How long you are off work depends on what you do. If you do clerical work (i.e. stockbroker, teacher, or programmer), you can return to work when you feel up to it. This usually takes about a week. If you do manual labor (i.e. entertainer, truck driver, or trainer), you must be off work for three weeks. Regardless of your employment, do not lift anything weighing more than five pounds for three weeks.