Cycling with a (recovered) herniated disc

cowboyjon · June 2019

I'll keep this short and sweet, if I can.

4 or 5 years ago I injured my back weight lifting and ended up with a herniated disc. I struggled on with this injury, continuing to lift weights and damage my back (and my mental state, truth be told) until last year when I finally threw in the towel and put a complete stop on all iron-pumping activities and discovered cycling.

I've went from complete noob to a half decent hobby cyclist, the problem is even though my back is a million times better (as well as my mental state) I still suffer from the residual damage I have caused to my lower back, on each and every ride.

Regular as clockwork, anywhere between the 40 and 50 minute mark of each ride the pain comes on and stays there until I stop and climb down off the bike for a spell.

When initially I started out riding a year ago I thought it would eventually dissipate as I got stronger and my body got used to cycling but nope, it's still there, like an old enemy with a smile and a grudge.

I've always stretched and iced my back after rides and tried stretching before too and nothing makes any difference - the pain is right there waiting for me no matter what I do.

I am really interested in hearing from others who have went through a similar condition and how they got through it. I haven't tried yoga yet so that may be my next port of call.

The sad thing about this is I have made leaps and bounds power and endurance wise in the last 12 months despite this injury but no matter how strong I get I can't even think about joining a local club as I would be utterly useless on any kind of run that didn't include regular stops every 45 minutes!

keef66 · June 2019

I did my L4-5 disc when I was about 40. Gardening :roll:

I had a shot of morphine in my @rse and was given powerful painkillers, then just left to get on with it. Recovery was extremely slow. I suspect I'd have done better if I'd had some kind of physio. After a few months the GP poked the area with his fingers and pronounced it better. I never had any imaging done.

That was 20 years ago, but I still regard my lower back as a weak point. Standing for any length of time can be very painful. I'm very careful lifting anything. Periodically the whole area will stiffen up and / or become very painful for no apparent reason.

Magically for me though cycling appears to be positively beneficial, and I'll often ride the bike to free up a stiff back.

Are you very stretched out on the bike? Do you have much of a drop from saddle to bars?

imposter2.0 · June 2019

Another L4/L5 here - did mine about 12/13 years ago. For me it's not the riding position which creates any ongoing issues, as it doesn't - and I still ride now in the same/similar position that I used to race in - but I rarely ride longer than 3-4 hours these days. Mine comes back to bite me sometimes when my back is at certain angles, or twisting in a certain way - but rarely, if ever on the bike.

singleton · June 2019

I've got 2, not that I want a prize or anything - L3/L4 and L4/L5 - one worse than the other.
Exercise and generally managing my weight helps, but TBH I find that road cycling alone isn't that great for it. I do some running and some kettlebell swings (used to swim which was also good) and both of those are probably better for my back than pure road cycling.

yellowv2 · June 2019

I have Similar at L 3/4 and 4/5. In 2014 I also had a tear in the disc at 4/5 which has since healed. I originally used Pilates to help but have since switched to yoga, which I find excellent. Apart from strengthening the area it improves general flexibility on and off the bike.

daniel_b · June 2019

I would heartily recommend Jo Mcrae, recommended on here by another forum member.

I had a herniated disc, caused in the same way, and had chronuc back pain for about 10 years.

Pm me if you want a more indepth breakdown.

cowboyjon · June 2019

Guys, I feel your pain as only one that has been through it can!

Two different herniated discs - I can only imagine going through that pal.

I ride a giant defy so not too stretched out - there isn't much of a drop from saddle to bars.

For what it's worth I take solace in the fact I have the type of condition that means I am more comfortable in a stretched forward position, as opposed to others who are the opposite and their spine gives them less grief in a laid back position. If I had been the other way round cycling would be off the cards entirely.

It sounds like my only options are to continue grinning and bearing it or somehow find the extra time to try yoga.

cowboyjon · June 2019

Daniel B wrote:

I would heartily recommend Jo Mcrae, recommended on here by another forum member.

I had a herniated disc, caused in the same way, and had chronuc back pain for about 10 years.

Pm me if you want a more indepth breakdown.

I'd like to hear about that Daniel but I can't pm you for whatever reason.

Please pm me and spill the beans when you get the chance.

daniel_b · June 2019

Hi Jon,

bit of downtime whilst watching the Dauphine, so thought I would reply here.

Apologies if this is a bit of an essay.

Back in around 2003 I hurt my back fairly badly doing free weights - I lived with it for about 6 months, thinking it would get better, but it didn't really at all.
Wasn't enough to keep me off work, but it was constant pain, sometimes with sharp breath catching moments.
I'm a positive person, but it did start getting me down.
I'll list all of the things I tried:

Doctor
NHS Physio
Pilates
Alexander Technique
Tamars
Sports massage
Osteopath
Chiropractor (One who looked after a swathe of golfers, they have a lot of issues due to the action of using the club)

The only thing did not try that I may have done, was accupunture.

I happened to be browsing the forum one day, and I think someone had replied to a thread much like this to mention a woman who had sorted out his issue - I dropped him a PM, and he gave me her details.
I composed her a big long e-mail with my history, sent it off, and she came back to me within a few days, to say she thought she may be able to help, and to arrange a visit.

Having had so many letdowns in the past, I did not want to get my hopes up, but it was difficult not to.

Just to add, I was able to ride my bike, but I wasn't able to spend time in the drops, and it would be uncomfortable on longer rides - I also used to get pain in my forearms.

