orcanova

Feeling pretty sad, now...I "blew a disc" in my lower back on Sunday. Nothing fancy, just getting up out of a chair. I can hardly walk, orthopedist has me at home, on a walker, and on pain meds.

He will x-ray and do an MRI next week to see the severity of it. I asked about road cycling, and he said I will probably get back to that point, but won't be on a bike for 7-8 weeks at least. I had a slightly bulging disc for a while now, most likely from carrying all my camera gear every day and all the abuses from my career over the years. He said it is probably not ruptured. I am not sure when he meant by blown, so I think it is just a more serious aggravation of it than previous aggravations.

I was feeling this bizarre sensation in my right leg the day before. It felt like my cell phone was vibrating in my pocket, and I would reach down to answer it, but it wasn't buzzing, it was just nerves in my leg.

It is really deflating and when I envision being on my bike, in top form, dancing on the pedals, it seems so far away now and I am just hoping that when I get over this there won't be any major limitations or compromises to my road biking as I know it. That is what really has me bummed because road cycling is the love of my life, and I want to be ab le to get back to the point where I can beat myself up on the bike and challenge myself without limitations from an injury or a condition.

To add to the challenge, I expect to be travelling on the campaign trail alot for work in the upcoming year, which can be very physically abusing as well for a photographer. I wonder how I will be able to manage getting back to good form on the bike and be able to handle the demands of being on the campaign trail without compromising my back more along the way. That is a tall order to fill. I hope I am up for the task.

He said the road back to riding will involve an elliptical trainer, a recumbent bike or exercise bike, and a gradual return to the road bike. I told him I have an elliptical trainer, I just bought a recumbent bike for my wife, and I have a stationary trainer for my road bike. I'm going to do all I can to have a great recovery, and I am determined to come back stronger than before, but it really just sucks and I am sad now..

dcvelo

Wow, that sucks! I'm never going to sit in a chair again!

Seriously, hope the recovery goes well...that tingling sensation makes it sound like the problem was already there, but who knows why? Getting better is the important thing. Good luck with that.

ggg300

sorry to hear...

Namenda

I have two herniated cervical discs. My PCP, my neurosurgeon, and three different physical therapists all told me that road cycling was out. Not maybe, but flat NO. Funny thing is, riding my road bike is the only thing that makes me feel better...

I realize that a lower back disc injury will affect you in different ways than my discs do, but don't be discouraged. After the inflammation subsides, whether by itself or through the miracles of modern medicine, I bet you'll be right back out there. Good luck.

cat0020

I'm sorry to hear of your delimha.
Before you try to do anything for recovery, ask your doctor about excersise machine like a Teeter table:



My mother at the young age of 67 had suffered a disc degeneration few years back, I've had back pain in the past from excesive road racing.. it worked for me and my mum..

I also ride recumbents now, but mostly with my girlfriend at leisure pace when enjoying scenery is more important than going fast. If you have questions about recumbent bike, I would be glad to answer them.

Meanwhile, lots of pain killer if need to.. and I hope the best for you.

orcanova

Yes, the disc was probably copromised already and the tingling was the first hint. I also strained a muscle or tendon running up my right leg to near the inside of my crotch, this being last weekend when I did a 40 mile ride on my wife's recumbent. He thought that may also have been part of this syndrome. He didn't think my accident a month ago, when I got hit by a car, had anything to do with it, based on my dscription, and I agree with him.

As far as timing, it could be worse. My Orca is in calfee's hands as they are repairing the cracked seat tube from the accident. Although it is nearing the end of my cycling season this year, I love riding way into fall, its my favorite time of year, but at least I had some great riding all the way through the summer, and I did get two excellent centuries in recently: The Blue Ridge Extreme, and the Civil War Century.

Walking around on a walker is very humbling, considering what great condition I was in just before this. It hurts like hell.

BlazingPedals

Recumbent rider here, too. My first and second thoughts were that riding the wife's recumbent could have caused the current problem if the seat to pedal length was mis-adjusted too long, leaving the lower back unsupported. If that's the case, the injury is muscle-related and should be temporary.

Back injuries are no fun, and I hope this one heals itself soon.

waterrockets 

Good luck! Take that fight you have for the road bike and turn it into recovery perfection.

wrxrider

I pulled a hamstring two months ago bending over on the golf course to pick up a club. "Nothing fancy" fits. Getting old is no fun.

