Hi all,

8 weeks ago I woke to an awful lower back spasm that left me lying in a heap on the landing. This came the morning after doing a trail run over in the lovely Sheffield. Having suffered from lower back pain for the last 12+ years, I’d been here before. To cut a long story short, an MRI scan (the first I’ve ever had) revealed a prolapsed disc S1/L5. I can’t run. I have swam a few times (badly) and I’ve rode my bike 5-6 times (including Ard Rock). The pain is easing on it’s own, but I still have bad pain in my piriformis and nerve pain in my calf/knee, just sciatica generally in those areas. Going to see a neurosurgeon tomorrow to see if surgery is happening.

When I’ve rode my bike I feel like I’ve lost all fitness I had before the injury. I rode Ard Rock at a leisurely pace, as I still have very limited movement in some positions. I can’t bend forward more than about 15 degrees to try and touch my toes.

I’m worried about my recovery time and the fact that when I can get back to riding, I’ll be feeling really unfit. I’m also very aware I’m 35 next month and I was wanting to really work on getting as fit and as strong as ever for next season. I’m guessing in total I could be out of action for as long as 4 months in total. Given that I can only manage gentle riding, how hard will it be when I can get going again? Has anyone come back from a long term injury and managed to get fitter than before?

Ah, shit, 12 weeks? Don’t say that!.

Was hillwalking yesterday, drive home, bent down to put dirty boots outside, bang, lower backs gone.

Never had back probs before, can’t stand up straight, it’s bloody hellish! I’m hoping I’ll be a few days?….

It’s a complicated part of the body!

I’ve had many sessions of physio all giving short term relief only to go back to the usual stiffness/soreness within a week or two.

I doubt you’ve slipped a disc, but best to get it checked out.

I came here to see if I could offer advice on back problems, but from description yours are far worse than mine, so nothing useful I can say there – ouch!

Still, while not in your league, I was out for 6 weeks about 10 years ago due to a sprained back (landed on it from a height after messing up a jump) and my riding since has certainly surpassed what I did before. If anything the injury led me to learn a lot more about my back, result being in my late 30s it’s in far better shape than it was in my late 20s due to a combination of regular stretching and exercises, wearing orthotics, and a bit of osteo if it all goes into spasm too many days in a row.

In general it seems that injury management is a *huge* factor in determining the success of long sporting careers. Read the blog of any top sports person – they’ve *almost always* got a bunch of injuries going on, some more major than others. So I’d say yes, there must be people who have come back fitter than before from really major injuries, and even in cases where prior fitness proved unattainable they have often taken that as an opportunity to develop greater skill to compensate.

I had a prolapse 4 years ago, pulling a tent peg out. Then a second reccurance 2 years later. I paid attention the second time, had the MRI, rested and then had a wholesale life adjustment. Moved to standing desks, making sure I walk a lot more, keep an eye of my weight, watch out for the warning signs, Pilates pretty much every day etc. My back though occasional gets muscles flare ups is the strongest it’s been. I’ve dislocated my knee a couple of weeks ago and all of my muscles are in better shape as result of all the looking after my back, that actually the recovery from the knee dislocation is getting better quicker than I expected with the physios being pretty impressed with my underlying muscles etc. I am a 32 year old woman for context. If you are to learn from my life: rest and let the inflammation go down, but also keep mobile (light walking). Find a really good physio who can look at you as a whole and work out the underlying issue. And be prepared to rethink aspects of your life. For me it was less cycling and more multi sports e.g. swimming, climbing, trail running etc. Backs take a long time to repair and you will have to take care of it for the rest of your life to a point. But you can come back fitter and stronger if you learn from it.

I have my pre-op appointment tomorrow. My leg/nerve pain has pretty much gone overall, but has been flaring up slightly in the past few days. Lower back stiffness has been present for months now in varying strengths.

Worried that perhaps I don’t need surgery.

Worried that perhaps I don’t need surgery.

