Doctors orders: stop riding the bike
05-22-15, 04:06 PM
#26
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Sorry to hear about the ban. I was off for about 8 months and it was tough! I focused on going over my bikes and tweaking them. was ok. To echo the rest get the fit. Get a GOOD fit. Will be money well spent. I have seen in my area lately several bents for sale from $200-$1800, on CL.
You got my prayers for a speedy recovery!
Bill
You got my prayers for a speedy recovery!
Bill
05-22-15, 08:25 PM
#27
Procrastinateur supreme
I hope your doc (or a second opinion from a sports medicine doc) can figure this out and also, that it turns out to be something that you could fix with some specific exercises. I didn't have all the three pain areas as you report, but have a look below:
I had radiating pain going down my leg along the outside (sciatic nerve) and for me, a specific exercise completely alleviated it in a few months - in my case, adjustable ankle weights with supine leg lifts, one at a time, building up from 2 pounds per leg for three sets of 15 reps. Just flat on my back. My understanding is that this one exercise strengthens the interior abdominal muscles, particularly the psoas group, which takes strain off the piriformis which inserts on the top of the femur.
It sounds to me as if you just may have piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle is an interior muscle on the back of the pelvic girdle, and if your other musculature is slack or underdeveloped, your cycling could be overworking this muscle. There are nerve trunks which run around this muscle, and they can easily get stretched or impinged by a distorted piriformis. You can see that the sciatic, gluteal, and pudendal nerves all run very close to this muscle. When the nerve trunks become irritated, one or more of the nerves can radiate pain in areas you have described being painful. It might be good to mention this potential to your doc if no obvious cause can be found.
My hopes for a speedy resolution are with you! Have a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome, especially the pathophysiology section.
I had radiating pain going down my leg along the outside (sciatic nerve) and for me, a specific exercise completely alleviated it in a few months - in my case, adjustable ankle weights with supine leg lifts, one at a time, building up from 2 pounds per leg for three sets of 15 reps. Just flat on my back. My understanding is that this one exercise strengthens the interior abdominal muscles, particularly the psoas group, which takes strain off the piriformis which inserts on the top of the femur.
It sounds to me as if you just may have piriformis syndrome. The piriformis muscle is an interior muscle on the back of the pelvic girdle, and if your other musculature is slack or underdeveloped, your cycling could be overworking this muscle. There are nerve trunks which run around this muscle, and they can easily get stretched or impinged by a distorted piriformis. You can see that the sciatic, gluteal, and pudendal nerves all run very close to this muscle. When the nerve trunks become irritated, one or more of the nerves can radiate pain in areas you have described being painful. It might be good to mention this potential to your doc if no obvious cause can be found.
My hopes for a speedy resolution are with you! Have a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piriformis_syndrome, especially the pathophysiology section.
Last edited by CrankyFranky; 05-22-15 at 08:44 PM.
05-22-15, 08:40 PM
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I'm totally guessing here but you might want to do a little reading about iliopsoas tendinitis, iliopsoas bursitis and the psoas muscle. All of these can lead to hip pain, knee pain and pain in the groin.
this sounds like a classic overuse injury caused by doing too much too soon.
this sounds like a classic overuse injury caused by doing too much too soon.
You mentioned four decades of not riding and now you are doing 20 miles daily. I'm sure this is all related to iliopsoas soreness and tightness. Do a search for stretches and relief. Take a few days off the bike and then ease back in like 5 miles easy every other day. Gradually increase the distance and add another day or two when you build up over time. It's imporatnt to allow plenty of time for recovery so one day rest may not be enough.
But do the stretches and exercises.
Good luck.
05-22-15, 10:00 PM
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Thanks everyone. No blood test results today. Doc said he'd call if was bad news but I don't know if he even got the lab results. I've been reading about bursitis and it sounds likely. The pain is really bad but if I rest on my back for a few hours it goes away. After a few hours of normal activity the pain returns. It's making me cranky too. Once the issue is resolved I'll go to the LBS for a professional fit and ease back into it. I just finally got my cantilever brakes to stop squealing too! They are artek brakes and the key was to remove the toe in I had set previously. I don't want to start an argument on rim brake toe in but now with the pads squeezing equally the annoying squeal is gone. This whole thing is disappointing as I was really getting into riding and my stamina and strength was improving daily. I felt like a kid again. Now I feel like an old man
05-23-15, 07:09 AM
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Consider a recumbent?