Elric

Ugh... sorry to hear about it, G. I'm glad it wasn't worse than it could have been. From what you said it does sound like there's a good chance for a full recovery so don't let it get you down. I agree with what others have said that there's a wide range of therapies out there to help you on your way. And hey, you never know, you might discover some new activities that you really enjoy until you get back on the bike again.

I'll pour a beer for you tonight. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

ftsoft

Try to see a sports specific orthopedic doc who specializes in backs. Most doctors assume everyone is sedentary and prescribe exactly the wrong thing for back problems (rest and meds). The best thing for MOST back problems is exercise and movement. Of course, everyone is different and some back problems ARE serious enough to require surgery (just not many).

I have had a compressed vertebrae since I was 35 (I'm 66) and went through several docs and spent a very miserable year until I found a doc who said "I assume you want to resume your sports career". No meds, no surgery, but lots of therapy. Incidentally the only exercise that I could do during that year was bicycling and while my back is always a problem, I can lead a normal life. My brother-in-law OTOH had 2 back surgeries and is FAR worse than I am. He was never an athlete and I don't think the mentality was there to deal with the injury as just a sports injury.

Anyway your injury is likely different than mine, but make sure the doc knows you want to be active.


Frank

BikeGarage

Sorry to hear about your troubles. I had a herniated disk L4-5. At the time I had a 6 months old daughter that my doctor said not to try to carry. I tried physical therapy with limited success and ended up with a surgery fusing two vertebrae. Doctors are saying that now my back is stronger than before the surgery and I have no limitations in terms of activities. No problems for about 12 years including road/mountain biking, backpacking and kayaking.

I hope you will recover soon and fully.

blonduathlongrl

rest orca, hoping you get better soon!

patentcad

I was 'diagnosed' with an arthritic degenerative spine, and had a fusion @ C6/7 in 2001. For nothing. Wound up off the bike, on pain pills for years. Now I ride 1000 miles per month. Try pilates, an inversion table, stretches, etc. But I'd be leery of staying off the bike. Big time. The doctors told me to do that, which was a big factor in me giving up riding and competitive cycling for many years. I'm just about all the way back after 2.5 years on the bike, but I wish I had known what I do now 7 years ago. Live and learn.

Can they DO something for your pain? Perhaps. Bear in mind diagnosis is the hardest part. If they are SURE you have a ruptured disc, that is half the battle. But only half. The other half is successfully treating it. But if you do have a blown disc, you're ahead of me: I had pain and no real smoking gun cause.... The pain remains. But I live with it. Quite happily I might add, believe it or not.

airosen

Sorry to hear that, orcanova. This must be tough for you. Keep a positive attitude, and hopefully you'll make a full recovery.
Good luck!

mezza

That sucks man.

I was 19 years of age when I ruptured a disc. I walked with a limp for 1.5 years. Was told NEVER to ride a bike again. At 31 I decided f*ck em, I'm buying a bike again.

3 years and I am fitter and happier than ever... With NO back discomfort.

Full recovery is possible my friend. Keep positive and keep going

orcanova

Pcad, its funny, the doc used the term 'blown disc' but did not use the term ruptured. He is not doing any imaging until nest week, because he said it would be more useful then, and said I probably wouldn't be able to lay still long enough for an MRI right now, given the pain I'm in.

He seemed to think it was the nerve endings around the outside of the disc being irritated that is causing the pain. He doubt's surgery will be necessary or useful, as people who have surgery usually do no better than those who don't. I think the surgery in this case would be reserved for a situation to prevent damage to the nerves.

He seems like a very knowledgeable and good orthopedist. He listened carefully, understood everything I told him about my profession and gear, and he understood the road biking very well. He inquired what model road bike I was riding, mileage, etc.

He seemed confident I will be road biking again, but said this is a condition I will always have to manage in my life. I asked if being a road bike position will a problem and he said no.

He made it clear that if I lay in bed for six months I would still be hurting, but if I exercise and keep it active it will heal much more quickly, so he is an advocate for mobility, as much as possible, as soon as possible, so I think we are on the same page. He said 2.7 days is the average before people start rehabbing, and suggested as soon as I am ready to start walking the neighborhood with my walker, respecting the pain.

I am hoping that the pain will start fading rapidly during the first week, but right now I look like, and feel like, a cripple.

I have been very tight and inflexible over the last couple years, and my upper body is not nearly as strong as my lower body. Therefore, my goal is to work a lot more at my flexibility, and to strengthen my upper body much more so I have a more balanced muscular-skeletal structure. I am going to start using dumbells in the house, when I am able to, and then graduate to some other resistance training later on.

