Swimming

[AustinPaula]

My surgery is scheduled for June 15th. Do any of you all swim and if so how soon after surgery were you able to swim? The fusion is supposed to be from T4 to L4 or L5 if I am lucky.

Thanks for any info,
Paula

Thorasic: 43°
Lumbar: 63°
Dr. Von Reuden Austin, Texas

[loves to skate]

Hi Paula,
I did water therapy before my surgery to stay strong since I couldn't walk or do any land exercises because of my sciatica. At three months post op, my Dr. said I could go swimming. He waits until six months to start Physical Therapy.
By the way, welcome to the forum and feel free to ask any and all questions. There are a lot of helpful people on this forum.

Sally

[debbei]

Sally,

Is it harder to swim after surgery than before? Do you feel less buoyant than you used to? We just opened our pool today and it will be about a week until I can try. I'm curious how it will work.

[Doodles]

I guess I couldn't call it swimming, but I started aqua physical therapy at 7 weeks. Sorry I don't know how long regular swimming could be done according to my doctor. I'll have to check on that. Good luck with your surgery, Paula. Janet

[loves to skate]

Sally,

Is it harder to swim after surgery than before? Do you feel less buoyant than you used to? We just opened our pool today and it will be about a week until I can try. I'm curious how it will work.

Hi Debbei,

The first time I went swimming after my surgery, I felt like I was sinking to the bottom of the pool. I don't think it is because of the hardware. I just think it is lack of muscle tone after not doing much of anything for three months. It gradually got easier and easier to swim.

Sally

[S4Sarah]

Oh it could be like a year before you can swim since swimming is a pretty intense sport. Your doctor will give you a list of restrictions and when you can do certain things. Swimming will probably be awhile though. Maybe pool therapy could be an option???

[AustinPaula]

Thanks to all for the quick comments. I am glad there are people who have gone through this before me. I guess there are two things that concern me. One is how fast they will let you submerge yourself in chlorine water (different than a shower?), and, two, due to the thorasic correction, how soon you can do an overhand stroke, if ever. We live in the south where it is hot and swimming is a good form of outdoor exercise.

Paula

[laurieg6]

My son was allowed to swim at about 6 weeks post op. He was told to walk/step into the pool and walk around, just trying to float and do strokes as he was able. No jumping or diving for a while and no flip turns either. He actually hated it at first and, although he'd been swimming 1-2x per week before the surgery, he didn't feel comfortable in the water until about 3 months post-op. Now, almost 2 years post-op, he recently joined a swim team - he's not the fastest but he can even do the butterfly stroke and flip turns. He sort of needs to relearn diving but he's so much more confident than before the surgery. He's now swimming 3x per week and really likes it (even though his level is with much younger kids for now).

Good luck with everything. I'm sure swimming will, at least on some level, be an approved activity fairly soon after your surgery.

[WNCmom]

My son is 6-months post-op and just began swimming. He could have started at 3 months, but we don't live near a pool and it is just now barely warm enough to get in the lake. He was never a super strong swimmer, and he's now pretty weak in the upper body after 6 months of restrictions, but my husband said his crawl is better than before surgery. Apparently now he can swim straighter. His breast stroke is very weak, though. He's fused T2-L4.

Laurie, I'm glad to hear Alex can do so well in the water now! All this is very encouraging. Sidney is very stiff--we're working on getting his hamstrings and very lower back limbered up a little.

Mary Ellen

[loves to skate]

Oh it could be like a year before you can swim since swimming is a pretty intense sport. Your doctor will give you a list of restrictions and when you can do certain things. Swimming will probably be awhile though. Maybe pool therapy could be an option???
We are not talking about competitive swimming here. As a sport, it is the least intensive sport on the joints and muscles and after surgery, you will only be able to basically dog paddle and move very slowly in the water. Pool therapy is much more intense that slowly swimming in the water and probably wouldn't be recommended until six months post-op. Dr. Rand is very conservative and swimming was the one thing I was given permission to do besides walking at three months post-op. Sally

[LindaRacine]

Thanks to all for the quick comments. I am glad there are people who have gone through this before me. I guess there are two things that concern me. One is how fast they will let you submerge yourself in chlorine water (different than a shower?), and, two, due to the thorasic correction, how soon you can do an overhand stroke, if ever. We live in the south where it is hot and swimming is a good form of outdoor exercise.

