# Spinal Fusions & Snowboarding?



## jjb7733 (Feb 1, 2014)

Peyton Manning had a spinal fusion in his neck, he's still out there!


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## larrytbull (Oct 30, 2013)

do your research webmd is a good place to start
there are alot of other treatments for vertebrae outside of spinal fusion they have a loop like device and other items. like the one below
New implant is alternative to spinal fusion | ISRAEL21c


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## Kevin137 (May 5, 2013)

I have had this conversation with my specialist... He asked why it would be any different...??? If you fall in a certain way, things break, regardless of what you have or have not done...

He said that worrying about stuff was worse than the actual thing happening. Makes you live in fear and as such stop living...!

Actually, didn't they say that in breaking bad as well... Haha


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## f00bar (Mar 6, 2014)

Isn't a fusion for fractured vertebrae? If so, does it even apply here as a possible remedy?


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

From what I have seen is that if you are in constant pain, there is nothing that really works, this seems to be an effective thing. I know a couple of people who have had spinal fusions, and they could not be happier. They were living in excruciating pain everyday. Now they have normal lives. 

The hazards with snowboarding, not so sure of. You may want to drop the park shit. That seems to be where the scorpion is most frequently encountered. I'll say with backcountry riding, I don't think I have ever done a scorpion. Not a serious one for sure and I have had plenty of crashes. 

You'll have to voice your concerns to your doctor about what the long term is. 

For the most part, I think you can have it done. It may cost you a season, possibly a little longer, but you should be able to get back to snowboarding. Lots of pro athletes in many different sports have had this done and gotten back after it as mentioned. 

Perfect solution? Nothing is, but I bet it will work. I would be worried about getting rid of the pain first, then snowboarding second. You got to be able to live your life. I am sure you are of this mindset already.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Got only two anecdotes to add... two friends, two similar problems, two very different outcomes. 

Both had similar back problems as you. One a professional horserider, one a dancer. Both couldn't perform their job/passion anymore due to the back pain. 

One chose to do the fusion and is now well. She's no professional dancer anymore but pain free in everyday life and well enough to be a dancing instructor, still connected to her passion, enjoying to teach kids.

The other was too afraid of the surgery and chose to stand the pain, swallow drugs, etc. Soon, he couldn't mount a horse anymore, lost his job and passion, then tried to be a trainer but due to constant pain he became a heavy drinker, became constantly moody and unbearable as trainer, lost that as well, continuously lost friends. He's a broken lonely man today. I often wonder how his life would have become if he had done the surgery...


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Get the surgery (if you need it), then ride only pow. The hell with hardpack or ice. Take it easy for some yrs until all the muscles and stuff are back in bussines.


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## Rianna Royer (Aug 29, 2021)

Here I lay, on my bed in Breckenridge, just 11 days out of L4-5 spinal fusion surgery. It was a rough few days at the hospital and every day yields another ray of sunshine.. I’ve been snowboarding most of my life(over 40 now) and since being rear ended in January 20’ My lower back has steadily declined and I was barely walking or moving before the surgery. All the previous pain was caused by Spondylolisthesis. I was misdiagnosed at first and that prolonged the process a bit..

I am told that the first 6weeks, like any major bone break or surgery bone graft you will be the most sedentary and have a long recovery time, but duh! The pain is manageable and I will be weaning myself off the meds asap.. I can walk around in my brace, and walking is my prescribed exercise for now. NO BLTs I think that stands for bloodys, lipstick, tiger tattoos??? Actually Bending, Lifting, Twisting.

I should be mostly healed up by 6mo(fully by a year) and hopefully doing all my PT back on the hill shredding with my 6yo by the very wend of this season (sure Ill have to take it easy which will be tough, but so worth it!!).

If you are anything like me, the thought of never being able to ride, especially with my daughter, again is literally my worst nightmare!!! Best of luck homey!


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## smellysell (Oct 29, 2018)

Rianna Royer said:


> Here I lay, on my bed in Breckenridge, just 11 days out of L4-5 spinal fusion surgery. It was a rough few days at the hospital and every day yields another ray of sunshine.. I’ve been snowboarding most of my life(over 40 now) and since being rear ended in January 20’ My lower back has steadily declined and I was barely walking or moving before the surgery. All the previous pain was caused by Spondylolisthesis. I was misdiagnosed at first and that prolonged the process a bit..
> 
> I am told that the first 6weeks, like any major bone break or surgery bone graft you will be the most sedentary and have a long recovery time, but duh! The pain is manageable and I will be weaning myself off the meds asap.. I can walk around in my brace, and walking is my prescribed exercise for now. NO BLTs I think that stands for bloodys, lipstick, tiger tattoos??? Actually Bending, Lifting, Twisting.
> 
> ...


I had a discectomy about 6 or so years ago, and the doc told me with all the degenerative discs in my lower back, that a fusion is in my future. I'll be curious to hear how your recovery goes, keep us posted! 

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk


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## Rianna Royer (Aug 29, 2021)

smellysell said:


> I had a discectomy about 6 or so years ago, and the doc told me with all the degenerative discs in my lower back, that a fusion is in my future. I'll be curious to hear how your recovery goes, keep us posted!
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk


Will do!


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## chomps1211 (Mar 30, 2011)

@Rianna Royer
Strange how I never followed up on this particular thread,.. I seemed to have forgotten about it.

Anyway,.. if you haven't seen any subsequent post from me in the forum,.. I did get the fusion surgery and it was a success. (...mine was an L2/3 fusion) I have been snowboarding out west twice since having it. Shredding local also without any issues. At least not from the Fusion.

I hope yours is at least as successful as mine was. It shouldn't interfere too much. I've probably suffered a little loss of mobility or flexibility, but I can still strap in standing up and I was never a park rat, so any deficit in being able to hit park features wouldn't be noticed anyway.

All in all, it was worth it. Good luck! 👍🏻😎🏂


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