Road Cycling - Back Surgery, Cycling and Climbing

Has anyone on this forum had back surgery (microdiscectomy, fusion, etc.) and continued to cycle? I am curious to see if anyone has developed any problems or if there is anything to be concerned with from cycling. I recently took up cycling after being an avid runner for years (now running seems soooo boring to me, I can't believe I never tried cycling) and ultimately blowing out one of my lower discs and requiring a microdiscectomy to ease the sciatica. My disc is also degenerated. I am 35 and in reasonable shape and recovered from the procedure fairly quickly. I started cycling about two months ago ( two months after the procedure) and have gradually worked my way up to be able to put in between 100 to 150 miles a week. The only time I ever notice any lower back pain is when I climb. I live in a very hilly area, Chattanooga, and have to tackle rollers, hills and "mountains" all the time. I love the challenge, but I can't tell if the back pain is normal due to the stress put on the lower back from climbing for 30 minutes to an hour or if this is coming from my bad back?? I generally feel fine after I get off the bike, so I think it might be part of just getting the climbing muscles in my back in shape. On the other hand, if this is not typical, I am concerned that I will screw my back up again! I would love to hear from any of you guys if you have any similar experiences or cautions! Thanks.

I had a serious cycling accident almost 20 years ago that required the lower half of my spine to
be fused and supported by herrington rods while everything fused.

I resumed riding about 10 years ago and have had no back related problems, other than being unable to
ride more than about 25 miles due to the pain caused by the vibration from the very stiff steel frame I was riding at the time. About 3 years ago, I switched to a carbon fiber frame and I no longer have
that problem. The carbon fiber absorbs most of the very intense shocks.

As for yourself, cycling is probably a good exercise for you back since it strengthens both the abdominal
and back muscles, used to support the spine.

If you continue to have back pain, it would be a good idea to check with you Dr. just to be sure there
are no problems. Be sure to explain the details of when you have the pain, etc. You will find that
most Dr's and medical staff are not accustomed to working with the physically fit and the relatively
high levels of physical activity they engage in -- compared to the average problems they treat that
are frequently the result of inactivity.

Clint

I know nothing about what you're talking about; however, on the last organized century ride, I chatted with a couple different riders who were on customized recumbents. They're backs were all messed up but could ride all friggin' day on those things. So you might want to look into one?

I had a disc surgery/fusion(L5-S1) about 15 years ago. Just keep your abs strong, stretch before and after rides (do hamstrings also) and keep the small of your flat when you ride. My back has always felt much better when I was very active vs inactivity.

Good luck

Your surgery was not on a load-bearing structure, so if any discomfort originates there, it's probably scar tissue, etc.

The degenerative disc disease could be some source of problems, but I can't see it being a huge deal. Back pain, though, is a highly nebulous, subjective entity.

If you don't have sciatica on the bike, the discomfort is probably not a major problem, and hopefully will improve as you get stronger. Perhaps your position is a little off, or your bars a little low? Is your pain with climbing in or out of the saddle?

Mallard - I also had the same surgery as you did about 7 years ago. I just started riding again a few months ago and haven't had any problems at all with it. I also, however, have a couple of ruptured discs in my neck that flare up from time to time and I have found a bike with an upright position serves me better. The pains you have from climbing may just be from muscles that haven't been used much since your back flared up. Just ease into the major climbing and some stretching before exercize may help.

Thanks to all for the responses! Spinal fusions and riding...Wow! You guys give me inspiration. Holycow, you asked if my back hurt in the saddle or out. It is generally in the saddle when I have gone on some pretty decent climbs for over 30 minutes. I will stand sometimes to "stretch" out a little. I have a feeling that the pain is from using neglected muscles for an extended period. I do feel that cycling has strenghtened my abs and back, which is what they pushed at physical therapy. Also, no sciatica for now, but it is always in the back of my mind after two years of delaing with it!

Thanks again for the posts, what a wonderful forum!!

