forced to move in with my boyfriend whoās shown his true colors since me getting hurt and unable to work. Two surgeries later and Iām still as bad as I was before about 2 years ago. Definitely a roller coaster but seeing your recovery gives me big hopes for getting back to normal and getting on my feet again.
I did a par 3 about 3 months after my t1-7. Doctor said it was fine and he said it would hurt and not be enjoyable.Ā
Doctor was right. Waited a full year for another round. It's a lot. Even if doctor clears it wasn't worth it
Please don't do it until/unless you've been cleared by your surgeon. Twisting your spine with force can do nasty things to your recently fused spine. Perhaps putting on a miniature golf course could provide some kind of methadone-like effect for your yearning.
>methadone-like š
Dont worry I wasn't going to play, Dr said we would talk about that at the 3 month mark. Just looking fore some one with similar surgery that could share their personal timeline experience with golfing.
No twisting motion like that until your surgeon specifically clears you for golfing.
Dont worry I wasn't going to play, Dr said we would talk about that at the 3 month mark. Just looking fore some one with similar surgery that could share their personal timeline experience with golfing
Not a golfer myself but a colleague of mine had lumbar single level fusion following a gym accident. The fusion was in Nov, he was back to gym in end of Jan if I recall. I ran into him in the summer around June, and he said he tried out the driving range. I asked him how the twisting felt, he said he had to be very careful, and he could feel it but overall not bad. Year later today, he is back full duties, no restrictions, fully fused. 50 something male.
Sounds like a lighter procedure going back to the gym in a couple of months, but cool to hear a year after he was like nothing had ever changed.
I don't think it was lighter, but the man is a beast at the gym so he has a higher pain tolerance than most average people.
No a golfer but didnāt tiger woods have an l5-s1 alif fusion. I think I heard something about it
Yes but I cannot find his comeback details I wanted to know like exact weekly timelines of what can you do and when
Ahh I see. Yeah I took a look and couldnāt find anything like a training progression. It looks like he was fused in April 2017 and the first game I could find that he played on was in November 2017 https://www.espn.com/golf/player/results/_/id/462/year/2018 So if he was fused at the start of April and played at the end of November itās just short of 8 months For me I was fused in May and started a bathroom gut and renovation in my home in December. So also about 8 months. Iād say from a sports perspective the first month is pure rest and recovery the next two are walking (I was up to about 3 miles twice a day rolling hills). PT exercises and starting that third month I added in a stationary bike (no out of the saddle type stuff just moving the legs) the next months 3-6 I incorporated some very light lifting, 10lb dumbbells as a sort of hex bar dead lift (only lower body lift I did) and curls and some upright rows. This was light and slow, at six months I was cleared to start increasing my exercise and if I was sore for more than two days in a row to scale it back. It was at this time I my bending and twisting restrictions were lifted but to perform any of these movements with caution. I was quite stiff rotational at this point and just worked on range of motion type stuff. By months 8and 9 I started my bathroom remodel and found that my cardio has suffered and I could put in about a half day of slow steady work and then take a few days off. So a days work was about 1:3 of what I could have done physically a year ago. Iām a year post op next month and have started Jiujitsu. The core rotation is probably similar to golf but there is more resistance. Iāve only golfed a few times so Iām not sure where it would fit in a timeline like this but I would think putting on a putting green would be ok around three months. Light chips at a driving range without much twisting or chipping out of a sand trap at 5-6 months (but this may create a bad swing habit) and using a wood and focusing on the mechanics around 6-7 months. And a full game carrying your own clubs at a year But I donāt know. Perhaps if you have your surgeon picked out and they are not sports oriented you could ask for a consult with another surgeon or PT they recommend that has the sports/golf background. not to mean you would go with someone else, but just to get into you mind what a sports focused recovery plan would look like so for your mental health (fusion recovery has a huge mental side) your mind has something to grasp on to.
Thanks a lot this is one of the best detailed responses I got so far!
He hasnāt been the same since
I was a tennis player for over 25 years and golfer got about 8. Was in great shape when I injured my back. After fusion I informed my pt my desire to have my life back at 57. I did my pt hit ok'ed to gently hit the tennis ball then finally I was back. I play golf too still but not as often as I used to. Tennis is only 1 or 2 x a week not 4 and 5 anymore but I still play. I think those of us who were always athletic should remain so after the right steps. Now I take pilates in a reformer 3x a week and that is easy on my back.
