So my physio has now sent me off for an MRI scan which will most likely reveal a herniated L5/S1 disc.

This has developed over a period of time and is more related to cr*ppy office chair / lots of driving and **** DIY rather than riding (IMHO).

Anyway riding doesn't cause me pain, its afterwards and I know I will have a few weeks up to a few months off the bike. There have been times when I wanted to saw my leg off because of the pain but the exercises from my physio are really helping – therefore I think I should be back out on the bike quite soon (I am also a natural optimist!)

Anyway I am interested in anyone else's experience or professional opinion (you never know who is on here) about my riding post recovery:

– I suspect my days of riding a hardtail are over, not really an issue for me
– I suspect road biking will be a bit of a no no due to the bent over position compressing the lower spine.
– I guess (well hope) that techical riding is not an issue as I am normally stood up which will take the load off the lower spine.
– I have taken painkillers / anti-infammatory (Diazepam and Diplofenac) for two weeks, I am now knocking the diazapam on the head as I understand it is VERY addictive and my physio exercises seem to be working.
– Core work and stretching are now FUNDEMENTAL

Very interested in anyone else's experiences / knowledge
cheers
Woodey

Hi Woodey,
Had similar issues to you for most of '06. Saw physio regularily and was about 85% 'fit' and biking when helped a mate move house, twisted sideways and massive prolapse occured. MRI scan showed over 1/3rd of spinal canal filled with inner disc material. Total agony. Saw one Dr who wouldn't op, then finally found another 8-10 weeks later. Had the op to scoop out and shave off the inner disc material in dec '08. 3-4months slow recovery and then constant building up of core stability. Pilates has been great. This year I entered and completed the transRockies. Biking for between 8-10h a day for 7 days.

Result. And I can still ride a hardtail, but only for about 3-4h max. I've also found those MX kidney belts they sell on CRC really useful… Good luck… I think once you've got a prolapse and a weak point its always there. Mine needed the surgury to really get it sorted. There are now days when I'm not even sore or stiff in the mornings!

Oh one more thing, I still roade bike too, but no more triathlon or running, its that that caused the major impact on the disc according to my physio and Drs…

woodey, I've donre this and then popped it. I advise against that as it really hurts. I now ride a hardtail all the time (ss rigid usually), I did the Marmotte this year (10hrs ish in the saddle, 4 mountain passes finishing on the summit of Alpe d'Huez)

A few thoughts:

Be positive
Mobilise
Swim
Ice when achey
Swiss ball
Pilates / core strength work
Resistance work
Active recovery – easy rides building up
Stay hydrated!

For me 5 months not being able to move much were tedious, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Come back slowly and learn to listen to your body.

Good luck! 🙂

both – very inspiring!

It's the coming back slowly that will be my challenge.

Will look into pilates

Been there, done that.

In my case, lots of core stability exercises from the Physio did the trick (following the MRI diagnosis) and now if anything I'm doing more biking. Mostly hardtail but also rigid ss, road – no back issues at all.

Address the underlying issues though, seat, car etc. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. I went through the despair thing with all the sciatic pain, not being able to sleep properly (amitriptyline sorted that) and wondering if it was end of biking.

Oh, also recently been in the Alps for 2 weeks downhill action 🙂

and kona-ona, how quickly could you start swimming? I used to be a swimmer so this could really help get through the no-biking time – although I guess pounding lengths is not exactly the idea 🙄

I had herniated C6/7 disc (literally a pain in the neck) and have what is referred to as "degenerative disc disorder", where a number of discs are showing signs of above average wear. Different to yours for sure, but the process of physio, mobilisation and general lifestyle changes is the same. Don't be tempted to try to stretch it away or "run it off" – any pain you cause by doing this is simply a result of the hernia machete-ing it's way further into a nerve! A bit like scratching an insect bite really, you'll just make it worse.

A hernated disc is not as bad as a prolapse, but very painful nevertheless (a bulging disc is less severe). On the MRI mine stood out like boil on Kylie's tush, you couldn't miss it! Hernias don't usually need surgery and it should eventually (weeks, not months) go back of its own accord but you will remain vulnerable to relapses and its important to figure out what causes these and cut it out absolutely. I used to play rugby, ride road bikes, dive into pools/the sea, none of which I can do again. I have to avoid any excess loading to my head and neck that would lead to compression in the C-spine area. However the more relapses you have, the less likely they are to occur again because apparently the relatively soft inside of the disc hardens up the more it gets exposed (so I was told!). But the harder the disc the less cusioning it provides…

Targeted physio, geared around increasing both strength and mobility, is absolutely essential, as is finding and fixing any exacerbating lifestyle factors such as ill-fitting seats (office, car, sofa…) and beds/pillows. A key thing is to keep up regular excercises after your initial physio period is over – sounds easy, but it's easier to let it slip… Best of luck!

