Getting back on bike after disc herniation

[Gifappel]

In terms of lumbar disc herniations, are there some of you who previously had similar issues, who would share their stories, how long the recovery process was and how long it took to start training properly again with conservative treatment only?

I am currently 4 weeks into a L3/L4 herniation, which greatly affected my left leg, and doing physio etc. to try and get it sorted. (Too young to jump straight to a discectomy).

 

Is it realistic at all to plan to race again in December? ????

Edited October 3, 2020 by Gifappel

[DR ◣◢]

I was off the bike for weeks at a time with my L4/L5. Excruciating sciatica in my left leg. It would heal up and never mind how easy I took it getting back into riding I would just get injured again.

 

The final straw that broke my back was misjudging a drop and landing from shoulder height to flat. Not good. I felt ok but I knew something was wrong. Rested. A couple of days later I was hit by a car which just made it worse. That was it.

 

Discectomy at age 33 after the disc basically burst pushing the against the nerve so bad that the MRI showed a black spot where it completely cut the nerve off

 

The process of treatment to operation took 4 months. 4 months of my life I can’t remember because of the amount of drugs I took. Drugs that kept the pain tolerable for 4 hours at a time before it hit me again. Imagine sleeping for 4 hours a night before getting trapped in a world of hurt between 3:00 and 8:00 before you can “shoot up” again.

 

The op was a huge success. I woke up in ICU and I was pain free. Morphine yes but even when it wore off I could just feel the wound and no longer my leg pain.

 

The removed most of the disc between L4/L5 and decompressed L5/S1 and L3/L4.

 

On day two I walked again without pain. Bliss.

 

Then the catheter came out. We don’t talk about that.

 

3 days later I was released from hospital and recovery took 6 weeks. The detox from the previous 4 months of opiates and **** hit me hard. I was really sick from withdrawal.

 

I was confined to resting for 6 weeks with bio kinetics and physio.

 

Op was in April and I was back on the bike in September doing just slow miles on the road bike and IDT. I think my first mtb ride was in November. Slow and easy with no jumps and bumps.

 

Here I am +- 7 years later with zero issues. I’m riding harder than ever on the trails and loving it. I have permanent nerve damage in my left leg but it’s manageable.

 

Take really good care of yourself. Try some sessions with a biokineticist to build up your core and also try getting some sessions on an inversion table. Paracetamol is your friend.

 

Avoid a chiro at all costs. It properly ****** me up.

 

Good luck you. I don’t wish sciatic pain on anyone.

[TheKaiser]

I was off the bike for weeks at a time with my L4/L5. Excruciating sciatica in my left leg. It would heal up and never mind how easy I took it getting back into riding I would just get injured again.

 

Snip...Snip...Snip

Hectic! Minus the being hit by a car and exact location on the back my story is literally verbatim. Same same, wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone.

 

Best advice I can give in this regard is to not stuff around. Rather get it checked out to make sure nothing major is wrong. My crazy sciatic pain went away and I thought I was getting better.... until my left leg started going lame. That’s when the real fun started.

[DR ◣◢]

Hectic! Minus the being hit by a car and exact location on the back my story is literally verbatim. Same same, wouldn’t wish that pain on anyone.

Best advice I can give in this regard is to not stuff around. Rather get it checked out to make sure nothing major is wrong. My crazy sciatic pain went away and I thought I was getting better.... until my left leg started going lame. That’s when the real fun started.

Left leg went lame ????

 

How did your op go?

 

I also did a stupid thing. Forgot about it actually. My pain was a lot better and my doctor gave the green light that I could ride that weekend. What did I do? I hurled myself down Helderkruin downhill track on my downhill bike.

 

Ended up at the ER at Millpark and they wanted to admit me. At that time I was very much single post divorce with no support structure in place. I declined and went home with a box of Tramadol. I was an idiot.

Edited October 3, 2020 by DR ◣◢

[DR ◣◢]

Is it realistic at all to plan to race again in December? ????

I don’t think so. I’m not a doctor and I don’t know how badly herniated your disc is but I thought the same. “Oh it’s just sciatic pain, I’ve had this before, some meds, rest and and and”

 

This was February. I had booked and paid in full for my trip to Morzine France that year. Even bought a downhill bike to make sure I would have the best possible trip. Two weeks in the alps doing laps in a bike park.

 

Yeah... I lost my ass on that. I couldn’t even start my training. Surgeon said “No”.

[WaynejG]

Also part of this club. Feb 2012 and sciatica pain in my left leg. Could not even walk. Had to use crutches. Buddy fetched me in his bakkie to take me to the doctor as I could not get into the car.

March had a discectomy on my L5/S1. Only slight pain relief. Pain drugs are your friend.

 

June I had a fusion and the relief was instant. Leg pain gone only a discomfort from where they cut.

Cost me in total 8 months of the year, bit of cash as medical did not cover everything and a new job.

 

If I really quite myself, I am aware of a slight numbness in the top of my foot and a tingling. Mostly I tune it out and am not aware of it.

 

Cycling wise I am good and strong and have no issues. I do however find myself being cautious on very technical terrain and will err on the side of caution and walk a sketchy piece of trail. Also the reason why I ride with flat pedals.

