Spinal fusion surgery comes in many forms: lumbar spinal fusion, cervical spinal fusion, and PLIFs just to name a few. They are all designed to help limit pain caused by the joints, though each surgery is different depending on whether you are trying to treat degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, or another condition. Knowing your spinal fusion options can go a long way toward alleviating your back pain.

The decision to have a spine fusion surgery to treat low back pain from degenerative disc disease is a personal one, and it is entirely the patient's decision.

The decision to have a spine fusion procedure done to treat low back pain is a very personal one, and it is entirely the patient’s decision.
By 4 weeks after lumbar spinal fusion surgery, most patients are experiencing significantly less pain. Between 6 weeks and 3 months after the surgery, an outpatient physical therapy program is typically started.
About 3 months after lumbar spinal fusion surgery, the surgeon typically clears the patient to perform more types of exercises and activities. By about 6 months, most patients receive approval to return to a fully active lifestyle, including bending, lifting, and twisting.
The spine fusion surgery works best for treating one level of the spine, although two levels can be fused if the patient has severe low back pain.

The role of spine fusion instrumentation like pedicle screws, anterior interbody cages and posterior lumbar cages is to provide additional spinal stability and help the fusion set up.

The most common risk of any of the modern spine fusion surgery techniques is the failure to relieve lower back pain symptoms following the surgery.

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