Paula
Hi Paula...

I've seen different restrictions from different surgeons. I was actually in a swimming pool by 4 weeks post op. I actually don't think I'd do that again. While I didn't have any problem with infection, I know how easily I could have had a different outcome. My surgeon limited me to things like water running, back stroke, and side stroke, although I could do the crawl as long as I wore a mask and snorkel.

The one thing that I can tell you, is that it felt absolutely wonderful to get in the water and be weightless.

Regards,
Linda

[rachael]

Hi Paula, I'm in Austin too! Just wanted to let you know, my curves and fusion sound similar to yours, and I don't have really have any limitations from the surgery on my freestyle stroke. I didn't swim competitively before my surgery though, but picked triathlons up years later, and swimming is by far my best and favorite sport. I'm able to do flipturns, back, side, and breast stroke, and of course freestyle. I feel like I have to roll a little extra to breath on the left side because I can't turn my neck as far on that side, but that is a very slight modificaiton I've learned.
With all that said, keep in mind everyone is different. Best of luck to you fellow Austinite!

[Christl]

My daughter has not had her operation yet, but the surgeon said that as soon as the incision is healed she can get in a pool. Don't know what she will be able to do, but she will be allowed in the water.

[PNUTTRO]

I was in the pool about 6 weeks after surgery. I just wanted to walk in the water a little and stretch my muscles better. Just be careful because the water can push you off balance pretty easily at first.

I think most surgeons will say that you can go in the water once the incision is completely healed.

[laurieg6]

Mary Ellen,

Thanks for the positive comment about Alexander. Once they are off restrictions, I think a lot of the kids' flexibility returns, despite the fusion. Or at least they learn how to cope better and figure out ways to do (at least almost) everything they did before. Alexander has a little stretching routine he does at night which helps a little with his very tight/inflexible legs. I think swimming helps with that too.

It sounds like Sidney is getting stronger and stronger and really doing great in a lot of ways. That's such good news!

[Scrapnladybug]

My daugher's surgeon said no swimming for 6 months. I wasn't sure if that was because of the risk of infection or because of the movement.

[naptown78]

I did pool therapy at 3 months post op. But before that , I got in the lake because we have a boat. The water felt much colder to me and I couldn't stay in long for some reason. I couldn't hold myself up as usual. My balance was off. It was hard to even tread water. Not sure if it was weakness or what. This summer though at one year post op, I feel more normal in the water, and more "floaty".

[AustinPaula]

Thanks to all. Sounds like I will be able to swim, although maybe with limitations at first. I don't swim competitively - just for fun and exercise. I didn't even think about the fact that the weight of the instrumentation might be a factor. Good grief this is going to be weird! I know a lot of you have done this already but since surgery is this Monday I am beginning to freak out.

Thanks to Rachael in Austin for letting me know you swim also. Who did your surgery? And what was your recovery like (time wise)?

Paula

Thorasic: 48° :-(
Lumbar: 63°
Dr. Von Reuden Austin, Texas

[rachael]

Hi Paula...hope your surgery has gone well.
I had my surgery a long time ago in Dallas at Scottish Rite Children's. The first month or so after surgery was very limiting. I had surgery in July and started high school with really no troubles that September (other than I didn't have to carry any books due to weight restrictions on lifting set by the doctor). Oh yeah, I even took driver's ed that August. I was pretty much doing what I wanted after that x-mas except heavy lifting. (I wasn't involved in any kind of contact sports or anything like that at that point). Within a year I was fully released becaue the fusion had set, so I could do anything. At that point I started skiing and things like that without any concern.
So to answer you question, I'd say recovery is gradual, slower at first, but after the initial recovery, is about protecting the fusion and learning what things you will have to modify.
Take care!