I know what you mean by that but for the love of all that’s holy do not say that to anyone else.

I had an impact injury to my spine in May last year. My legs were giving out randomly and I had loss of sensation in them and my lower back. It took me six months of pestering to get it investigated and then at the pre-MRI assessment I had all the psych questions: Are you under stress, have there been any unhappy things happening, are you sad, do you want surgery? All that attention seeker filtering carp. “No, no, no and no. I’ve been falling on my face nearly everyday for six months, I just want to be better so do whatever’s necessary, please”…

The MRI showed no nerve impingement so that was that as far as treatment went. I was offered co-codamol and a sick note. The leg issues have improved vastly with time and I fall far less so I’m just getting on with stuff and constantly plan how I’m going to catch myself, now that is stressful.

On a brighter note; I’ve never been particularly fit but am strong and able. I got back to riding at the start of this summer, so just over a year after my injury and although I’m still way, way below the level I was I am improving steadily.

I wish you all the best with your recovery.

Has anyone come back from a long term injury and managed to get fitter than before?

Yes, much fitter and more flexible at 37 than when I slipped two discs and ruptured a third aged 31. Like you, I had an MRI scan. I then spoke to the surgeon (£200 for 20 minutes) and he quoted £8k for the op. Didn’t go for it and spent 10 months in pain, no riding at all, waiting for the NHS options.

Then NHS cortisone injection up the spine, which created a gap between the ruptured disc and the sciatic nerve (this is about £1,300 private). I was a new man by the time I finished walking home from the hospital. So good!

Reading about “lordosis”, a 2nd hand Varier Thatsit chair and 40 press-ups a day later, no problems at all.

Good luck with it!

You have my sympathy! Had nearly a year off the bike with similar L5/S1 prolapse. Horrible sciatica, si joint dysfunction and muscle wastage.

I too was very worried about recovery going forward but got back on bike and heading towards previous fitness levels after 18 months.
I think its getting your head around the slowness of recovery with back injury involving nerve damage or compression compared to the usual injuries we tend to suffer.

Had no op and after initial physio etc, which seemed to make things worse, decided to rest a couple months then cortisone injection and started working the muscles that had wasted (mainly flexing/firing glutes which is easier said than done) and core work.

As others have mentioned I now alternate between standing and sitting at desk and regular core work.
I think it is something you learn to manage and know what works at the sign of any relapse.

Three years on I’m not 100% (probably in part due to being 51!) but riding wise I’m where i was before if not better and just taken up cyclocross.

I suppose what I’m saying is keep positive and be patient, you will recover. Rather than focus on the bad days or any relapse try step back and view hopefully an improving “trend” over the weeks rather than days.

Good luck!

Seems mine was just a muscle spasm, still stiff in the morning (ooer fnarr!…) But eases off after lunch, and seems to be best when on the bike. Result.

All the best with yours OP.

I also suffer from back pain after coming off the bike a few years ago. Luckily i didn’t have to take any time off work or riding but really suffered for a year. Stretching and yoga to help build my core strength has had a very positive effect and now is a routine part of my exercise. I still suffer some days and really suffer if i don’t stretch and do yoga regularly.

At a similar age to the OP i too want to focus on my fitness over the winter and knowing my back might hold me back (sorry for the pun) it always plays on my mind. Not being able to push as hard as I want to is frustrating but i’m grateful i can still ride.

I had the same disc operated on when I was 40 and again exactly 3 years later following more problems.
It has left me with damaged nerves so my calf muscles constantly twitch but it doesn’t stop me cycling at all.
It did take a while to get back to fitness but a subsequent shoulder operation didn’t help either.
I’ve been doing Pilates ever since the operation and rarely get any pains but if I’m going away for a weekend of cycling I might take some anti-inflammatories as a precaution.
I’m 48 now and appreciate my private health care every day !

Don’t be concerned about having the operation, you will be able to push just as hard afterwards.