Flatback

[suzyjay]

I think I have flatback from my surgery. (My doctor said I lost some of my lower back's natural curve). Does flatback make your butt look flat? My butt looks flat since the surgery it looks like there no separation my back goes right into my butt or could it be because I lost 15lbs?

Thanks
Sue

[crepehanger]

butt-less????

Suzy- you could have knocked me over with a feather when i saw my side profile at home and saw how different i looked. I asked my husband if he saw it when i walked the first time and he said he was afraid to say anything. i attributed it to weight loss, too, but it's not, it's permanent. It's quite an adjustment, as i always had a healthy rear end. (how's that for politically correct!) But, mine is definitely not flatback. I hope yours, also, is not ! Maybe that's where the 15 lbs went...

[SoonerSonia]

how long has it been since your surgery? I am at 6 weeks post op today and my lower back is still swollen giving me the appearance of 'flat black' like cankles for your back, my lower back just melted into my butt. I was so sad after surgery when I saw my profile, but since then, my lower back has retreated a little. I asked my PT if it was possible I was still swollen after this long and he said it wasn't just possible, it was a fact. It takes a long time for all that to go back. Granted, I'm not fused all the way to the S, but I am pretty sure dr's try all they can to maintain the natural looking curve of the lower back and that I would give it a long time for the ALL of the swelling to heal before you decide you've been fused with flat back. Just my two cents

[suzyjay]

I am 6 months post op fused from T4 to L4. I do feel swollen there, hopefully it is just swelling and will go away. Besides swelling from the surgery I also am recovering from a staph infection in the same area as the swelling is. I did feel more swollen when my infection was first detected since on the antibiotics I feel the swelling went down some.

Thanks
Sue

[Shari]

I guess I'm just not exactly sure what "flat back" looks like and what it really means. I just know that my back looks so much better than it did before my surgery. What is "flat back" physcially and visually???

Shari

[suzyjay]

Shari

It's the natural curve a person has in their lower back is now gone. I read people with flatback can't stand up straight without bending their knees and lean forward. I don't have a problem standing straight and I don't lean forward. I can't wait to see my surgeon to ask him, but I have to wait until Sept, he is out for the month of August.

Sue

[crepehanger]

Sue- I bet the staph infection slowed down the healing process somewhat and held up your recovery process. That is scary stuff- I am grateful you are getting that under control...After the inflammation leaves, you might be pleasantly surprised...Lisa

[suzyjay]

Yes the infection did slow my recovery - the doctor waited too long before ordering blood tests and by the time it was found the infection was near the bone and I had this infection for 3 1/2 before it was discovered. It was very hard but I am doing much much better.

Sue

[Suzy]

Suzyjay,

I totally thought the same thing after my surgery, that I had a bit of flat back & no rear. I asked my Dr. about it and he proved to me I still had a lower back curve by showing me it on my side view x-ray. I am almost 1 1/2 years out from surgery and my profile look has gotten much better progressively. I had lost 22 lbs and really had no rear to speak of at that point. Your 15 lb weight loss has something to do with it I am sure. I know the Dr's. work very hard to keep as much natural shape to our backs as they can. I think if someone had a really pronounced flair at their lower back (Profile view) before surgery it might be tougher to duplicate.

Shari,

An example of flat back and description is on www.espine.com

[Shari]

Thanks for that link Sue, it was very interesting!!! I had to get the pictures of my xrays out and check.

Shari

[structural75]

Hi all,

Couldn't help but comment on what I read on the espine website... . This malpositioning of the lumbars is more common than presummed. It will often develop, due to normal spinal and pelvic mechanics, when the pelvis moves into a posterior tilt ('tucking' the tailbone under/down). Can be caused by occupational postural habits, injury to the coccyx, excessive and chronic 'slouching', etc.. Although I'm quite familiar with "flatback", I was browsing the link that was posted and was amazed when reading one particular portion of the descroption of the condition.

The Dr. stated that "The emphasis of therapy should be on strengthening of the gluteal, low back, abdominal and hamstring musculature." Strengthen the gluteals, abdominals and hamstrings!!!! Recipe for disaster! The only proper advice in that statement is to strengthen the low back... otherwise you need to lengthen the hamstrings, gluteals and rectus abdominus to help bring the pelvis towards a neutral or in the anterior direction (strengthen the hip flexors/quads/iliacus/etc.. Strengthening the gluteals and hamstrings will pull the pelvis into a further posterior tilt (flat butt) thus decreasing the lumbar lordosis even more. And further shortening/tightening of the rectus abdominus could have the same effect. With all due respect to their abilities as surgeons, where do these Doctors get this stuff? It just amazes me that they can be so talented and knowledgeable about their expertise as surgeons but still have a very poor understanding of gross mechanics etc.... .

I'm not trying to discredit or bash them here... I just couldn't believe what I was reading. It's just unbelievable to me that they can give such inaccurate and detrimental advice to patients without question. I feel bad for people being given such advice with this problem. Hopefully the PTs they send them to have a little more common sense.

Sorry again for the rant, but I'd hate to see folks with flatback go out and follow that advice.

Best,
structural