S5 / L1 back surgery recovery

davey d

Hi there

Has anyone on here got any experience from S5/L1 back surgery, I've had this operation 3 weeks ago and sofar I'm totally free from any back pain and nerve problems which were there beforhand.

Been given the normal post op recovery plan but as someone that used to average 10/12 hrs per week on the bike was wondering how to gauge things.

Thankfully this time of year its not a great problem to take things easy but would love to here any experiences that anyone may have had.

pigeontoes

Was it a microdiscectomy? I had the op end of June. I did loads of walking in the 1st 4 weeks and then included swimming and gym exercise bike from week 4. Got on my road bike week 6. Besides being unfit because I'd done no exercise for 5 months, I was OK on the flat. Had to take hills really gently for the next couple of weeks as it felt 'tight' across my back when I tried to power up hills. Got back on my mountain bike after 12 weeks. No problems other than, I'm even wimpier than usual as I really don't fancy coming off at the moment.

I've started doing Pilates and found that's really good, my flexibity is now better than its ever been which really helps on the road bike. good luck.

davey d

Yes microdiscectomy, been doing all the walking and just started swimming.

Was going to do all the cycling on the turbo as I guessed safer and better incase I started to feel crap when I was outside and realised I had to ride back home, easier just to jump off turbo in the garage.

overlord2

Diagnosed with a disc bulge l4/l5 10 years ago (age 30) that had probably been there or getting worse for the previous 5 years. Thankfully a good physiotherpist persuaded me not to go down the surgery route its been a slog, hard work but if I think how I could have been had things gone wrong i'd probably be crippled at 40.

Back problems in my opinion is probably the most debilitating, frightening, and depressing injury you can get. Until you've had it, then when you've had it you treat your back with a lot more respect.

It will get better but it will never be 100%. Be prepared to stretch and do exercises at least 10 minutes every day for the rest of you're life to keep it at bay. It does get better and you get better at coping with it though.

ps. core strengthening is so important so make sure you keep doing core work you can even do it in the saddle - back straight and push the bum back into the saddle, don't flop about.

davey d

I didnt have any back problems beforehand and had only been in back pain for about 2 weeks, I had an off at 39mph on the road in June but didn't break any bones but got a feeling that's when something must have been damaged.

I had started to lose feeling in my foot, that's why they operated straight away.

It was very frightening when the surgeon explained what could have been the outcome if I didn't have a successful
procedure.

Its trying to keep the competitive side of myself at bay and take it slowly

Mikey1976

Ive now had 3 ops on my L5/S1 disc within the last 9 years. The first one I was pain free the day after surgery. The second one was 5 years later (4 years ago), but the pre-opp pain was soooo unbelievably bad that I was bed ridden for 2 weeks before surgery, pain like ive never experienced before. After the second opp there was still alot of nerve pain, not as much as pre-opp but still bad enough to mean I struggled with day-to-day tasks without being in alot pain.

Then followed 4 months of pyhsio, deep massage, invasive massage, you name it I tried it. But the pain was still there, not even getting better. After a few consultations with the surgeon he decided to go back in and see what was causing the pain. Hense followed the third opp. The results were that the nerve was "stuck" to the disc, but the disc had not pro-lapsed again. He freed the nerve and told me it would take months to be pain free because the nerve was damaged.

To cut a longer story short someone suggested for me to take up cycling. That was 3 years ago. When I first started I struggled to turn my head behind and couldnt even pedal out of the saddle without pain. But after a few weeks the pain started to ease and eventually subside and im 100% convinced it was down to cycling. Im now completly pain free and cycling 180 miles a week.

Bottom line is everyone recovers differently, keep the faith and if the pain is bearable please try to continue cycling, it really does help.

davey d

Excellent to hear your pain free and it sounds like the cycling has helped.

andy_wrx

Artificial disc in L5/S1 in 2006

Do take it easier than you think you should initially, probably more for the anaesthetic than the surgery.
Like you, I started on rollers initially in week 3, figuring I could stop and get off if necessary rather than having to walk home.
But no issues, so switched to road and did a 50 miler in week 4...
..much to my physio's horror, but I figured they were more used to unfit pensioners than cyclists.

Have given up running (bust the disc training for my 4th marathon) but cycling is fine - actually find it improves things, assume it's rythmic stretching and strengthening.

Do your physio, do stretches and core work.
My surgeon told me that things would slowly improve as time went on, it would take about 3 years for things to settle down and to get as best as I could be, and he was right - I kept a diary and could see how things were slowly improving and I could manage more and suffered less discomfort than a month or a year earlier.

Now I can do most things and am pill-free.
I still find sitting for long periods in cars an issue, but that's the only thing.
My back tells me if I'm sitting badly and slouching.

kingofthetailwind

Sorry to hijack, but I have similar problems. I've had S5/L1 problems the last four years or so. My doctor has never actually agreed to send me for a scan but he says this is the most likely diagnosis. The original cause was weightlifting. Deadlifting specifically, which I no longer do. My pain isn't as bad as you guys are describing but it's been persistant the last couple of months.

My core is strong but flexibility is pretty bad. I stretch after every ride/run/weights session but not on rest days and probably not exactly the right exercises.

So my question is what is your daily stretching routine?

davey d

If the pain is increasing or getting more constant then you have to start taking action, unless your receiving weekly physio then there's not much chance of improvement. Dig your heels in with GP and request a MRI scan that will tell the true problem and possible solution.

Soon as I had the op I have had total relief from any pain and suffering, it was like a light being turned off.

I'm now 4 weeks since op and starting to ride on the turbo again and very happy with progress, the big challenge will come when I start to try and rebuild power and speed work. I used to have a FTP of 320 watts and a half decent tt'er so doing hard interval sessions was normal turbo sessions unlike the 30 min spins I'm doing at the moment.

As for stretching etc, then this is where I think I will change totally in the future. I've been lucky with the op and the success but to be honest very scared of what could have been and the possibility of a re occurrence.

Theres loads on the internet but it might be worth looking into seeing if there's a local pilates or yoga class you can get involved with, I know it was something I definitely should have been doing, that also not coming off my bike at 39mph.

andy_wrx

Pilates very good

Pre my op, I couldn't stretch my hamstrings, you know the stretch where you lie on your back, hold your ankle and straighten your leg - no chance, agony referred straigyt down to my ankle.
That was one of the stretches the physios had me do immediately post op and it makes so much difference - tight hams will pull on your back

pcb24

I strongly suggest you see a Physio and get a proper structured return to cycling programme. The last thing you want is a relapse and so I would request a Physio referral from your GP.