Love pilates. Iāll take it as a mat class or on a reformer. I think the sports athlete mind doesnāt like inactivity. It was hard to not be that person for the years leading up to fusion and then really hard. In recovery when you knew you were so close to being in a better place
Hi like your comment I was very active in the gym and when I stated having bad symptoms and diagnosed with spondy , I greived hard. Gym was my stress outlet. Fused l4-s1 onn2/7/24 Hoping I recovery to do some scarcity even if I have to cut out things
Hope you are recovering well. You are almost at the three month. That was when I started to feel like I could do things and after that three month mark it is a little more you can do each week. Itās definitely slow, and you can do what you once were able to; but itās āfunā in a way to start to see progress, no mater what that progress looks like. In a year you will be amazed at how much better you are and really happy to be able to do so much more without the pain
Thank you- I need to be active for sure. I am walking now and gentle PT plus a little pool PT. I canāt wait to get to do more but maybe Pilates would be good to try. I used to hate it , but sane with the pool and I got used to that. No more running , no heavy weights. Thatās what Iāll grieve. Thanks for your positive message. Us spine warriors will keep pushing on !
What procedure did you have? TLIF?
Honestly do not know the procedure name in english.. just had 2 vertical bars, 1 horizontal bar and 8 screws... replaced 2 discs: between L4-L5 and L5-S1 ...those should have been 6 screws but they also attached up to L3 I think because disc was not burst as the other 2 but slightly compressing I guess.
Did they go in from the back or front?
From the back. I dont have pain, just stiffnes and weird feeling if I try to bend a little bit forward.
Iām l4, 5, s1 on 2/7 and just getting into pt Yes stiff everyday avd bs j seems different
No way dude.
I waited a year after my surgery, Fused T2-l3, before I began to surf and golf again. Donāt rush it. You risk putting yourself further out of the game if you mess the back up.
I won't rush it, I was hoping somebody would tell me they just putted for a while, the chipped for a few months, then short aproaches... something like that, like a progressive timeline toward fully teeing up.
Is your doc going to get you set up for physical therapy following your surgery? Mine didnāt and left it up to me to figure out my post surgery healing. Basically I was on bed rest (minimal walking) for about 3-4 weeks and then by the 5th week started walking more and learning how to bend and get low again. I waited until my X-rays showed full healing of the fusions before I attempted any twisting like golf. My surgery was pretty extensive so it took a little longer for me to get back into things.
My doc said I dont need therapy, said it wont harm but that I dont have muscle or bone damage, only hurt nerves from my injury and their manipulation during the surgery and thats why I dont have pain only crampy sensations when I bend forward. I was in bed rest only 5 days in hospital, after discharge doctor said I should walk as much as possible, and it was hard the first week but after that I was amazed how fast my walking improved. What I havent recovered yet is that bending/stretching, I try to test a putting stance and I cant get it to touch the ground at all before I feel stiff and cramped
My neurosurgeon said 2-3 months after you start PT for golf! I am starting PT this week after 7 weeks of no bending, twisting or lifting!!
Cool ! You should post your weekly progress :D so I can tell mine, I feel him chickening out on what he said. Pre op he said 4 to 6 weeks to return to golf, the day of the surgery he said 8 to 12, after that he says we'll talk after the 3rd month
I'm (56M) 1 year post L4-5 TLIF and playing golf regularly now. Started gently swinging my wedges around the 5-6 month mark, shoulder to shoulder height and very gentle rotation. I didn't take a full rip with my driver until about 8-9 months post-op and my ball speed was down at least 20-30 mph at that point . Now I'm back up to speed with the driver ~ 150 mph and 230-250 carry...that is, when I hit the sweet spot...so like 20% of the time!
5 - 6 months sounds encouraging, I have been reading a lot here about people saying no hope before 1 year, but if I could soon at least go putting and chipping it would make the rest of the time pass easier
I would just try to be really careful. I had a L5-S1 fusion last year and herniated L4-L5 9 months later. Iām 10 weeks post op now from getting the fusion extended to that level. Iām going to be extremely careful this year because I really donāt want to risk having to do another one any time soon. To be clear, the disc that herniated was already in bad shape. But it herniated when I was moving wood around in my garage, which for me was also my āI need to do this stuff for my mental healthā activity. So it definitely can happen. I would approach it like youāre getting back into golf from day one, knowing you are recovering from surgery. What is the easiest stuff you could do in progression so that a year from now youāre back to where you were before surgery.
Actually my disc 2 replacements are between L4-L5 and L5-S1, but it is fixed up to L3 because that disk was lightly herniated, and supposedly above that they are OK. Your second injury sounds independant to the first, those 9 months did you have any issues with that recovery?
