Returning to daily activities

• Driving: only when you can safely control the vehicle, perform an emergency stop and are no longer impaired by strong pain medication
• Desk-based work: often around three to four weeks
• Light physical work: commonly six to eight weeks
• Heavy manual work: commonly ten to twelve weeks
• Sport, gym and gardening: usually avoided for at least six weeks and resumed gradually as advised

These are general timeframes. Recovery varies, and individual advice from Angus, the hospital and your physiotherapist takes priority.