I hurt my back on the job and now I'm looking at having back surgery. The surgeon wants to fuse my lumbar spine at L45. I'm still working but worry that I might reinjure myself. Would it be better if I stayed home until the surgery takes place?
A recent study from the University of Wisconsin showed that workers are 10.5 times more likely to return to work compared to nonworkers. The advice today is to stay at work as long as possible. The final results of your surgery will be better if you do.
That same study reported that although workers' function didn't improve after surgery, their pain levels did. Most of them (90 per cent) were able to go back to work after recovery.
It's not clear just which patients with chronic low back pain are more likely to stay on the job. There may be personality or motivational factors at play. Job satisfaction may have an important role in the decision. And perhaps the type of job makes a difference. A manual laborer may be unable to return to work, whereas someone with a desk job can still do the daily work activities.
Depending on the type of job you have, you may be able to ask for a reduced work load or fewer work hours. Altering your job may only be necessary for a short time before the operation.
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