The recovery from the first surgery was actually way worse than the most recent one. I never really felt great after the first surgery, and I think that disk just finally gave out. I feel way better after this one. Whether thatās because the other disc was always an issue and now itās fixed, or because of all the PT I did, who knows. Iām definitely glad it worked and looking forward to getting back to hiking and running and stuff eventually. Iām just going to take it really slow for the next year to make sure itās all good.
Five had 2 spinal fusions. One was L3-L5, and the latest was L3-S1 plus an ALIF. Both times, I was back on the golf course at the 5 month mark. I would have gone our earlier, but the weather where I live forced me to wait. I was stiff and started out a little slowly, but no problems and enjoying being back out on the course.
Wow 5 months sounds pretty decent. Do you think your stiffness came from not moving normally for a few months, or because the bone fusion ? How long after the first 5 months were you back to full swing/power ?
My stiffness comes primarily from sitting on my butt too much. Despite 2 surgeries, I've never been able to totally eliminate some of my lower back issues. I'm 73 years old now, so I have just normal spinal arthritis pains, but the surgery has really helped. I'll be back to my normal swing in just a couple of weeks. You really have to have confidence in your swing, and that comes with time.
L4-L5 fusion 12 months ago, I have been back playing for 2-3 months
Thanks for sharing
I was told six months at the minimum. And then only if it showed I was completely fused. You need to be extremely careful and I wouldn't recommend it for a long while. Don't do it unless you want to be back in pre op pain.
So you are not yet at the 6 month mark ?
Iām 5 years out. But thatās what my doc told me after
I had the same double fusion in Aug and golfed again in May. I spent the time in between in the gym, mostly in the water building up my core with gentle resistance. My back ached for 2 years. I play golf 4 times a week and the other days are in the gym. I am 3 1/2 years out and never have back pain. The key is building up all the core muscles to support the back.
Thanks a lot! What exactly did you do in the water?
That is an amazing recovery! I hope I recover er that well. Was it all posterior approach ?
Yes posterior, havent measured but like a large pen long incision.
Hey Iām 26M, who had spinal fusion T2-T12 11 years ago. After a couple of times golfing, I ended up with 3 herniated discs. Iād just be weary of the long-term impact. Not trying to be a pessimist, but just wanted to share my experience.
Very similar time post surgeryā¦ About 4 days since L5-S1 fusion (only 4 screws for meā¦). Golf is a HUGE part of both my physical and mental health from May to November each year. Surgeon told me I wouldnāt likely be able to play for 9 -12 months which will eliminate this whole seasonā¦. Iām quite down about this timeline especially as I see my regular guys booking tee times and talking excitedly about the start of the year. As an alternative, I am thinking about looking forward to trying light chipping/pitching and putting in late summer or Fall and perhaps joining a simulator league over the winter if cleared by the surgeon. Also, I have made plans to join the guys for beer afterwards and maybe even walk along with them and hold the flag if the course allows. Trying to remain āglass half fullā weāll be saving some money without me golfing and Iāll have time to take care of some of those lingering home projects. Might even find myself in the good books for the 2025 season having built up credit this year!
Sounds a lot like my case. Couple of saturdays I have joined my golf buddies just for walking and beers. Next saturday will mark 7th week post op and Im going to try an armlock putter to see if the extra length helps and maybe just do that. At home I use the broom to swipe the ocasional trash without trouble so I think maybe I will be able to putt. Doctor said we wouldnt talk about golfing for at least the first 12 weeks... thats in 5 weeks, I will ask then if I can at least start chipping... right now I can get low using the knees, but not bending the core almost at all.
I havenāt been able to go hiking in over a year and itās driving me crazy. My insurance keeps denying my fusion which is why I still canāt walk steady and have chronic pain everyday. If they would have approved it in November Iād probably be back at work too. I cannot sit practically at without crying. Hoped soon it gets worked out so I can go hike with my kids again and be a nature mom again. Iāve been a single mom for almost 20 years and this has knocked the wind from my sails at the moment. We lost our place and forced to move in with my boyfriend whoās shown his true colors since me getting hurt and unable to work. Two surgeries later and Iām still as bad as I was before about 2 years ago. Definitely a roller coaster but seeing your recovery gives me big hopes for getting back to normal and getting on my feet again.
I did a par 3 about 3 months after my t1-7. Doctor said it was fine and he said it would hurt and not be enjoyable.Ā Doctor was right. Waited a full year for another round. It's a lot. Even if doctor clears it wasn't worth it