PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

1. Avoid sitting straight up. This position puts tremendous strain on the lumbosacral spine and can slow your recovery.

2. You may be up, or lying down, or sitting half-way up (such as on the couch with some pillows). In general, you should "take it easy" for the first 1—2 weeks.

3. If your wound was closed with glue, you may shower. Avoid a Jacuzzi or tub for the first week after surgery, however.

4. Using ice on your back can help with the muscle soreness from the surgery.

5. One may expect continued leg/foot symptoms after surgery. This is thought to be due to the fact that the nerve that caused your pain, is now not pinched, but needs time to heal. This can take weeks to improve, and sometimes gets worse before getting better for 2 reasons: 1) you may have been given some steroids on your nerve at the time of surgery, and they may wear off; and 2) the phenomenon of nerve healing may sometimes mimic that of a foot that falls asleep, meaning it feels funny or painful as it "wakes up."