To begin with I live in Indiana and I incurred a low back injury with left leg pain February 18, 2009 while doing my job. Went thru epidurals and physical theraphy and still had pain. Seen a neurosurgeon who finally recommended surgery L5-S1 TLIF lumbar fusion which I had on August 31, 2009. Some of the pain was relieved after the surgery but slowly some of it is coming back. Two months after the surgery I am still experiencing alot of pain from the surgery. Tomorrow I have a follow up with the neurosurgeron after I have xrays to see how well the fusion is doing. When I talked to my WC case manager last week he said that he had sent a request to my neurosurgeon to have me released back to light duty work. I really dont feel like I am ready to go back to light duty yet as I am still having alot of pain and trouble moving around. My question is Can they make me go back to work and what happens from here on out?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Your treating Doctor and Surgeon will have to make this choice.
TLIF Vs PLIF Spinal Fusions;
Post-operative care after TLIF back surgery
After TLIF spinal fusion surgery, patients are admitted to the hospital for an average of three to five days. Blood transfusion may be required. Physical therapy is begun the day after surgery, and patients are gradually mobilized. A spinal brace may be used.
Patients are discharged to be at limited activity on oral pain medicine and will follow up with the surgeon in several weeks. Patients can generally return to office work in four to six weeks, or longer if the patient’s occupation is heavier.
http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/sp...erbody-fus
they can't make you go back to work but with supporting medical opinion they can stop the disability payments.
serious injuries often end up requiring a tradeoff between pain and financial loss.
taking a rigid stand against any lite work will make the work comp process difficult and frustrating. Early return to work and other modified work programs required by workers compensation laws can lessen the terrible financial loss many face from prolonged disability.
if wages are reduced there can be offsetting disability payments.
you should talk to your doctors and learn more about Indiana comp benefits.
http://www.in.gov/wcb/handbook/HANDBK2007.htm