Because the surgeon had to cut through nerves in my back, after surgery my back was completely numb for several months. In time, though, the numbness wore off from the bottom up. Now after about a year, only my upper back is still slightly numb.
Even though it's numb, it causes pain. If you've ever had any sort of numbness (other than a leg falling asleep or something), you know that when something presses or hits the area, it hurts. When I washed my hair and let it fall on my back, it would actually cause pain. So for a few months, your back will be very sensitive to the touch, but the numbness should eventually decrease.
Fun fact: There are two places on my back (one upper and one lower) where, if you touch it just right, I can actually feel it in another spot on my back.
Nerves take a long time to heal. I can't lift certain things above a certain spot without a sudden pain between my shoulder blades to the base of my neck.
It seems like it will take forever to get the feeling back again, but it will come. Just be careful not to let something poke you hard, like something metal, even after a year. In time, your back will start to feel more and more normal. I can now handle back massages again- and actually enjoy them!
Wow, I love this blog. I am 7 years post operation and I didn't think I would STILL be recovering! I can do normal activities, I just have to do them differently. The nerve damage, though, is still an issue for me. I have numbness around my top back, armpits, buttocks, and thighs. I also experience pain in the lower portion of my back in the only, small, area that was not fused. Ironic, isn't it?
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