.I had 2 microdiscectomys in the last 8 years (the last from a cheap shot cross check) and I have pain from most everything but none from cycling, thank God. The more I ride, the better I feel. I can remember waking up in recovery and the first thought I had was, “Can I ride again?” I recently rode a rough ride on the mountain bike for the 1st time since the surgery and I think Ill loan out the Killer V permanently, too much vibration. My advice? Keep loose, try to ride every other day and don’t over do it. If you still have the nerve pain, talk to your doc. Mine hooked me up with a TENS machine and Elavil and its gone for now but I know how you feel,.. the fear is always there. . Nobody knows the effects of sciatica unless they've dealt it. I always describe it as pouring gas down the inside of my leg and lighting it on fire. Good luck

Ask your doctor before you start, and start slow. You dont want to reinjure yourself. I find that a long ride, with lots of climbs causes some stiffness in my lower back, but it isnt anything like that caused by situps and such. If you watch your posture while you ride, you should be fine I would think.

Keep it real g

My back's in fine shape, no surgeries or any of that, and it gets some muscle soreness when I do a lot of climbing. You use your lower back muscles a lot to stabilize your hips as you push the pedals around.

I do back exercises, and work on my abs for balance. So I can do more climbing before my back hurts, but it still will, eventually.

3yrs after microdiscectomy (S1) and no probs riding. I have been riding/racing for 20 odd yrs though - and the riding had no relation to the sciatica. You may want to pay careful attention to your frame geometry and esp stem hight/reach. If you're new to riding build up slowly, and I would imagine less reach and higher stem hight. See a fit specialist at a LBS. Oh, and SPIN

I posted this else where...

I blew out L4-L5 and L5-S1 in college (somehow managed to utterly destroy them such that there was nothing usable left). I had the steroid injections that helped somewhat, but they did not provide complete relief. I had surgery to essentially clean up what was left in there and was one of the 1 in 10000 who develop complications--a hematoma inside my spinal column. Nothing like paralysis below the waist to tell you that something may be wrong... They wheeled me back in for a second surgery at midnight where they performed laminectomies all the way up to L1. I regained all of the feeling I had lost from the ordeal within a couple years. There was an irritating strip that went down my leg that I finally got the feeling back in about two years after surgery.

Fast forward six years. Started cycling April 2006, lost 65 lbs of "feeling sorry for myself" weight and I'm now a 3.

consult a specialist. thats most acurate and safest option you have. Each injury might very well have different severity and special consideration.

uh folks, can I point out the fact that you're answering a 3 1/2 year old question?
I'm guessing the OP has worked out his back issues by now.

Unlike Lotek,

I am a CAT 2 battling through back recovery. Thanks for the new info posted, and keep posting more. Trust me people search these threads everyday.

Thanks,

Geoff

I also had a microdiscectomy this summer. I have yet to get back to any riding, but I will say that 100% recovery takes longer than I thought. That said, 90% recovery happened very quickly after a few months. I've since been able to get back to running, but I'm waiting for the winter to warm up a bit before I getting back on the bike. Heavy running or lifting weights can sometimes cause muscle strain. It feels abnormal because most people didn't have it before the surgery, but given the muscle that was cut through for surgery it does make sense that it will shout a bit when stressed. I'll take it any day over the sciatica.

Two major fusions, C6/7 in 1999 (neck), L5/S1 (lumbar spine) in 2001. I rode 34K miles over the past three years.

That is all.

I had a spinal cord tumor in lumbar area and region just above lumbar 30 years ago, had a second operation on it about 16 years ago. Had tops of lumbar bones amputated so basically my spinal cord is no longer encased in bone but protected just my scar tissue and muscle. I have back pain if I stand for 15 minutes, but I can still ride all day rides of 60+ miles. I get a little discomfort in my back, but no more than my shoulders or legs. Climbing out of saddle often feels good because it allows me to stretch my back muscles and sorta decompress my spine. I have to make sure I often stretch; too much time in one position is really bad for me. BTW I'll be 52 next week.

Here's a pic of me and my riding partner (my sister Dee) at Tour de Chesapeake. You can see my legs ain't a typical riders legs from the atrophy due to nerve damage.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj257/recycledcycler/Mathews20063.jpg


I think you should be OK riding. Enjoy the sport, spin, smile, and have fun!!

Had spinal laminectomy (widening of spinal canal to give more room to pinched nerves) around L4, 5 and S1. Before surgery I was pretty much a mess, not able to walk more than a few steps.

I have biked over 15 000 miles since then and feel better than ever. Doc only advised to avoid bouncy mountain biking that I don't do anyway and protect my head, which I do.

