Operating after back surgery

28 years old, and I have just undergone back surgery from a car accident I had 3 years ago. A drunk driver tboned me at highway speeds blowing a red light. Lived with the pain for 3 years until I finally went for an MRI in November and just got my surgery on Christmas Eve.

has anyone undergone lumbar back surgery and continued to operate heavy equipment? My main two pieces of equipment are motor grader, and large crawler loaders.

I operate 55-66 hours a week during the summers. My surgery was minimal right now, as a discectomy, but the alternative surgery was a 3 stage fusion. So I opted to try my luck on not losing 30% of my lumbar range of motion first.

Well I have the distinction on here of having four discs removed and five fused L2 through sacrum. Personally and speaking from my own experience, if you only had a discectomy and you were
looking at a two discs removed and three fused-and your only 28. Better slow up and find something else to do for a living-IMHO. I'm a #2 grease monkey and have been at it for 46 years.
4-14-14 I had that major surgery done and was off work for 5 months. I don't do much in the way of major over hauls anymore because I can't stand for hours at a time doing inframes or
other major repairs, not that I don't still do some just not the amount I use to. I don't push it that hard anymore and only allowed to lift 70 lbs, so that's what I do. But Driving long distance
will take a toll on me from the constant bouncing and jarring. I have to stop every two hours so I can't imagine in your case it being to good on you, and once the back has damage it will
never be the same and probably only get worse as you age. Everyone on here has seen this image of my back and their probably sick of seeing it. But maybe you should take a good look at
it and consider what your life will be like down the road.----Don't end up like me if you can help it.

I had a discectomy myself at 28, but that was in 1988. I was a tractor trailer driver here in NY with some of the worst roads in the country. I continued in that career for another 15 years after. I'd say I'm still about 98% today, I have two or three bad days a year when I've done something I shouldn't have. I drove for a grocery chain and about 25% of the loads were what we called "throw loads" that were unloaded piece by piece. As long as I was careful how I lifted I was fine. I also drove a short wheelbase tractor with 45' trailer, you can imagine the bouncing I did in that.

As for operating equipment, I've spent quite a bit of time in excavators, TLBs, skid steer, and wheel loaders. I never really have had much time in tracked machines, it's my understanding those are tough on someone with a good back. Being the operator you can most times control how rough your ride will be, do what you can to keep it smooth. It's better for the machine too. I can't say that operating has been detrimental to my pain.

I'll caution you to take care of your neck. I had to have a cervical disc removed and fused in 2013 and that continues to bother me. I take over the counter pain meds every day to take the edge off but my arm always aches and there's a spot where my neck meets my torso that feels like I have an ice pick sticking in me. Sometimes I wish I had stayed in school like my parents harped about.

Running a blade I can see not being a huge detriment had a cousin had his lower spine fused it ended his grade tractor and scraper days still runs a blade and a loader the loader gets him if he is pushing it

I am 30 with 2 pinched nerves was told to have surgery to repair the disc not sold on that I have problems on days I dont get out of the backhoe after about an hour even if it's just for a minute otherwise my legs go numb and I usually fall down the steps to the ground when I get out

Good luck to you

I had my back done now thirty years ago. I still spend 45+ hours a week in machines of different types each week. I've had no problems. Im 67 now and plan on spending another sixty years running them.

The worst part about running a grader with a crook back is climbing in and out of the cab, but at least you have the option of taking the “mouldboard elevator”.

Ive never had back surgery but I would imagine that the key to long term succes would be to strengthen all the muscles that relate to the injured area, start a regiment of stretching everyday to stay as "loose" as possible, and try to not add to much "cargo" to your frame. Good luck with your recovery and don't over do it, not being able to do what you love would suck....

My dad just broke his neck in a farming accident and got his c6/c7 fused on October 23. So I’m trying not to end the family farm with me...

I was keeping myself in as best of shape as I could over the last three years since my car accident.

Another side story, my insurance broker was rear ended was he was 19, and it broke his neck, he suffered from severe migraine headaches ever since the accident until he started going to the gym and compensating extensively with physical rehabilitation. He now has a neck the size of my thigh, but he’s in overall better shape then I am.

What I’m trying to get at was, I was told the slipped vertebrate(L5/S1) I might be able to live with pain free if I keep my core strengthened and lift properly and be mindful for the rest of my life. Not to mention keeping the weight off.

One thing I wanted to try before I went for surgery was Non Surgical Spinal Decompression. But I live in the middle of no where and the closest place that practiced it was over 7 hours away, just to get there. Chiropractor, massage, Physiotherapy, acupuncture, ultrasound, reflexology, pain Medication, nothing helped me.


