Riding with spondylolysis (stress fracture of the back)

skinsey

Apologies if this isn't the right place for this, but couldn't see anywhere better.

My soon-to-be 17 year old daughter has suffered from this for nearly 2 years now, and has had to give up all the sports she loved - netball, hockey, etc. - because of their impact effects. She's had countless consultations with several specialists and had various treatments, and whilst there's been a moderate improvement, things aren't right yet.

I'm a reasonably keen roadie, and I'm wondering whether she could start joining me for a few easy outings - she's desperate to do some exercise again - and cycling would seem to be a good option as it's no/low impact for joints, spine etc. I guess my question is has anybody ridden with this condition, or know somebody that has, and if so, how did it work out?

Thanks in advance.

peanut

it might be best to get the opinion of her Physio first although saying that my Physio just said cyling was one of the highest impact stress sports ? which is the biggest load of tosh I've ever heard. She clearly has never ridden a bike before.

I have a prolapsed disk which means I cannot walk far,100 yds max yet I find I can cycle without any pain at all. Its the most fantastic thing to be out free on a bike when I can no longer walk run or swim.
You might think about getting a sprung seat post and a good gel saddle to cushion any potential shock up through the spine.
Otherwise my feeling is it is an excellent exercise. As I pointed out to my Physio . When on the bike your body is held firmly in position by your legs either side of the saddle and your arms bracing against the bars which forms a nice strong triangle through the top bar of the frame.

vernonlevy

skinsey wrote:

Apologies if this isn't the right place for this, but couldn't see anywhere better.

My soon-to-be 17 year old daughter has suffered from this for nearly 2 years now, and has had to give up all the sports she loved - netball, hockey, etc. - because of their impact effects. She's had countless consultations with several specialists and had various treatments, and whilst there's been a moderate improvement, things aren't right yet.

I'm a reasonably keen roadie, and I'm wondering whether she could start joining me for a few easy outings - she's desperate to do some exercise again - and cycling would seem to be a good option as it's no/low impact for joints, spine etc. I guess my question is has anybody ridden with this condition, or know somebody that has, and if so, how did it work out?

Thanks in advance.

You really must seek expert medical advice. You might get the answers that you want to hear here but they might not be supported by relevant medical qualifications. You can't afford to take the risk of causing further damage to your daughter's spine.

fossyant

Do get some proper advice with regards to her spine - we can only really give a few pointers - see what the doctor or physio thinks !

Cycling is low impact, but it does place a fair amount of stress on the back, and may mean she has to build up slowly. Cycling does build up good back/neck muscles, so over time this might be a good aspect to cycling for her, especially if she takes it easy and checks with an 'expert'.

Captain Fagor

For what it's worth as a non-medic, when I re-started cycling three and a half years ago, my back gave me a fair amount of grief. I was diagnosed as having Spondy by a Chiropracter a couple of years ago. I have the x-rays, and they're not nice to look at. My spine is a series of straight lines, kinks, twists and sharp corners! Don't know how I managed it - most likely during my drinking years. Ho-hum.

Anyway, provided I get my bike position right (i.e. not too stretched out) my back doesn't really give me grief these days (touch wood). Having said that, my back has probably been strengthened by the ~12000 miles I have ridden.

If she's determined to start cycling, I think the things to concentrate on would be: (a) seeing a good physio to see if cycling is a suitable form of exercise; (b) seeking professional advice on bike fit before buying / riding a bike, and (c) taking it easy once she's riding.

Good luck with her recovery.

EDIT: By the way, you may be interested in this link describing the condition.
http://www.spine-health.com/dir/spondy.html

skinsey

Thanks for the replies. I'll speak to her consultant, and then hopefully, in the light of Capt Fagor's experience, get her started. Have a tame (and good) LBS to get her sorted out too.

rich g

Hi skinsey i suffer from AS, the doctor told me to ride a bike with flat bars of which i did for some time,but i changed to dropped bars several years ago becauce there are so many positions you can put your hands.With AS you need exersize and if your daughter gets pain whilst cycling she may have to try something else.

Good luck