[Closed] Torn/ruptured disk, plus cycling

Mrs had a disc removed, L4/L5.  Told she wouldn't be cycling or running again.  She got back to both, and has done a few century road rides.  She was ultra vigilant in doing the exercises she was given by physios.  Yoga and Pilates seem to make her worse, so follow your own instincts about those.  Could be placebo, but low-carb diet seems to help (it's supposedly anti-inflammatory, and definitely helps reduce weight, for her).

Good luck.

Not sure how that differs from a herniated disc, but I've suffered from a herniated L4/L5 and after a few initial hiccups am back to full fitness  riding and hiking in particular.

You'll get used to looking after it, better posture, more focus on core, little lifestyle changes, but it won't stop you riding.

so i have a few, fused th12/L1, damaged l4, herniated c5 and c6 - do not want the op; last major incident on my neck was 2002 but I have several relapses, the neck issues have left me with limited feeling in my right hand and general problems with the grip.

Went back MTB and rode full suss for years but now ride a fat bike fully rigid, what help me was exercise (core, strength) , better posture, regular osteopathy, walking - even a stroll-  and change in work environment.

for me the worse thing was not doing anything, be sensible, but keep the blood flow moving.

It is a long road but stick with it!

edit been through loads of bikes to get the set up correct and handlebars, spacers and stems

Thanks for the info folks, very encouraging - especially as most of the injuries above sound worse than mine!

If you're a road cyclist, then the worst 'long term' effect is that you'll have to abandon all snobbery about spacers under the stem/pointing stems upwards/those goofy Specialized riser-drop bars etc. Stack height is A Good Thing if you like to ride long distances and don't have time for several hours pilates a day.

It did change my outlook on MTB a bit, put me off any sort of trails that involved lots of jerky wrenching on handlebars etc. although if I'd ever learned to wheelie/manual properly I probably wouldn't have needed to be hauling on the bars so much. There's one trail local to me that I loved, lots of rooty muddy corners etc. but also lots of rooty muddy ditch crossings, which required a healthy tug on the bars and/or pedal wheely to get across. I eventually got sick of it as it seemed to be asking for another herniated disc...

Hiking seemed to be really good for mine, even/especially long distance stuff, heavy rucsacs loaded properly (top heavy, rather than the instinctive heavy things at the bottom) seemed to pull me up straighter. Hiking poles are your friend as well, stops you leaning into the uphills.

Good timing, I was just talking about this last night. Currently off the bike due to a head injury and been sat around a lot which has not done by back (diagnosed with a dehydrated disc 10 years ago in my 20's). Walking to the pub last night with the dog and I had shooting pains down my legs and then every  time I got off the bench at the pub I would hobble around like an old man gradually straightening my back. First ride is going to be painful I think.

I think I have something similar to the OP undiagnosed tho. Real nervy pain at the base of the spine. Can't ride the hard tail at all because of the impacts. Can ride the I'll suss but only for an hour before it hurts too much. It's getting better very slowly but I'm about 2 months in from the initial back pain and still get up gingerly. Chiro does seem to help as well as doing stuff. Posture is massive. Had to tilt my saddle forward too.

I posted exactly this question a couple of years ago. Ruptured my c5/c6 I think and I ended up being rushed into hospital as I couldn’t breath properly with the pain. A week on morphine and they told me I’d never ride again. Posted on here for advice (got none!) They were sure I’d need the discs fused and cycling wouldn’t be possible. One doctor told me that I’d need 12 months rest and I might manage gentle cycling, maybe with a neck support. 3 months later I was back guiding and about 18 months later I was at full strength. I’ve lost some feeling in my fingers (great for getting toast out the toaster) and have some niggling pain but know how to deal with it and it is nothing that keeps me awake at night. Lots of yoga and I’m stronger than ever I reckon.

Stay positive and take the least permenant option would be my advice. I was in a very dark place when they told me I’d never bike again, on top of coming off the morphine and a bad reaction to the nerve blocking drugs they gave me. Looking back it was a 3-4 month blip followed by a steady recovery. Good luck!

If anything be thankful you're not in the US/Canada, there's any number of snake oil practitioners over there who start to seem VERRRRRY attractive when you're in a great deal of pain and thinking you'll never ride again.

I almost shelled out $2000 for 'decompression therapy' which was basically being stretched on a very fancy electric rack, the theory being that the decompression would create a sort of vacuum effect that would 'pull' the disc back in. In the end I saw sense and just spent $30 on a second hand inversion table (look it up). In hindsight it was equally stupid and freaked my flatmates dog out something ridiculous every time he came in found me hanging upside down!

Had my C5/C6 disc replaced about 2 months ago... had about 3 months of near constant pins and needles/burning pain in my arm before I decided to get it looked at... the MRI showed the disc compressing my spine very clearly.

Have only just been given the nod to be able to start exercising again, and only been on the bike twice so far, but I have to say being pain free on the bike is just brilliant!

Advice.

Only.you know your body.

Listen to it.

I have a fussed 4 and 5.

Told I have lost use if left let due to nerve damage.

Total shite but they are only telling you what they see in the mri.

What I suffer with is an inability to stretch left leg when riding and it cramps heavily but just keep working it works for me.

Simple terms cycling is low impact so just ride and take it easy or as hard as you like. Ad said, only.you know yourself

I've got/had two ruptured discs I'm lower back. They've healed to some extent but still give me gyp on the bike.