I’ve lived with it for 3 years now, and finally got an MRI in November. Never even got one after the initial accident(wonderful Canadian healthcare). I was only trying to go to work, and a drunk driver caused everything.

Wait as long as you can. Avoid a fusion if possible limits range of motion and other discs will have to bear excess force. Artificial discs are still the latest and greatest, this may or may not be an option for you. I dont think multilevel artificial discs are approved by fda yet. In Europe it is. Expect arthritis of the repaired joints at some point. Core strengthening after surgery is a must. Only go for surgery as a last resort.

It has been a long time but I wasnt always in the construction field. Haha

ippielb said:

28 years old, and I have just undergone back surgery from a car accident I had 3 years ago. A drunk driver tboned me at highway speeds blowing a red light. Lived with the pain for 3 years until I finally went for an MRI in November and just got my surgery on Christmas Eve.

has anyone undergone lumbar back surgery and continued to operate heavy equipment? My main two pieces of equipment are motor grader, and large crawler loaders.

I operate 55-66 hours a week during the summers. My surgery was minimal right now, as a discectomy, but the alternative surgery was a 3 stage fusion. So I opted to try my luck on not losing 30% of my lumbar range of motion first.

Click to expand...

Hi mate, all these replies are spot on, I have metalwork looking like Truck Shop around L4-L5+ the one above from ~1996. I was 23, and after a bad year and a half recovering I felt pretty good- I tried to carry on running heavy equip and run business and run myself ragged, bouncing tractors over rough fields all day including D8H. But the long hours and the usual pressure of running business combined with the back ache that was a killer, so I couldn't continue in the same way. I took some time off again, and without planning it I met my future wife who was a professional massage therapist in Japan...

I picked up my business again, but left out the 18 HR days sitting on my backside bouncing across bounders. I have specialised in the forestry side, the right amount of anything is good for you and this includes chainsaw work, which is good because it keeps you moving about. Excavators are good for me as long as I don't lock myself away in the cab for too many days on end without getting out much. Maintenance and repairs are ok, as said above though- heavy stuff laying under the machine, especially cold concrete floors, is not so good. Let someone else do the clutch on your pickup truck if it involves removing the transmission downwards with you under it!

Think the key is to manage yourself to suit your body. After several years of repeat visits to therapist, I finally found a simple exercise that really helps, it's just curls where I lay on back and pull my crossed legs up to my chest (using my arms, not difficult), do about 100 of them and I guess it pumps the blood around your stiff back and this frees it up and gets ride of some of the ache. Then stretch and rest for couple of minutes before racing out the door.
Hernias are something to try and avoid, I on number 3 currently but living with it as a fuse. I let my core muscles weaken with all the sitting in machines when younger, then first hernia came after undoing angle grinder wheel on a cold morning! The exercise for strengthening that is the muscle that you'd use if you were peeing against a tree and then a woman walked past with her dog, the muscle that cuts the flow of pee- if you can hold that on while doing anything, and your outer stomach muscles stay relaxed and breathing normally- that is the weak little core muscle in there and it fades after trying to hold it on. 20-30 seconds and it tires out. That there is a key muscle.

Enough of my waffle, if you love a job and can keep weight off your stomach, just watch your hours sitting and find a simple exercise that helps relieve the daily dull backache. And hang out with a massage therapist is the most important thing!

All the best.

I tried to stay away from this thread.. I had the same operation as u..
Basically what they did was go between 2 vert & "wallow" it out so the pressure is off the nerve.. HENCE making it weaker..
1 year to the day.. I was getting out of my boat at the landing after a VERY hard day of "fishing"..wink wink.
My foot slid off the fender on the trailer, whats that about a 13-14inch drop.?? I crushed the 2 verts that they weakened..
I didnt know it, till i tried to get up to use the bathroom the following morning..
It was 2 months till I could schedule a surgery & I was basically paralyzed for 2 months.
it wasnt a pretty site.
SO just a tip from your Uncle Larry.. your back is 50% weaker than it was.. take precautions.. maybe a back brace from the time u get up, till the time u go to bed..??
LOTS of sit ups to strengthen the "core".??

Thanks pumpguy for telling it like it is. It's not being negative it's telling the truth and the rest is a roll of the dice.

I've never had a back surgery, but I do have a rupture in one of the disks and it makes work hell sometimes. I wish you speedy recovery. According to the docs, the main thing is to gradually strenghten the core. My dad had a surgery on the back and he is into appliances (fridges, mostly), so he had to take some time off the work, but now he is up and running again - the key is to be very cautious and patient.