I will definitely ask him about an inversion table and whatnot, and when I get to the PT phase of my recovery, I will seek out the best sports medicine PT people I can find.

I am just hoping that I don't get any real bad news from the imaging next week. I don't want to be in pain in my typical road bike position, and I will do everything I can to get to that point.

Thanks for the well wishes, all of you. I am really bummed and deflated about this and it does make me feel a lot better to hear your encouragement.

(BTW, the slightly bulging disc that had given me some problems in the past was L5-S1. I was also told by two different PT's that I have a slightly immobile sacrum, so in th past they have had me work on that flexibility. My though is the stiff sacrum contributed the the irritation of that disc, and this one feels like it is in the same region...probably the same disc.)

orcanova

You could be spot on with that. Forty miles in a totally new riding position could have been taking on too much too soon. I may have irritated the disc at that point and have been unknowingly compromised since then.

dingodog

I was moving a bookshelf about two years ago. It slipped and ripped up my lower back - it was like an electric shock running right up my spine and I could barely move. X-rays showed no disc issues so it was just muscular, but I was still on PT for weeks. It took about 3 months to fully recover. I was back on the bike as soon as I could and it actually helped my recovery. The PT guys said riding would not a problem and that I could ride as long as I avoided hills and kept a high cadence. I was riding the next day, although getting in and out of my bibs was a very slow process.

I realize your issue is more serious than mine was, but don't get too discouraged yet. Once you get it fixed and faithfully do your PT, you may even come back a stronger rider.

stevemtbr

When I was 40 I ruptured left side of L4-5 just due to a life time of abuse. Seems it's not the strenuous activities, but the simplest movements that put us in agony. After a 2 hour MB ride on the trails I was feeling pretty good and when I walk into the bedroom it felt like being sruck by lighting in my back and down my leg. Would of hit the floor if the bed wasn't there. Took a week for the pain to subside and then left leg felt like it was 40% gone. Walked with a bad limp and I could not lift it more than a foot off the floor.
A month later I had Minimally Invasive surgery where they just cleaned the ruptured part off. I would of went home from the hospital that day but I threw up after surgery so they made me spend the night. But as soon as I woke up I could tell a huge difference. The ruptured part of the disc was hitting the nerve and from what I had researched the nerve damage can be perminit if it's not fixed. Go to https://www.spineuniverse.com/ for a great source on back issues.
I consider my surgery a complete success. Now at 43 I ride Mt, road, and cross averaging 4000+ yearly miles. Can run 6 miles in under 54 mins. and can still bench press 235.
If all else fails and you do decide have surgery just remember to take it easy for at least a year. That does not mean you can't ride. I was on the indoor trainer a week after surgery and two weeks later I was back on the road doing easy long miles. The doc left it all up to me and exercise does speed up the healing process.
The MRI will be the key to find out what's really wrong back there and once you and the Doc find out it will help for making a better decision on what you want/need for treatment. As other people have mentioned keeping limber and having a strong core is very important to having a healthy back. Especially for us old timers. Good luck.

On a side note I read some where (can't remember at the moment) that 80% of males over 40 have some type of back ailment. Some lucky people will never experience problems and others will.

StupidlyBrave 

Be a good patient and get well soon!

Psimet2001 

I actually got into cycling because of a spine issue. Can't remember the name, bt supposedly I have a "crack" or break in one of my vertabrae on each side of my lower back about where the hamstrings connect.

Options at the time included a spinal fusion operation. I opted no. He told me I had to stop all sports and I said no. He said that cycling was the only thing on my short list that he would endorse.

They rest is what it is. Cycling never aggravated my back issues.

Years later I had a doctor ask me if I went for the fusion. I said no and he said, "Good. They found out later that the fusion operation eventually led to more pain." Backs up my belief that sometimes (usually anymore) doctors, like everyone else, really don't know what the F they are doing, just trying to cover their butts.

baiskeli

Sorry to hear that .

Whatever the doc says, be very good about following the directions to a T, especially regarding recurpation and physical therapy. A friend of mine just went through this (but his case was much more severe, it was ruptured).

orcanova

Wow...your story is both scary and encouraging at the same time! Likewise its great to hear other people's stories of overcoming back problems. Riding seems so far away right now with the pain and stiffness...I am just hoping this injury's bark is worse than its bite, which, when it comes to nerves and pain, it probably is.

I just can't believe I am hobbling around on a walker and my wife is *****ing at me when I ask her to get me something...just like my Mom and Dad. Really scary stuff!!!!

Patriot

My back hurts from reading all this.


I guess you could call it sympathy pain?


Ow!!!