[DR ◣◢]

I remember the pain being so bad. I was awake at 3:00 every morning. Basically fell out of bed and crawled until I could muster up the courage to stand. I would drag myself downstairs and walked around my garden for a few hours to keep the muscles from spasming. Movement helped.

 

Being single meant I had to drive to physio. Manual car. Spasms.

I sat bent over towards the passenger seat so I could use my left leg on the clutch.

 

I will rather break my ribs every weekend for six months straight before going through that again.

[DR ◣◢]

It really is broke back mountain(bike) in here.

[cadenceblur]

This thread is taking me back! Had discetomy almost three years to the day. Started riding again in January. Still have discomfort to this day but no nerve pain, just in lower back.

Used to do quite a bit of technical riding but recently have decided that it's not worth it. Started yoga again to get the core and flexibility sorted.

[RobertWhitehead]

I am on the other side of the spectrum when it comes to people's solution to their herniated disc.

 

I have had a herniated disc between L4/L5 over 10 years ago. Physio and "ruk and pluk" doctors are rubbish, they add zero value whatsoever. I had chronic pain for over 2 years, crawling around in the house falling down the bed instead of getting up, drinking 8-10 S5 tablets a day to numb the pain.

How long have I been off the bike - a few days here and there, I have been to two surgeons without taking up the surgery.

Yes, if I become lazy I constantly have pain but if I do my bit with a 15-20 min yoga routine a day then I don't know about my back.

Stretching SA saved me from going through a operation. Nothing else worked. You don't need to get an op to get through this.

[Wayne pudding Mol]

I am on the other side of the spectrum when it comes to people's solution to their herniated disc.

 

I have had a herniated disc between L4/L5 over 10 years ago. Physio and "ruk and pluk" doctors are rubbish, they add zero value whatsoever. I had chronic pain for over 2 years, crawling around in the house falling down the bed instead of getting up, drinking 8-10 S5 tablets a day to numb the pain.

How long have I been off the bike - a few days here and there, I have been to two surgeons without taking up the surgery.

Yes, if I become lazy I constantly have pain but if I do my bit with a 15-20 min yoga routine a day then I don't know about my back.

Stretching SA saved me from going through a operation. Nothing else worked. You don't need to get an op to get through this.

I’m in this camp but not by choice - I have a couple of herniated discs and no sane doc will operate - I had to find a solution that worked for me after trying everything from yoga to stem cell therapy

I had to quit surfing and for me hanging upside down and regular massage works.

 

A few years ago I was taking so many pills that it became a problem and damaged me internally.

 

Backs are not a one solution fits all thing. I would have loved an op and a cure but unfortunately my life is about management

[TheKaiser]

Left leg went lame

 

How did your op go?

My op went great, and all I’m left with is some numbness in my left foot and a very tender and stiff lower back. Oh, and 3 pages of stretches I’m supposed to do every day.

 

All things considered, you have to do what you have to do in order to deal with the pain AND remain functional. Meaning make some choices. I’d definitely first try a non-invasive approach first and try managing it that way... So for the OP, just keep an eye on it, but have it checked out anyways just to make sure there isn’t anything more permanent happening.

 

As for my riding, I’m still scared of bailing, so I manage the risk. I get enough enjoyment from riding now without taking on anything too technical or risky.

[DR ◣◢]

Risk management is key. I don’t do big jumps anymore. I ride within my limits and only take very calculated risks on the trail. So far so good.

 

I’m also left with numbness from my ankle halfway up my leg. You learn to live with it. I also can’t really drive a manual car anymore. Too much clutch work and my leg starts shaking uncontrollably.

[JacBrand]

I had a disk prolapse (one in 2004 and the same disk in 2011). In both cases I gave myself 6 months to recover after having operations. Taking my time to get back into cycling was definitely worth it, as I am currently cycling at the same level as before the operations.

I do however refuse to pick up heavy stuff and may not do road rides longer than 4 hours. MTB is fine (according to the neurosurgeon that did the last op) 

[WaynejG]

The surgeon that did my fusion remarked that the only way you can damage the fusion is to fall out of a helicopter without a parachute. Problem is that if you careless the vertebrae above or below can get damaged.

 

That's why I choose where to ride and where to walk the MTB. Just not worth the risk.

[Warthog whisperer]

Hi DR

 

Well, I type slowly, but will give you some hope ... hope for me as well

mine is C4 -5-6. and my spinal cord is badly  damaged upper  neck, and yes I am back on the bike

I do 4 rides a week..... with all the pain in my shoulder and arm.....I am medical unfit for work , but yes, fissio and bio do helps, for me yes helps a lot with all the spasms, and movability

but yes, I believe you have to be head strong ,  accept your bodies and try to build the nerves up again. My accidents was1.6 years ago. and I am still very weak in my right leg (I had 6 Desert Dash solos)  but every 20 km now is a win, just don't go and sit on the couch, and now i realize every km count, you have to work for it with pain, but just do it!!!!! I was paralyzed  last year for some time..... and i know how sweet it is to be able to ride my bike again. Lame left leg  and lots of pain....still so sweet to be on the bike again. I am so fortunate...

Be strong Boet, you will win, it is in your head..