Road Cycling - Chronic Back Pain And Cycling.

It was just told to me that I need back surgery!!
I was told by my DOC that I have some bone spurs on my spine "Oysteophytes" to be exact. I was told I need a Anterior decompression fusion...not good at all.

I have been a cyclist since I was a kid 37 now even completed a couple of centuries. I ride with one of the LBS on occassion riding 40-60mi.

I was given some pretty strong pills for pain even given steroids, Morphine injections, a patch at the ER.

This diagnosis was made back in Dec since I was given this wake up notice. I have been back on the bike ever since putting in about 140MI a week.

There is something about cycling that creates a feeling of total inner peace!!
That no pain med can compete with.

I do still need to take something for pain:( and I use a Tens unit but surgery is not going to heal me maybe even make things worse? wish me luck.

~Joshiespop~

Not good at all is right.

Hope you're back on the bike soon.

Always, always get a 2nd opinion before back surgery.

Many docs are quick to jump to back surgery as a cureall (it isn't) when sometimes good physical therapy will resolve or make the problem liveable.

My wife is a case manager RN and she could tell you a whole bunch of horror stories about folks who were worse after back surgery, and of some surgeons who had earned reputations as butchers amongst the nurses who worked with them.

Of course, it helps in some cases (perhaps many), but do be careful and seek out other advice.

Always, always get a 2nd opinion before back surgery.

Many docs are quick to jump to back surgery as a cureall (it isn't) when sometimes good physical therapy will resolve or make the problem liveable.

My wife is a case manager RN and she could tell you a whole bunch of horror stories about folks who were worse after back surgery, and of some surgeons who had earned reputations as butchers amongst the nurses who worked with them.

Of course, it helps in some cases (perhaps many), but do be careful and seek out other advice.

YES YES YES.

A family member has severe back problems made significantly worse by ill-advised surgical quackery.

I'm with you on this. I've been having numbness down the arm and some pain because of deteriorating disks in the cervical spine. Haven't ridden much because the position of my head while riding tends to initiate symptoms. I've just had my third cortisone shot...

I suppose I'll see what happens.

Proceed with extreme caution. I have not met or seen you, but unless you have severe spinal stenosis (with symptoms) or a definitive radiculopathy, I would move slow. think about what you said, "but surgery is not going to heal me, maybe even make things worse." To me, that makes no sense. I would never go through the pain and expense of surgery, alter my back anatomy, spend, and miss work, because it "is not going to heal me, maybe even make things worse." Anywhere else, that would be BS advice. At the same time surgery makes your back very susceptable to accelerated future instability, stenosis, and degenerative changes.

I would work on abdominal strenght, flexibility, and posture if you haven't already. Make sure you are doing these things correctly too. If you are not improving with your back strength, abdominal strength, and flexibilty, then you are likely doing the exercise incorrectly.