in message <
[email protected]>, tallbloke
('
[email protected]') wrote:
> Rob Morley <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>> In article <[email protected]>
>> tallbloke <[email protected]> wrote:
>> <snip>
>>>
>>> I'm recovering from a broken spine, and got the bike to exercise and
>>> re- strengthen myself. Problem was, getting up hills was too much of a
>>> strain and I was going so slowly I was wobbling about. The
>>> electrodrive means I can get up a 1 in 8 at about 12mph.
>>>
>> I was going to say that a recumbent would be much easier on your back,
>> but they're not renowned for going uphill fast. I suppose it depends on
>> the nature of the weakness that makes it hard for you to ride a regular
>> bike uphill.
>
> I crushed T8 below the shoulder blades. Hurts like feck when 'pulling' on
> the bars forcing uphill. I'm getting to like the electrodrive I must say.
> You put in as much effort as you can, and it does the rest.
I've crushed both T5 and T12, and my back is fine - no pain, ever. If you
are getting pain, it isn't just because you have a crushed vertebra;
there's something else wrong. After I broke my first one, I was very
protective of my back and that led to a lot of muscles seizing up. Getting
them loose again hurt, as you say, like feck, and for a long time. If what
you're suffering from is seized up muscles, you're just going to have to
exercise a lot to the physical limits of every movement you have, and it's
going to hurt - but afterwards you'll be fine.
Seriously. I did T5 about seven years ago, and the first year was agony
because I didn't exercise enough; I ended up nearly crippled. I did T12
just over a year ago, and although it took a month to get out of hospital
and another two months to get out of the brace, from the moment I was out
of it I was fine.
So go along to your surgeon, and to an osteopath, and to a good
physiotherapist, and get each of their opinions on what is causing you
pain. Back damage can of course result in nerves getting trapped or
damaged and that is real pain. But a crushed vertebra by itself really
should not hurt or give any lasting problems.
--
[email protected] (Simon Brooke)
http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; all in all you're just another click in the call
;; -- Minke Bouyed