I fitted a Brooks saddle - one with those  chrome springs - and that has stopped the irritation. The only problem is wannabe Froomes trying to take the proverbial!

andyl, take care, your symptoms sound identical to mine - pressure from the disk was pressing on the nerves, causing that pain when walking etc. You might need to rest it to give it a chance to 'settle down' (my surgeon's term, that.) Ignoring it, and trying to work/ride through it, might not be the best course. I paid £250 for an MRI scan privately, was worth it for the certainty it gave me on what was going on.

I haven't looked at my bike for a couple of months now. And I'm trying to drive as little as possible too, because the driving position aggravates the condition. Physio gave me a very stern look when I told her about my commute totalling 3 hours in the car each day.

Also sorted myself out with decent office chairs at home and work, and stopped hunching over a laptop keyboard and monitor all day in favour of full-size ones.

Just hoping and praying that an extended period of rest followed by gentle yoga/pilates/physio/whatever will mean I can ride again.

Just bought a fapping expensive bike and was getting pretty fit, too.

Thanks again for all the advice and experience shared.

I had a massively herniated disc at L4/5. It was misdiagnosed for about 4 years (of massive pain) before i finally had a proper MRI. I had surgery to repair it, which went well but stuffed it again in a bike accident 2 years later. They won't operate on it again due to scarring from the original operation.

8 years after herniating it again, I'm still biking a couple of times a week. Swings and roundabouts of pain. Pilates every morning. Back support for every ride and can only ride a full suss.

Steep hills are a trial and too many of them give me nerve spasms and a lack of feeling in my foot.

My advice ... listen to your body after you've recovered. Sometimes, you need to fight through it or you'd just give up.

Do good things for your back though. Swimming, walking, Pilates, etc. but find a good physio to help you through the downturns because they will happen.

Best of luck.

Same problem - disc damage. Had to pay to get an MRI.

1. Changed my car for a Volvo V90. Comfiest seat i coukd find. Small cars tend to have arched seats for rear leg room which would flare my back up. Spend a weekend sitting in car seats at dealers then look for a cheap lease deal.

2. Changed my office chair for a better one- Herman Miller Mirra.

3. Went to a Chiropracter, also gave me Thor laser treatment. The laser reduces inflammation if i have a flair up very quickly.

4. Pilates helps if i can make the time. Karen Voigt dvds.

5. Lodine SR painkillers.

6. Take an enormous interest in stack height. The highest you'll find on a road bike is a Specialized Roubaix. I gather its their biggest selling bike for a good readon. With the frame tech - a comy upright ride, with the stem up also. New riser road bars prob also way to go. So I can still ride a road bike. The large carbon tubes disguise the long head tube length well. Look for over 20cm. Combine the upright posture with a Brooks imperial for me. Dont ride too long, you'll get tired and the muscular support for your back will slip end of ride.

7. I need to loose 20kg. I think that would reduce overall stress on my back. At my age that seems to require completely stopping eating though. But try to get thin over 3 -6 months.

8. Instead of bending forward, i try to bend sideways to reduce pressure on it.

9. I prefer to ride more rigid bikes, but i reckon full sus and at least fs, takes some sting out of thr trail which reduces back fatigue even on mild offloads, so at least fit some front forks. A light bike with carbon everything and fast wheels makes things easier to pedal and lift to throw over gates. To some degree throw money at it.

10. Dad bought an offroad ICE trike. They are fun too. Like riding along in a deck chair.

11. Pace myself around the house with jobs. Very wary of heavy lifting. Get things delivered etc. A lazyboy type sofa where the legs come up and it reclines - reduces back pressure alot. The discs that dont move will require over compensation by nearby muscles and discs, so you have to start giving them all an easier time.

12. Glucosamine supplements. VIT D. Help repair.  Going to a sports massage once a week, was painfull at start- tight muscles everywhere but after a sessions made a difference.

Its like a money bank. You have to do things to build up back credits before you take stuff out, doing stuff (carefully).

4 prolapsed discs here, couldn't walk for 2 months. In all, 4 years of intermittent agony and unbearable night-time spasms.

That was around the year 2000. One consultant told me I would never walk upright again unless I had "The Operation". Another told me that discs shrink back over time. I refused the op, suffered the immense pain, and slowly got better. Am 99% now, and have been for 15 years. So glad I did not have the operation. I ride (and crash) as hard as I ever had, with no problems.

Coincidentally, a neighbour had very similar problems, same age as me. He went for the op. And is still struggling to walk 15 years later. However, our farrier had the op and is now 95%.

Don't suppose this will help much!

There's a book, "treat your own back" by McKenzie. It's very helpful.

Not as bad as some of you but broke my spine (unstable spinal fracture - T12/L1) just under 3 years ago.  Damaged disc in between the vertebrae and my L1 is now a cheese wedge shape - lost the front half of it. Spine is a bit out of straight now. Loads of on-going pain - can ride for 30 minutes before pain starts to kick in, and usually agony after an hour. A stop and a stretch helps. Hike a bike sections are pure agony.

I'm on 60mg Duloxatine (not a nice drug)  and high strength Etoricoxib (90mg) for the pain.   It helps day to day, but not when on the bike.  The side effects aren't good - spent the first week in bed as the Duloxatine made me very dizzy.  The other positive is the drug suppresses appetite -  I've lost 7kg in about 6 weeks. Hopefully I'm starting to eat more now, but rarely eat after lunch - literally one meal a day. Due to lack of appetite, I've not ridden as much as I have little energy.  The dizzyness is still there, and, my word, you don't want to miss a tablet - it sends you loopy.  I see the doc again this week and I'm going to ask for spares so I can leave some at work and in the car, just in-case.  I missed two days a week ago and it wasn't funny.