I’ve asked my surgeon to refer me to a therapist to make sure I am moving correctly. Which he was happy to do. He seemed to feel early on that therapy wasn’t necessary for me. I was a regular exercise enthusiast pre-op and he seemed to feel that going back to the gym would be the best route. He was very clear about me not lifting any weights and no running. But he said cardio such as walking, cycling or elliptical would be fine, even in the first week after surgery if I felt up to it. He also said recurrence of pre-op symptoms is common for a few months or so. Interestingly he said the evidence that normal bending or twisting can cause reherniation is pretty slim. Lifting weight or high impact moves like running are more clearly linked. He said follow what my body tells me. If it hurts don’t do it. Or back off. He also said that working out is fine, but to be more conservative about it for a while.
I am now at week four. Things were much better following this guidance from him until yesterday morning when the pain became more severe. Still not to the levels of pre-op pain. But more concerning. I thought (hoped) that I had pushed a too hard stretching and doing cardio two days prior. So I have rested more and it seems to be better, but still irritated. I hope this is an indication of over stressing the nerve rather than a reherniation. I’d like to think reherniation would be pretty obvious. Can you shed any light on what to look for in terms of symptoms in each case? Thank you Doctor.