Sciatica anyone?

[Repack Rider]

I had it a few years ago when I was driving a lot. Took my wallet out of my hip pocket and quit sitting asymmetrically..

YMMV

[bigbill]

Originally Posted by gone

I started having back issues while cycling in 2014. I have (had) a bulging disc at L5/S1. Over time, I learned several things that I did on the bike that caused the problem:

1. Stretching my back by standing and letting it sag and then pedaling while it was sagged caused torsion on the spine right on the nerve. This was a "lightning bolt, ride over" kind of pain. Solution: don't pedal while stretching my back.
2. Pulling really hard on the bars while climbing/sprinting. Solution: don't do that.
3. Gradual tightning of the lower back muscles which compressed the vertebrae on the disc. No solution but core strengthening helped.

But I was "lucky" that my pain was centralized in my back and I didn't have any sciatic involvement. It would usually resolve itself in a few weeks.

Until June 8th. I won't go through the details but I herniated the L5/S1 resulting in a week of the most agonizing pain I've experienced in my life (and believe me, I've had other quite painful things happen). MRI showed "herniation with associated trauma". I waited almost three months hoping it would resolve itself. It got "better" but when the surgeon asked me "if this is as good as it gets, is that good enough?" the answer was an emphatic "no". The possibility of permanent nerve damage if I didn't have something done also entered into the decision.

I had a microdiscectomy in late August which according to the surgeon went well. I'm three weeks post surgery. I still have sciatic symptoms but this is apparently common as they do a fair amount of tugging on the nerve during the surgery.

Jury still out on whether or not it was worth it.

No idea yet as to what the future holds vis-a-vis cycling (no more long rides? recumbent? done for good?).

Good luck. Back pain sucks.

I was "good" after my microdiscectomy L5-S1, I followed the doctors orders and avoided sitting for more than an hour and I took progressively longer walks for six weeks before getting back on the bike. Even then, I started with one hour rides and worked up from there. I had my surgery in the fall of 2015 and was doing 500 miles a month by January. I was actually more comfortable on the bike. During the summer of 2016, I did several 6-7 hour gravel races. The general idea is to ease back into it.

[Mr B]

Checking in for L5-S1 roll-call.
Mine started out as intermittent sciatica that I’d occasionally feel whilst climbing a certain incline on my commute. It then became more constant, and I went to see my Dr who referred me to his back guy. Back Guy gave me a 2-week course of oral steroids to tamp down inflammation. Halfway through the course I sneezed getting out of bed one morning and that was it. Total agony, brought to the floor (and held there) instantly.

Booked an urgent visit to Back Guy, who administered a spinal injection that got me back on my feet for the day. I did however instantly lose all feeling and strength in my foot. He then referred me to a PT, but in truth he should have booked an MRI there and then, because I wasted 3 months dragging myself to a PT who eventually discovered (through absolutely none of their treatments having any positive effects at all) that I’d been hobbling around with a ruptured L5-S1 disc all summer and should consider surgery ASAP.

Had surgery, experienced mild improvement. No post-surgery guidance or care offered by Weill-Cornell at NYP at all, which was surprising and very disappointing since I’d just given them about enough money to buy a new Porsche.

Spent just 3 weeks off work, but a whole year off the bike. My job has me on my feet all day which is massively beneficial. I discovered Foundation Training through a friend, and although I’ve only really stuck to their basic exercises along with doing planks, it’s helped me enormously.
I’m back on the bike. My back doesn’t feel fantastic after a 60-miler and I don’t think I have a century in me yet, but even simple Mackenzie-Method moves after a ride can help see me right.

I’d say that the whole ordeal made me realise how little I used to roll my pelvis forward on the bike. Cycling probably didn’t singularly screw up my back (a prior career in photography with no upper-body exercise probably contributed heavily) but my riding position in the past used to be far too fixed. Since surgery I’ve been through half a dozen saddles and settle currently on the Specialized Power Arc series as they let me spend my ride with my pelvis adequately rotated forward without inducing any numbness. Dick still works too, which is a major plus.

