Can someone give me a sample time line on healing after long fusion .

Recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. The first 3 months are the hardest, but after 6 months you'll start to feel much more stable.

Jack,
I am really happy and feel much better after having my T10 to Pelvis fusion, plus SI joint fusions performed May 2025.

Much of my experience is chronicled in my comments on this site. You can find them if you search "nlback".

If I can be of any assistance don't hesitate to reach out.

Best Wishes and Prayers,
Nadine

@jksawyers John, I agree with what others have said. It’s a slow healing process but it does happen. I used weeks to gauge my progress, versus daily.
You should be able to start PT at around 3 to 4 months.
I remember feeling bigger changes as around month 7 or 8. I am now 13 months post op and truly feel almost completely healed, other than some nerve pain in the skin and muscles across my back. Im not sure how common it is and I’m going to post the question soon.
Prayers for your quick recovery! 🙏
Sherry

@sherrym25 Hi Sherry! Could you elaborate on this "nerve pain in the skin"? I have had it so badly that it hurts for my clothes to touch it. I reached out to the surgeon and his PA was no help at all, suggesting I use some cortisone~. It feels like a bad sun burn. I have read that it is your nervous system responding to the trauma, and the need to convince yourself - and your skin - that you are safe. It suggested increasing touch intensity - but there are days I just can't stand it. I'm concerned about starting PT and the prospect of anyone touching me. ty for any information. Be blessed!

John @jksawyers - I'm at week 12! It has been an experience! Not horrible, just very different being a patient and in need of so much rest and assistance. My brain did not comprehend what "long fusion" meant, and so I had planned a 6 week recovery - thank goodness for this forum and the sharing of experiences. They have been a faithful and informative companion as I learn what healing is looking like all through the various stages.

Wishing you the best!
k

@karenoharmon
Hey Karen! I’m so sorry to hear you are having the same type of nerve pain that I am, but it’s also good for me to know that I’m not the only one!! Thank you so much for responding about it!😊
Yes, it hurts to touch my skin and it also has a numb type feeling. It covers the area where my incision is and spreads across both sides my back to about halfway on each of my sides. My surgery was T 11 to L4. My numbness and nerve pain goes down almost to my tailbone and across both lower hips
My physical therapist wanted me to use a tens unit a few months ago and I told her I could not bear to think about pulling the sticky pads off my skin. I also don’t use lidocaine patches because it hurts too much to pull them off. But, on a positive note it is getting better!!
Something that has really helped is my physical therapist is doing skin rolling. She uses her fingers to roll my skin and work her way up my back and she said it breaks free the connective tissues and helps release pressure on the nerves in the underlying skin and muscle. It’s a type of myofascial release. It definitely hurts while she’s doing it but feels so much better after. She also suggested using a dry washcloth and having someone lightly rub it on my skin. A very soft shower back brush does the same thing.
Everything that I have read talks about how the nerves were stretched and displaced during surgery and need to heal. Also muscles in different areas of my back are compensating for how things have changed after surgery so I’ve noticed that massaging my shoulders and upper back can help with pain in my lower back.
I am a little over 13 months postop. I started using the tens unit last week and I feel pretty certain that it is helping. I’ve moved the pads around different areas of my back and turn it up enough to sometimes make muscles jump around a bit. I’m just trying to engage everything and I have to say the last couple days I felt so much better. If you have a tens unit, I would say put the pads on your leg or arms and pull them off a few times to make them “less sticky” so it’s easier to pull them off your back. Obviously the sticker they are the better connection but it will work just fine.
I also have a pretty good over the counter lidocaine liquid that is dispensed with the roller ball. Started using that this last week and it’s made a noticeable difference of making it easier to touch my back.
I use my heating pad a lot, but I have found that when I the nerve pain get really bad, I use my soft ice packs and they work better than anything! Like, they almost make the pain go away. I put a couple of them across my back and it feels really good.
I was on gabapentin, 900 mg three times a day but I’ve been reading more about it and how it could possibly link to dementia/memory loss when being on high doses for a long time. There are so many studies that still need to be done on it, but I’ve made the decision to wean myself off of it. It’s important not to stop too fast.
Now I am down to 300 mg three times a day And plan to be off of it within two or three months. Gabapentin works to block pain receptors to your brain and I know that reducing this medication is not helping with my back pain!!
I want you to know that I am so, so much better than I was a few months ago. This skin/muscle nerve pain was something that I hadn’t heard about and I’m going to do a post about it to see if others experience it. I think I was so excited that my surgery fixed my main issue and pain that I didn’t make a big deal about what I’m dealing with now.
So let me know if you have other questions and I will do my best to answer to them. Wishing you the best! Sherry.