Spine surgery rehab.
Spine surgery rehabilitation is governed by the specific procedure you had and the tissues it involved. A microdiscectomy, a laminectomy, and a lumbar fusion each follow a different loading timeline, and progressing too aggressively risks the very structures the surgery was meant to protect. At Motion Theory, we work directly from your surgical protocol to restore mobility, rebuild trunk and hip capacity, and return you to work and daily life on a timeline your healing tissue can support.
Who It's For
Patients recovering from lumbar or cervical spine surgery including microdiscectomy, laminectomy, decompression, and single or multi-level fusion. We routinely work with patients referred from the VGH surgical corridor, including those navigating a return-to-work claim through WorkSafeBC or ICBC, and those who feel stalled months after their procedure.
What We Assess
Your initial assessment confirms the surgical procedure, fusion levels, and any movement precautions your surgeon has set. We establish objective baseline metrics including range of motion, trunk and hip strength, neural symptoms, walking tolerance, and the specific functional tasks your recovery needs to rebuild. We then map your current position within the healing timeline to set realistic, protocol-adherent milestones.
Treatment Approach
Early rehabilitation protects the surgical site while restoring safe walking tolerance, breathing mechanics, and gentle mobility within your precautions. Mid-phase work introduces progressive trunk, hip, and posterior chain loading to rebuild the capacity that protects your spine long-term. Late phases reintroduce bending, lifting, and rotational demands specific to your work and recreational life, with objective criteria gating each progression so you advance only when your tissue is ready.
Recovery Pathway
Protection & Walking
Respect surgical precautions, restore safe walking tolerance and breathing mechanics, manage incision-area sensitivity, and begin gentle mobility within protected ranges.
Capacity & Control
Progressive trunk, hip, and posterior chain strengthening, neural desensitization where needed, and rebuilding the deep stabilizer control that offloads the operated segment.
Load & Return to Work
Graded reintroduction of bending, lifting, and rotation matched to occupational demands, with functional capacity testing and return-to-work documentation where a claim is involved.
Clinic Location & Access
Located at 1367 West Broadway in Vancouver, Motion Theory is situated in the Fairview medical corridor, in close proximity to Vancouver General Hospital (VGH). We serve patients from Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, and the broader Metro Vancouver area.
Common Questions
How soon after spine surgery should I start physiotherapy?
It depends on the procedure. Many surgeons encourage early walking within days, while structured loading begins later once the surgical site has stabilized. We work directly from your surgeon's protocol, so your program always respects their post-operative timeline and precautions.
Will rehab differ between a discectomy and a fusion?
Significantly. A microdiscectomy often allows earlier progressive loading, whereas a fusion requires a longer protected period to allow the bone to consolidate before heavier trunk loading begins. Your surgical report dictates the pace, and your program is built around it.
I had spine surgery months ago but still feel limited. Can you help?
Yes. Plateau presentations are common after spine surgery, often because progressive loading was never structured beyond the early protected phase. An objective assessment will identify your current capacity and establish a clear, graded pathway back to full function.
Is spine surgery rehab covered if my injury was work-related?
Often, yes. If your spinal condition or surgery is tied to a workplace injury, WorkSafeBC may fund your rehabilitation including return-to-work support. If it followed a motor vehicle accident, ICBC coverage may apply. We direct bill both, as well as most extended health plans.
Related Services
Registered Clinicians
All practitioners are registered with their respective provincial colleges in British Columbia.
Evidence-Based
Treatment protocols are grounded in current peer-reviewed literature and clinical guidelines.
Direct Billing
Available for ICBC claims and most major extended health benefit providers.