[buddybikes]

>>>>Booked an urgent visit to Back Guy, who administered a spinal injection that got me back on my feet for the day. I did however instantly lose all feeling and strength in my foot. He then referred me to a PT, but in truth he should have booked an MRI there and then, because I wasted 3 months dragging myself to a PT who eventually discovered (through absolutely none of their treatments having any positive effects at all) that I’d been hobbling around with a ruptured L5-S1 disc all summer and should consider surgery ASAP.


This is standard protocol which insurances work under

[Mr B]

Thanks for the clarification. Add that to my long list of reasons to hate this for-profit medical industry. Literally wasted three months of my life whilst at the same time massively reducing the quality of it, and all time I had to pay for it.

[OtayBW]

I and a lot of folks have gotten something out of this guy's approach: https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Ba.../dp/0987650408
Additionally, for me, nothing has given me more relief than a program of traction on the lumbar area. GL.

[booglebug]

Originally Posted by OtayBW

I and a lot of folks have gotten something out of this guy's approach: https://www.amazon.com/Treat-Your-Ba.../dp/0987650408
Additionally, for me, nothing has given me more relief than a program of traction on the lumbar area. GL.

Herniated disc also, no surgery or injections. PT used this method and helped me improve to were I’m doing a century next weekend.

[mdeth1313]

still going down the rabbit hole I see.

Could be 9 million different things, the human body is good for that.

[Hawker]

I injured my back loading luggage into the back of a car and then riding in that car for the next four hours. I then had horrible sciata that lasted almost two years. Back surgeons wanted to operate and everyone seemed to agree it was a L4, L5, S1 problem. After lots of anti-inflammatories, exercise and chiropractors....it was two weeks of stretching AND TRACTION that fixed it.

Lumbar traction always made it feel better for about twenty minutes and then everything went back to where it was. But the second week I walked out to the car, felt no pain and never felt it again. That was eight years ago and I'm still fine. I've been Googling this a bit before I posted this and it appears that traction is not widely agreed upon by PT professionals. But all I can tell you is that it worked miracles on me after suffering greatly for two years.

[benb]

I've been trying to figure out if my sciatic nerve is the cause of weird stuff I've had going on.

I was getting a weird cramp riding in my left hamstring & glute area, high up near the sitbone.

It would result in me having soreness if I bent over similar to a dead lift for a day or so after a ride. Worse with harder climbing or an intense interval.

It's seriously slowed me down this year cycling, yet had zero effect on weight lifting, walking, hiking, etc..

When it's bad I could feel it jogging. I don't run much though. Worse if jogging uphill.

Still can't tell if it's a muscle injury or sciatica. Almost no shooting pains to speak of so I've held off seeing the doctor.

It does (or was) getting bad in the car or sitting at the desk to long so I have kind of assumed it was related and staying off the bike might be good since it's sitting exercise.

[ridethecliche]

Surgery isn't without its complications and the decision shouldn't be taken lightly.

I'm younger than most on this forum and has a microdiscectomy on my early 20s for a herniated disc. Was great for a month and then it blew out at the same spot. Had to wait 6 months to have surgery again and it was awful.

Second surgery involved a bit more bone removal to make room (laminectomy) but went well. Recovery was rough though. Took me over a year to feel okay again and get used to the fact that there were certain things I shouldn't ever do again, like doing squats and deads with any appreciable weight.

I'm now almost 8 years out from the second surgery. I can lift, run, bike, snowboard etc within reason. Things still flare up from time to time but being proactive in strengthening and flexibility work and being smart otherwise has been a game changer.

Like others have said, things can be caused by a lot of different things. Surgery is sometimes not the easy road some may make it out to be because experience varies.

That said, sometimes it's a good option if you're willing to be patient. I don't regret it at all. My life is significantly better than it was for the 2+years I tried to get by with rehab and injections alone.

I wish you all well

[Hilltopperny]

I had sciatica after multiple foot and ankle surgeries. I did a lot of planks and hip raises after developing an unsteady gate. Walked on a treadmill backwards so it was in a declined position for a few months as well as multiple lat pull downs and other core exercises. it took a long time, but ultimately fixed the problems I was having and did not require any surgery.