Two solutions I found, Kettlebell and barefooting. Take it easy and the kettlebell will provide all round conditioning and strengthen the back and core. Barefooting allows the back to work naturally, so again strengthening the body as it was intended. This is an extract from a book called Born To Run, I ride hardtails,singlespeed, road bike and trail run. I gave up on chiropractors, they wanted to sell me shoe inserts to correct my back injury, whilst giving me pointless exercises.

Cheers all
"A key thing is to keep up regular excercises after your initial physio period is over – sounds easy, but it's easier to let it slip… "

Yep, that is my challenge, daily stretching and doing the physio exercises when the pain goes!

>A key thing is to keep up regular excercises after your initial physio period is over – sounds easy, but it's easier to let it slip…

Seconded, I do my core stability exercises approx 3 times / wk and I'm now 2 yrs downstream from when the problem occurred.

Prolapsed discs L4/L5 and S1 with degeneration shown throughout the spine.
Initial hard part was getting back to exercising at the pre prolapse intensity.
Truth it just doesn't happen unless you are very lucky.
Number of relapses – but i find the intensity and severity has changed for the better – but it's taken 9 years.
Do expect relapses for no particular reason – you need to learn to manage them. Heavy on the drugs for 24-48hrs and quck remobilisation are essential.
I ride hard tail and road ride – but the amount of money i have spent on saddles and getting position right is hilarious. Highly recommend getting measured properly – i think there are people who will look at the biomechanics of your position (saw a company at the last bike show in London)
Highly recommend the charge spoon saddle and steel frames. I ride a cubed ltd team with reba sls no real problems there, and a condor acciao with carbon forks – heavy but incredibly comfy for those longer rides, and think how fast you'll be on a carbon bike!!

I would recommend staying away from skiing for a while due to the fall factor.

Painkillers are evil and addictive if you can live without them do – growing evidence that paracetamol can cause asthma and prolonged use of ibuprofen bad for kidneys. Diclofenac just nasty.

Finally lets not forget food. Painkillers affect appetite, weight gain equals relapse. Hard to grasp if you comfort eat – try puttin on 2 stone and then working it off when you can't walk. Remove all temptation. Additionally i find some foods as triggers not sure why but i do watch sugar content and i eat as few wheat products as possible.

Remember the pain goes away honest.

Good to see you have an interested doctor. I did, they sorted physio, specialist and an MRI scan. Then physio said I no longer needed to bother coming, despite having had no improvement. The specialist is impossible to get hold of and I am back at square one after the helpful doctor moved to the other end of the country. All I know is that I have 2 dessicated discs and one complicated squidgy nerve pinching one, I'm no doctor so shan't speculate about it and I am just told the specialist will get hold of me when I ask the doctor at the GP surgery.

But after all that woe, I have some sign of improvement or am blocking the pain and starting to carry on, even managed to take a gentle road ride.

As for the pills, I'm sure the pain killers were just for the enormous poohs created by one of the anti thingies I was given, I was a proper broken man.

timber, you barsteward……

"As for the pills, I'm sure the pain killers were just for the enormous poohs created by one of the anti thingies I was given, I was a proper broken man."

You made me laugh out loud and it really hurt! 😀

Just had a relapse and spent 3 weeks on crutches just to stand up, referred back to orthopaedic consultant, currently caught in the not bad enough to operate and not good enough to train. Wish i'd had the op when it first went saved 10 years of hell.

didnothingfatal – Member

I gave up on chiropractors…

Chiropractors, OMG don't get me started on that bunch of charlatans… snake-oil salesmen par excellence! Never let one of them anywhere near any sort of injury.

The ONLY physiotherapy you get should be from someone to whom you are referred by your consultant, with a clinical diagnosis in one hand and an MRI scan in the other.

Mike – which kind of consultant? GP?

In my case it is the physio who has referred me to a chiropractic consultant for an MRI scan before he does anything other than gentle massage and basic exercises…..

B*gger, mean't orthpaedic consultant, not chiroporactic one!

My point is that the orthopaedic consultant uses the MRI scan to help determine what the problem is, where it is and how severe it is, and then he and the physio define what physiotherapy is required. Chiropractors don't bother with any of that and just start hammering away, doing little good and potentially causing a lot of damage. Sounds like your physio's on the ball.

my chiropractor x-rayed me in his practice before he did any manipulations in order to identify my compressed disc (S5/L1 too). I had some acupuncture to relax a decades worth of muscle contractions and then some manipulations. I have a suite of core stability exercises from him and my quality of life is much better for ever going to see him.