I had a spinal cord tumor in lumbar area and region just above lumbar 30 years ago, had a second operation on it about 16 years ago. Had tops of lumbar bones amputated so basically my spinal cord is no longer encased in bone but protected just my scar tissue and muscle. I have back pain if I stand for 15 minutes, but I can still ride all day rides of 60+ miles. I get a little discomfort in my back, but no more than my shoulders or legs. Climbing out of saddle often feels good because it allows me to stretch my back muscles and sorta decompress my spine. I have to make sure I often stretch; too much time in one position is really bad for me. BTW I'll be 52 next week.


God that friggin ROCKS. I love it. Keep riding. I'm right there with you.

2 back fusions in 92. Had herniated discs and bilaterally broke my vertebrae front squatting 405.Surgeries only fused 30 percent of L4 & 5. Blah Blah......Key here is staying in shape (core strength) and Stretching your Hams, Lower Back, Quads and Ass.
Im riding a minimum of 20's 3 days a week and doing a couple of spinning classes along with an hour of weight training. Im 46 and have been bodybuilding for 30 years now but the Bike is what motivates me!
My Back luckily doesnt bother me while or after riding cause im stretching like a Mutha!
Push the Envelope......Stay in Shape and Eat Right...You'll be Fine!
p.s.....A lot of Great Motivational Stuff Here!

Mallard,

I'm in the Tri-Cities and will be racing in your area a few times this year. I had a microdiscectomy in Dec. 05. I still had some pain 4 months after the surgery and I did not get back on the bike until month 8. Since then I have ridden pain free. I spend 4 days a week working on my core strength. Remember, if you are feeling back pain it is probably muscular fatigue and not related the the nerve pressure you were probably experiencing when you opted for the surgery. Keep at it and work on strengthening your lower back and abs. Also, make sure you move around on the climbs, get out of the saddle and stretch. If you are like me, you might get locked into a single position on long climbs. I know I am guilty of that on 30 minute plus climbs.

I had a L5-S1 discectomy about 3 years ago. I'm 37. The past 3 years have been very challenging. However in the past 6 months I started to get better to the point where I recently took up biking. Biking works for me because I can't stand up for too long and bending forward is the most comfortable postion. After about 2 months of biking I'm not having any back troubles. I do avoid getting out of the saddle unless it's just to stretch a bit since I believe that might aggrevate something. I'm super paranoid after my experiences. My bike is set up with the handlebars a little high, but I think the lower I go the better it feels since, for me, that means less stress on the discs in my back.
BTW, right after surgery I felt amazing. I think it was the fact that I was out of the immediate pain and I could walk again. I think that effect causes you to think you are a little more recovered than you really are. Also, it appears that my back will never be normal so I need to keep that in mind always.
I don't get any back pain while riding or any time after riding. I'm only doing about 50-60 miles a week right now. My longest ride was 2.5 hours and that didn't bother the back either but I haven't done any real climbing.
I would listen to your body. Everyone with a back problem gets a sixth sense about what just isn't right for their back.

I had a posterior/anterior L-5, L-4, L-3 fusion with 6 screws and cage with a 7 inch titanium rod placed inside. I am at the 7.5 year mark and had minimal issues other than normal soreness. Trust me, I have tested the limits of this fusion. I probably lift things that I shouldn't but I use good body mechanics. I go to the gym 5 days a week and am at the best shape of my life at 35. I just recently started cycling myself. Due to my muscular frame at 205 lbs. I was able to start going on 20-50 miles rides. The only thing I noticed, and here is my question, is that there seems to be a "stretching" or "tugging" at the top of the incision on my back. Is that normal? I would assume that being in that position would cause a stretch but I too tend to get freaked out when I feel something "new". Has anyone else experienced this? Should I be concerned?

Thanks!

I had an L5-S1 microdiscectomy 4 years ago. I got better at first then got into alot of pain for a few years. I can't stand for very long. I can't walk or run much since it causes me back pain and numbness in my foot. I can road bike just fine without any pain, numbness, etc. so it's my primary form of excercise these days. Every situation is different but for me, leaning forward takes the stress off the back. BTW, I tried to mountain bike a little 6 months ago and it really caused me some back issues so I stick to road biking.
Climbing or mashing the pedals bother my back. It causes me to tense up and I get numbness in my foot and some back pain. So I sit and spin :-)
I push myself within my limits. I tend to avoid group rides. Part of that decision is to avoid situations where I might be working too hard to keep at someone else's pace and therefore stress my back.
I'm trying to avoid another surgery and I think it's working. It took me about 3 years to find how to live with my condition.