Vivian said:
So, my question is, has any of you had any lower back problems. Is
cycling
really bad for it? Am supposed to go on this Trailblazing trip in 2
weeks
time, and I'm worried that I might have to canel it. When I asked my
accupunturist (spell?) whether I should go ahead with it or not she told
me
"I don't know what to say", which I translated into "Cancel it"!! I
obviously don't want to give up cycling.
Does it go away?
To answer your first question, I have suffered from increasingly herniated
and dessicated discs in the lumbar region (L4/5/S1) since my teens
(diagnosed mid-twenties). Much of the time I am fine (although never
perfect); now and again I have aches in my spine and/or sciatica (if I sit
improperly or sleep in an unsuitable position, etc.); on four occasions I
have been unable to walk for a period of days (had a couple of epidurals,
one of which went into the wrong place - not fun at all!)
When young I was an avid cyclist, but stopped during my university
career. I have, at the age of 35 (correction, 36, yesterday was my
birthday - *sigh*), recently climbed back into the saddle. To some
extent, this newfound interest in cycling was an attempt to help with my
spinal problem.
However, I have several observations.
Most importantly, a newsgroup is fit only for anecdotal advice. As
several individuals have pointed out, each case must be assessed on its
own merits (sic) and comments here, my own included, should be taken cum
grano salis.
Regardless of how serious your discomfort appears now, I'd recommend
seeing a good specialist (an orthopaedic surgeon or, at least, a reputable
pain consultant). I grew up in England, where my two general
practitioners knew nothing about spinal problems. Indeed, the problem was
not even diagnosed properly until I had an emergency MRI scan in Hong Kong
(some 10 years after complaining of agony in my coccyx as a teenager,
often associated with cycling).
When I was 16 I was sent to see an osteopath, who used to put me through
an hour of torture each week. Again, he had very little understanding of
the problem; and most orthopaedic surgeons since have told me that this
almost certainly did more harm than good.
Ditto for physiotherapy. This can be very useful, even necessary, if done
properly. If not, it can be treacherous to the spine. Again, I'd
question the ability of most GPs to make an appropriate recommendation on
this front; likewise for physios themselves. There are new and old
schools of physiotherapy, it would seem (hot-packs vs. ice!) - have tried
both and they can both be helpful in the right circumstances. The *right*
movement is very important.
Acupuncture: well, I am a sinologist, so I tried this, too! No real
benefit, and I'd argue that few of these individuals are qualified ro
assess a lumbar spine problem (at least in the UK; in China, where I have
also lived, training is for more extensive).
As for chiropractors, I exacerbated my spine at the beginning of the year
(courtesy of a parsimonious client who flew me from New York to India in
caboose). Once I had persuaded the surgeon in Bangalore to lay down his
scalpel, I came home and saw a chiropractor. It was clear that he knew
vanilla treatments for common spine problems. How precisely aligned his
treatments were to my needs, I am not sure. Lots of marketing around his
assessment of my MRI scans, but he clearly didn't get the picture
(ouch!). He was a recognised (and expensive!) practitioner in New York
(where this stuff is popular); still, I'd never go back.
I stopped the chiropractor after a week and continued to see my personal
trainer. Most of these guys are quacks, too; I, however, am fortunate: he
understands my spinal problem and watches every single move I make (which
is really annoying as reps in bad form sometimes don't count towards the
total!). Knowing how to protect my lower back when I am doing exercises
he put me on a rehabilitation program, which has worked out very well.
Incidentally, my last MRI scan showed that the muscles around my lower
spine were very strong, which is entirely attributable to this gentleman.
Which brings me to cycling (after quite a prologue, I am sorry). My
trainer recommended that I buy a bike. I was somewhat hesitant, but once
I got there the very smell of the LBS was enough to compel me to purchase
a road bike (with compact geometry). Explained about my spine to the
sales chap, and he recommended a smaller frame so that I would not be too
extended. Not sure how much rationale is behind this, but it is important
that I keep my abs tight, so it does make sense. Sometimes I wonder
whether they had the larger frame in stock (although he said they did)!
Rode the bike for two days with no problem (15-odd miles). After the
third (25 miles) I got off the bike and was in some pain. More indignant
than anything, I popped 75mg of Vioxx, 15mg and of Diazepan and a few
Tramadol pills; then rested for a couple of days and hopped back into the
saddle. Since then it has been generally fine.
I find that cycling exacerbates my spine if I churn high gears; I often
get sciatica and/or numbness in my left leg at around the 20-mile mark,
but resting for 10 minutes usually resolves this. On the whole, I don't
believe that cycling is doing me any harm. My surgeon's view of all this
is that, provided I don't hit any major bumps (which could compress my
'dried-out bits', I should be ok - it's unlikely to be worse than sitting
at a computer all day long. I certainly feel more 'mobile' now, which is
good for my lower back.
I found that a cycling computer helped me maintain the right cadence to
stop me from pushing too hard on the legs, which clearly impacts my spine.
All this is a somewhat circuitous way of saying that it makes sense to
have a good specialist look at the problem, but that cycling is not
necessarily a bad idea.
One final point, however: experts have always stressed to me the need to
attenuate the pain before embarking upon exercise. I'd be very wary of
jumping onto a bike if you're still in pain as you might well exacerbate
the root problem and/or the spasm.
Hope this helps.
Glm
