I have strained my lower back quite badly. Once the drugs kick in & I can walk without looking like quasimodo, when should I get back on the bike?

I was thinking gentle pootles with my flat bar tourer which has a nice upright riding position.

They say to keep active, but when is the right time to get back on 2 wheels without making things worse?

When a qualified back person has examined you, established the cause and answered your question

From bitter experience, best to get it properly checked, self diagnosis can be a long, painful and ultimately expensive business!

My back’s “dodgy” at the moment, not quite a full on can’t stand up pain but getting there if I spend too long sitting… and the one thing that’s guaranteed to make it worse is bike riding, particularly if there are any hills around.

So if you do go for a ride, make sure it’s a nice flat spinny ride, and avoid any hills you have to muscle up.

Swimming usually helps mine, but only crawl or backstroke. Avoid breaststroke or butterfly. The best exercise is probably walking, though.

I’d go to the GP to get it checked out (and discount any skeletal concerns)
Assuming I haven’t broken something, I’d go and see a really great physio at my earliest convenience and have them get me on the right path to recovery.
Yes it will cost you unless you’re covered on a posh health plan, but its worth the money.

Chiropractor – avoid.. ime

It’s been 6weeks for me now. Still under physio and she banned bikes or the bending to reach the bars part at least. Lots of walking for me. Lower back with scar tissue and nerve issues (the nerve part is repairable happily ) it’s just been trapped.

Light stretching ,yoga etc.

Physio is booked for next week, so I guess walking it is for a while then

All depends what the root cause is. A muscle strain will heal quite quickly (few weeks). Damaged discs can take months to years…

I’m 6 weeks in & rode today for the first time since the problem flared up. As has been said, it depends on the root cause – my GP was useless citing ‘sciatica’ however, I know a very good osteopath who, within a few minutes knew exactly what the issue was (displaced SI joint & piriformis syndrome) so treatment has been focussed.

She recommended I start gentle cycling again to get the joint moving again now that the main inflammation etc has subsided & to minimise scar tissue build up.

Try & see an expert, not just a GP, even if it means spending a few quid to get the correct diagnosis.

I suffer now and then with an aggravated disc in my lower back due to general wear and tear over the years ( I have a very physical job) – I walk like Quasimodo too when it goes! The pain is almost unbearable….
I’m very very lucky that my BIL is an osteopath so I get treated by him once or twice a week until it settles……..this is usually for at least 3 weeks till I can even consider getting on the bike. Let alone any thinking of what type if riding!
All I can suggest (as I know how crud you’re feeling just now not being able to do anything) is to see someone ASAP! The sooner you know what you need to do to heal quicker… You’ll heal quicker! I would definately reccommend an osteopath but that’s only because it has worked for me many times & I can afford it as it’s free.
I really hope you get better soon x

Hi Motorman,

I have had a few episodes of severe back pain, it got better and I could ride again after about a month or two. I went to the docs and they did not tell me much, but I think they knew it would not be a big problem ( they did not tell me this). Chiropractors helped me with he pain and am sure got me up and about again quicker, but I am not recommending these, I will leave that choice to you.

This video helped me understand back pain a little better.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=UUL-IWPkXQn3JYYYsPnpGlIg&v=BOjTegn9RuY#t=12[/video]

Cycling isn’t a great exercise for lower back issues. Us cyclists tend to have tighter hamstrings, so you really need to do something else (stretching etc) to combat that. If mine get too tight they really pull through my lower back and exacerbate the other issues I have / had.

When I say stretching, I mean proper stretching, not a bit of ‘limbering up’. Pilates and anything else to strengthen the core is also recommended.