trifona

I've been riding my MTB every day now since getting a Minoura indoor trainer 11 days ago. I purchased it in order to get in better shape in preparation for a proposed thoracotomy to repair my busted thoracic discs.

In 9 out of the 10 mornings since riding, I've had ZERO back pain in the morning. In the 20 months since pain onset, Nothing has worked: stretching, weight lifting (emphasis on back and leg exercises), walking on the treadmill, hiking in the local park. Prescribed meds have had to keep escalating in order to keep pace with the acute pain as well during this time.

I've been cycling on the trainer at least once or twice per day, 20 minutes at a time, usually for ~3 miles each stint. On Saturday I rode 26 miles on a local bike trail in addition.

I don't know what to say other than it is a miracle. There must be something to the muscle involvement and spinal movement in cycling that is relieving the pressure on my spine from the 2 extruded disc fragments in question.

I'm completely dumbfounded right now. To think that two weeks ago I was preparing myself for a traumatic major surgery and that today I am pain free, I just don't know what to think.

I just hope that the positive effects don't cease right now. In a couple of weeks I think I'll try discontinuing the Neurontin if this keeps up.

I'm also waking up very refreshed in the mornings, and usually 2 hours before my alarm is set to go off, and sometimes more than once during the night. Today, I woke up at 2AM and at 5AM; on the weekend I was waking up at 4AM.

Hunter

EXELLENT!! Yes discontinue the use of chemical drugs by all means. Speaking from experience I have never taken chemical drugs that did anything but take money from you.

spazegun2213

wow, 5am... you need sleep But the body works in strange ways, i would keep up the cycling and graduly stop the meds and see what happens. By all means, if this works you may not have to have sergery, but if you travel without a bike, your back could start to hurt again.

Keep with the biking, in your case its to healthy and good for you not to stop!

trifona

Hunter,

Thanks for your support, but I can't say that I agree with your comments regardings the Meds. For nearly a year now, I've been taking Neurontin (a nerve medication); which has taken the pain, which can only be described as hot nails stabbing me in the back, and lessened it to where it only feels like mild soreness. The pain was enough at one point where death would have been preferred. Neurontin was a lifesaver for me.

On another note, I've had Juvenile diabetes since I was 9 years old. If it were not for the insulin that I take on a daily basis, I would have died 18 years ago.

cbhungry

taper the neurontin off slowly and by all means let the doc know. Neurontin is a neuromodulator that has helped alot of people stay off hardcore pain medicines such as narcotics, so it did you good! Glad to hear you are doing great! keep u p the biking.!

Guest

I really do think that in mountain biking, the muscles of the back are engaged and stressed a lot more than just using a trainer or road biking. So if you're doing much less mountain biking, you're probably not stressing those back muscles as much as usual. When you mountain bike, do you usually hit a lot of trails, and do those tricks like bunny hops and stuff? Or do you usually hit pretty smooth trails and dirt trails?


Koffee

trifona

cbhungry,

I will definitely taper off the Neurontin slowly. I know the side effects of this drugs if dosages aren't adjusted up or down in a conservative fashion. It took a long time to move up from 100mg 3x/day to my present daily dosage of 4800mg/day. I plan on going another week at my present dosage before I start making any adjustments.

It was originally prescribed because one of my doctor's thought the problem was neuropathy. Thank goodness that was not the case....but the Neurontin worked just the same and tamed my pain. Initially I was on Percocet, but that was only for about 2 months. Since it didn't subside I was put on Amitrytolene for nearly a year, but I felt like a zombie in the mornings. The Neurontin, has been a true lifesaver in terms of pain relief; not as good at relieveing the symptoms like the narcotics did, but certainly w/o any of their risks as well.

trifona

Koffee Brown,

Although I have a mountain bike, a Trek 6000, I exclusively use it on smooth paved trails. I should have bought a Road bike 4 years ago, but thought the MTB would be a good compromise for bumpy rides; that plus they were alot cheaper than road bikes...I had just graduated college and was looking for a pair of decent bikes for me and my GF...now my wife. I have a 6000 she has a 4300.

It's not very efficient on the road, even w/ 1.5" wide semi-slicks, but at the same time, if it's making put extra effort in my rides, it can't be bad in terms of a cardiovascular workout.

Still......I find myself lusting after a RoadBike

tenpas

I worked with a guy that had a very bad back - he did the upside-down situps (hung from the ceiling) to build his abs up and take stress off the disks. He claimed it was the only thing that kept him verticle, 'else he would be in bed.

I think you have found an exercise to build supporting muscles, and take the stress off the disks. Even if it only works for a couple of years it is worth it, right?

Good luck on the drugs, I am not a big fan of ongoing meds but most of this country seems to rely on something for one of the many ailments around :confused:

trifona

I'm the exact opposite.....My back hurts when lying down. I get relief from sitting/standing up. Problem is not so much with the discs but the ruptured fragments touching/indenting my cord.