Anyway, I visited her (Took a day off work and drove into outer London, and got the tube in) and she assessed me in the morning, took various measurements, tested how far I could bend in various directions etc, and made a diagnosis based on that.
She spotted immediately that my torso was out of alignment, something that no other professional had picked up on - but when she pointed it out, it was blatantly obvious. She gave me a stupidly simple exercise to sort it, and I saw improvement within a matter of days, though it took several weeks to get properly aligned again.
She advised me to buy a gym ball, and a couple of rollers, which I did, and in the afternoon she gave me a set of exercises to run through for a period of time, I forget how long now, something like 6-8 weeks.
She went through the exercises with me, so I knew how to complete them, and sent me a pdf by e-mail so I had a hard copy - which I still hang onto!

So I went away, started completing them, and she was in contact via e-mail and phone as needed - one of the exercises (superman one I think) caused me some sharp pain, so she just said to drop that one totally.

I saw massive improvement, and went back for a second visit - she carried out the same measurements and tests again, and gave me a different set of exercises - the first ones had mostly been mobilising ones, with a bit of strength worked in, the second set were mostly core based ones, but she had me alternate between the mobilising and these strengthening ones.

I carried these one for another 8 weeks or so, and at that point felt like a changed person, and I didn't end up going back to see her.

I keep the exercises sheets, and have a few key ones stored in my head, so if I have any discomfort I have a way of managing and dealing with it, which is bloomin brilliant.

I'm not a dramatic person really, but it's not overstating a fact to say that she pretty much got me my life back - even more important now I have a lively 5 year old daughter to look after.

I latterly gave her details to a mate at work who had similar back issues, and he went to see her, and ended up getting his wife to see her as well.

I don't have any direct connection with her, no kick backs or anything like that, she just made that much of an impact on a pretty major issue that no one else was able to work out what the cause was.

This is her website: https://www.jomcrae.co.uk/

I saw her some 6 years ago, so worth checking in with her, as she may have some other locations she works from now.

Cheers

Darius_Jedburgh · June 2019

I had two discs damaged in that area. Stopped me riding a bike completely. Just couldn't get comfy or put up with the pain. Saw a specialist privately who told me that there was nothing he could do. But, he said they will heal themselves to a large degree....given time.

Fast forward 10 years and I needed a new knee. I was also a couch potato. So after the OP I picked up a cheapo bike just for some exercise. Now I've got the bug back. Can easily do 3 70 mile rides a week. Back will take what's involved, though I do use Thudbusters on both my bikes. Still can't get up really short sharp steep hills. My back won't let me; it just refuses to let me get the power down. So I either avoid them. Or walk. No shame in that.

Maybe you just need to give your back time to settle down. Not what you want to hear, of course, but maybe you will have to consider other avenues for a while. You can come back, you may just have to be patient.

yellowv2 · June 2019

I would also endorse Jo McRae.
Although I haven’t been to see her in person I have her book:
“Ride Strong”, strength and conditioning for cyclists.
Which is excellent and has specific exercises for sufferers of back pain.

daniel_b · June 2019

yellowv2 wrote:

I would also endorse Jo McRae.
Although I haven’t been to see her in person I have her book:
“Ride Strong”, strength and conditioning for cyclists.
Which is excellent and has specific exercises for sufferers of back pain.

Oooh, wasn't aware of that - going on my Birthday list, thankyou!

Does it have much (or anything) in the way of leg strengthening exercises?

I've just started doing some regular barbell squats and romanian lifts (or something like that) so curious to see if this has anything along the lines of that.

yellowv2 · June 2019

It is split into three sections essentially. Flexibility, Core and Strength.
In the strength section yes there are leg strength exercises, based around various types of squat.
Although in the book they are body weight based, she does refer to loading with weights for progression, when appropriate.

daniel_b · June 2019

Cool, sounds like it would be worth a look in that case.

I've only started in the last week doing 50 of each exercise, with 20+ kg on the bar, but am being cautious given my history, and stretching \ mobilising well afterwards, which seems to keep things happy. Planning to do this about 5 times per week.
It feels like I am already seeing benefits, though I appreciate there could be a placebo effect at work.
The proof of the weighted pudding, will be in my next FTP test.

*Sorry for going O/T OP!

vinnymarsden · June 2019

I am approaching 60...at 42 I had the bottom 2 discs totally explode (that was the consultants "graphic" explanation as to what it looked like on the scan!! I was bending down to get a book off the bottom shelf in WH Smiths...NOT the top shelf!!
I struggled for months..PILED on weight, generally felt depressed..off work etc etc.
At the time I was into running, just general cycling, nothing mad...I ended up having the bottom 2 discs, basically, for want of a better description, removed, there was so much debris from the ruptures the consultant just took almost all of the damaged discs away leaving very little behind!
I struggled for almost 18months to get fit again, but with the assistance of a VERY good sports chiropractor, who was a cycling team coach for the Swedish team...god alone knows how he ended up in Sheffield..I'm just so glad he did..I ended up running again..back up to half marathons..but to be honest I was very wary, and the spark had gone, albeit I was almost as quick, I just hadn't got the buzz, so I turned to road cycling.
I manage to do plenty of miles, ride a pretty aggressive TCR and can put in a decent days riding, been to the Alps, Coast to Coast, lots of good enjoyable stuff.
So for anyone struggling with a bad back, and soldiering on with medication..non invasive physio etc...if you get the chance to have it PROPERLY sorted I would recommend seriously thinking about it, I know fact, I would be an armchair sports fan now if I hadn't taken the "risk" 17yrs ago, because there is a risk with surgery, of course there is, but my consultant told me the damage I had was going to progress to potentially wheelchair needs in 15yrs...no brainer in my eyes.
Just my 2pennorth...

Cycling with a (recovered) herniated disc

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