Maybe I got lucky.

I saw an osteopath a couple of weeks ago who manipulated (cracked) my pelvis back into place. It provided real relief and I got straight back on the bike (3/4 long rides) before the pain came back with a vengeance.

The physio I saw for the first time this week (who is also an Osteo) was disgusted at this as he said due to the suspected herniation (which the osteo should have spotted) any manipulation before the scan (and therefore knowledge of the actual issue)could have resulted in paralysis. 😯

Agree with what you've just said woodey. My back problem seemed to worsen after chiropracter sessions. I found a general muscle/sensory massage by a partner etc as good if not better than a chiro.

I've spent the last year or more recovering from a prolapsed (herniated) disc, L4 from memory. You really do feel like a broken man, I totaly sympathise with that! It does get better, just takes time. In six to eight weeks you should see some improvement, albeit possibly small. Then as time passes and you are being sensible things do get to an acceptable level. I did some research, and those that had an operation and those that didn't were found to be in the same state, after 10 years – worth thinking about.

I found that no stretching of the hamstrings during the acute period, lessens aggrevation to the sciatic nerve. Over zelous stretching when feeling good also aggrevated things, keep within your natural range.

I started riding again as soon as I felt able to, but kept within my limits – only you know yours. A year on and I'm feeling pretty good, having said that, I can feel a slight discomfort typing this now, but then I have spent an unusual two weeks, largely sitting for hours on end in jury service.

In summary; I does get better, but expect a gradual recovery over 12 months, and be sensible about anything that may antagonise things.

Best Wishes

Pete

cheers Pete – you're not local to Brighton are you?

woodey, yeah sort of! Were you out on our ride in Stanmer Sunday, as I recall 'back conversations'?

I'm being presumptious – how's the nose?

nope not me, but I have ridden with Brighton MTB in the past. I saw a thread where you recognised a piece of trail as stamner – I did too (it wasn't stamner tho)

Did you punch someone in the nose?

I am in saltdean – often ride in stamner

Oh, sorry thought you were someone else. It was a guess!

Someone crashed and bloodied his nose up a bit!

I ride the Rohloff'd silver hardtail btw in that group.

You?

its been a while, I struggle to make organised rides as I have 2 small sprogs – with a home office I get out during the day on weekdays and much earlier on the weekend.

Anyhoo, have ridden both an orange trek hardtail and a black Meta 5 on their rides – normally night rides tho…

I must have met you. I'll get back into regualar night rides when the clocks go back.

See you then sometime – good luck with the back, it will improve!

Sorry pete, but one more thing, to get back to the original point, don't you suffer more riding a hardtail with your back?

I ride both, and I don't think I do suffer any more on the hardtail. It's more being in a fixed position and exerting (long draggy climb for example) than bumps/impacts, that have antagonised things for me in the past. With the hardtail, I'm forced to move about on the bike more, which isn't a bad thing IMO. Luckily I prefer singletrack to big, open rides!

When things were bad, any riding wasn't good, and like you the pain would be more post ride. Sitting for any periods of time, work, flying or even having breakfast were hideous for weeks. I remember having to kneel at the table, as I couldn't sit at all in the mornings, putting a pair of socks on was excruciating. That was some time ago now, I was in a bad place then, I am determined not to return there!

I pretty much ride as much as I want now, I would say I am not far off where I was before things went real bad. Have some sensory tingling in foot/leg – I can cope with that ok. It doesn't hold me back any, ride wise, I just don't do anything silly at home (DIY etc) and work.

You'll get there too!

Cheers Pete – the point of having to move around more on a hardtail and stand up for anything rooty/rocky is an interesting point.

Strangely enough I spent 3-4 weeks in July riding downhill tracks in the Alps, I had to stretch every morning to get on the bike (Meta 5) thinking it was just lower back/hamstring stiffness – clearly it was the early stages of the disc issue. This kind of riding caused no pain at all. However I think it was the driving down there and back (some 8 hour days) that really brought it on.

Riding the road bike in the last few few weeks (trying to lose a few kilos) I think really finished me of, not sure but I think the streched over position of a roadie compresses the lower vertebrae so may be selling it to fund a cotic soul or similar that could also be fitted with slicks for any road riding.

I am going to check with my physio, who by the way is a 10 year road rider and really understands the issues – he is based in Kemp town if this would be of interest for you in the future.

No more DIY! one of the only upsides of this situation!