dr says he has to send me back to work with no restrictions??

[inpainokla]

hi again just wanted to see if anyone has ever had there dr tell them that you may be in pain for the rest of your life but when he releases me back to work he is going to do it with no job restrictions..and just to remind you i have had a 2 level fusion 6 months out and still in alot of pain does that mean he expects no permanant disability from this..i have talked to very few ppl who have had this surgery and afterwards were pain free..anny thoughts and opinions will be greatly appreciated

[michael49]

inpainokla Wrote:hi again just wanted to see if anyone has ever had there dr tell them that you may be in pain for the rest of your life but when he releases me back to work he is going to do it with no job restrictions..and just to remind you i have had a 2 level fusion 6 months out and still in alot of pain does that mean he expects no permanant disability from this..i have talked to very few ppl who have had this surgery and afterwards were pain free..anny thoughts and opinions will be greatly appreciated

[1171]

In most work comp rating systems Pain is not considered an objective anatomical functional impairment. work restrictions is only one method of describing impairment.
Ratings are complex but here are some different criteria
http://www.chirogeek.com/005_DRE_Rating_Charts.htm

[bodybuilder1958]

Healing time from a fusion varies from individual to individual. But it's usually upwards of a year. You didn't mention what type of work you do but obviously you have concerns.

I'd be asking for a second opinion. Are you at MMI? Obviously not, you have concerns and continued pain. I have also know several people who have had fusions, some do okay, most have trouble for quite awhile. Going back to a full schedule with no restrictions too soon in my opinion could lead to failure. Is your surgeon satisfied that there has been sufficient bone growth and stabilization?

If you don't have a lawyer I'd get one.

Take care,
BB

[inpainokla]

yes i do have a lawyer..and no im not at mmi...but the reason the dr stated and this isnt the dr who did the surgery is that if he sends me into the workforce with restrictions who is gonna hire me is what he said but what im thinking is i dont want a job that is gonna jeapordize my health like this again so i would rather have the restrictions to make sure my fusion holds up.. my lawyer made a switch to get another drs oppinion bc he felt the dr who did the surgery was moving to fast and this dr does not use the bone from the hip area to do fusions he said thet in itself may lead to cronic pain so im kinda stuck wondering from visit to visit what my future holds which im sure alot of you feal the same way

[inpainokla]

oh and bodybuilder i am what is called a temperline operater which reguires alot of heavy lifting up to 200 lbs and i work 12 hour shifts

[bodybuilder1958]

One Year

Activity Levels - There are no restrictions after one year if your fusion is solid (based on x-rays and clinical evaluation). No limitations. Patients are free to bend, lift, stoop, crawl, or anything else. If the back is fully rehabilitated, patients can play football, weight lift, snow ski, and participate in rodeos. Remember though, just because you are not restricted from an activity doesn't mean you should do it. Use good judgment.

[inpainokla]

see i guess this is what i dont understand about the whole thing...the dr that did my durgery said that i will likely have a lifetime 50 lb weight restriction for lifting and the dr that i am seeing now says i should be able to lift anything..and with the way i feal as of 6 months post op i really do not want to lift anything still in a hell of alot of pain and as far as bending and moving i have lost alot of mobility i cant even bend at the waist half of what i used too

[bodybuilder1958]

Sounds as if your doctor doesn't have our best interest at heart. What does your lawyer say?

[inpainokla]

he just pretty much says to keep telling him whats going on with all my pain and stuff and just let him know what the dr says after each visit