Is there any way to predict whether or not I can return to work if I have a disc removed in my back?

Studies done can give us numbers and percentages, but they don't tell us exactly which patients will get better and who won’t. One study predicts a 75 per cent chance of a good result.

Important factors include how long the patient is off work due to back pain. The longer the time, the worse the results. Patients with back pain that lasted more than six months have worse healing. Chronic sciatic pain is also linked with a poor outcome.

Back pain is more common in blue-collar workers. Patients with more strenuous jobs often have trouble getting back to work. Many people have to change jobs or work with restrictions on what they can do.

Workers with more active jobs are more likely to change jobs or retire compared to desk workers.