If your results are as good as those in a recent study, you'll be back to work in no time. For the 16 patients in this study, most of whom had desk jobs, the average time before returning to work was six days. One 49-year-old woman was even able to work from home on the day of surgery. If you're in manual labor, it may take a little longer to get back on the job. The only patient in manual labor in this study took a month off after surgery.

You'll want to take it easy for at least a little while after surgery. Talk with your doctor or physical therapist about how to return to activities while ensuring a good recovery.