Your question about mobility is a common one. It is rare for a patient to notice much limitation with a one- or two-level fusion. Often patients who had back pain along with their stenosis have increased mobility when those painful segments are immobilized.

Does spinal fusion affect mobility?

The results of a fusion are permanent. When the bones fuse as intended, it changes the natural mobility of your spine, affecting the area around the surgical site and in various body parts as well.

Do you lose flexibility after spinal fusion?

Patients with a good range of motion and flexibility before surgery have fairly good range of motion afterward. Patients with poor range of motion to start, tend to have poor afterwards. This is an example of a very flexible patient of mine after an L5-S1, single level lumbar fusion.