I had a slight bulge at L5/S1 and strained lower back muscles back in the middle of June (which I made a lot worse). See, it originated around Memorial weekend in May when I was hitting golf balls at the local driving range. I nailed a 4-iron shot off the astroturf mat, straight out to 200 yards, and used everything I had in me. 100% full power, full swing, twisting my body around, torquing my body, etc... and right after the shot, I came back around with my follow-through, and I swear.... Somebody stabbed me with a knife, right in my lower back right at my belt loop!!!
To make matters worse, dummy me didn't listen to my body, and I continued hitting golf balls. Duh!!!
My lower back was screaming at me for weeks afterwards. But again, did I listen? No... To make matters EXTREMELY WORSE... In mid June, I attended my Masonic Lodge's blood drive, and donated a pint of blood as I normally do. But right afterwards, being a pint low, I continued on without taking it easy for a few days. The next day, I went out on a 27 mile bicycle ride. The day after that, I went jogging 3.1 miles (5K) all while still being a pint low. I had horrible cramps and pain shooting down my right hip during the jog, that half way through, I was thinking of stopping and walking back, but stupidly, I somehow ignored it, and limp/jogged the remainder of the way back. The next day after that, I couldn't even move. I couldn't bend down to put on my socks and shoes! I was in such pain... My wife helped get me into the car and we went to the doctor where they did an x-ray and saw the slight bulge at L5/S1 and then basically sternly lectured me on not being such an idiot with my body. I seriously overdid it, got my body dehydrated, and almost destroyed my back. My blood work even showed an increase in CPK (Creatinine...something...) which means, that my muscles and tendons were seriously overworked, and the bulging disk was the icing on the cake. I was ordered to take it easy and no bike riding, no jogging, no walking my dog, no anything... for an entire month. Then, ever so slowly, go for a short walk, like 1/2 a mile. Come back a month later and they'll double check with an x-ray, and see if things subsided.
I ever so slowly worked my way back with short walks, but no long bike rides. I am still forbidden from jogging and playing golf, and won't be able to do anything like that until as early as this upcoming fall.
No mountain biking (which I don't do anymore, so that's not an issue), but the doc did tell me that I can go back out on my old Fuji road bike and use the lower drops to carefully stretch out my back. At the first sign of pain or tingling in my right leg and hip, stop immediately and slowly go back home. So far, so good (knock on wood!), I am not experiencing that awful numbness and tingling sensation anymore. But due to my bulged disc, it's going to be a while before I can go jogging and playing golf again.