That way you can rest on your back while riding.
That way you can rest on your back while riding.
Last edited by Crank57; 05-23-15 at 07:13 AM.
05-23-15, 07:26 AM
#31
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Maybe you need a second opinion from another doc.
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The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. - Psalm 103:8
I am a cyclist. I am not the fastest or the fittest. But I will get to where I'm going with a smile on my face.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. - Psalm 103:8
I am a cyclist. I am not the fastest or the fittest. But I will get to where I'm going with a smile on my face.
05-23-15, 07:27 AM
#32
aka Phil Jungels
And, remember to start standing occasionally while riding. You used to do it as a kid, without thinking, because you needed the weight to pedal hard! Welllll, you need it to help depressurize muscles, veins, and nerves.
And, yep, bike riding does make you feel like a kid again - nice, isn't it!
And, yep, bike riding does make you feel like a kid again - nice, isn't it!
05-23-15, 02:33 PM
#34
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I don't complain about "conditions" generally but this not being able to sleep because of throbbing pain in not fun at all. Sure enough it's 70 degrees today and a perfect day for a ride (except for the wind) and I'm grounded. Maybe I'll play with the spoke wrench and see how bad I can get the wheels out of true. The LBS guy says he loves selling spoke wrenches to guys without truing stands as most times the wheels end up back at the shop
05-23-15, 07:31 PM
#35
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I think that the psoas problems are worth bring up with the doctors, everything posted, and what I read indicate that it may be part of the problem. I'll drop you a P.M. tomorrow. Skip the spoke wrench, they are one thing that causes a lot of uncalled for problems when they get pulled out for a tinkering session. Try reading Jobst Brandt's book on wheel theory and wheel building, if you want to learn how to do it right.
I hope that those that don't have to manage the health issues many of us have to deal with on a daily basis realize that all the posts about hydration are not helpful or entertaining to the rest of us, nor will they help the person that posts asking for some advice.
Bill
I hope that those that don't have to manage the health issues many of us have to deal with on a daily basis realize that all the posts about hydration are not helpful or entertaining to the rest of us, nor will they help the person that posts asking for some advice.
Bill
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I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Semper Fi, USMC, 1975-1977
I Can Do All Things Through Him, Who Gives Me Strength. Philippians 4:13
Last edited by qcpmsame; 05-23-15 at 07:39 PM.
05-24-15, 02:41 PM
#36
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I've noticed with some of my wife's back pains, they don't know right off the bat what the problem is. In your case, your story seems to show that it started with cycling, and as doctors they know it can be caused by a wide range of things from "mild" (light muscle strain, perhaps) to "wild" (you've already stated enough potential wild stuff). Until they can get some directional or better indications, they do not want you to take any chances on making it worse. I think this is actually pretty good, conservative thinking on the doc's part. So just bear with it until they have something figured out. They're trying to "do no harm." Often they feel that if they can prevent further harm, they've created conditions for healing to occur.
I have a few doctors in the family. Plus I have slept at a Holiday Inn.
I have a few doctors in the family. Plus I have slept at a Holiday Inn.
05-24-15, 05:02 PM
#37
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All is not lost as we are at our boat for the weekend and there's plenty to do to keep her maintained. Of course we met a couple that were walking down the dock in bike gear and they told us they were going for a ride and exclaimed how great the bike trails are here. (we are new to this lake). They keep two bikes here at the marina and two at home. A lot of boats have mountain bikes bungied to their foredecks too however most of them have rusty chains and other hardware. I'm not leaving our bikes on the front of the boat even though they were inexpensive. With the bikes at home at least there is no temptation to go for a quick spin and we have at least two days of rain forecast so that will help the prison sentence as well. I still can't get over how much I enjoy biking again at my age. Wife's idea to buy bikes, I was against it and now I'm addicted. Good advice on the spoke wrench. I watched the mechanic at the LBS true one of my wheels on a stand and he did it in about 10min. I was impressed and thought to myself "how hard can it be?" He did warn me though so I guess I'll leave it alone for now.. Probably no way to make the cheap wheels perfectly true anyway.
05-25-15, 05:19 AM
#38
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05-26-15, 09:12 AM
#39
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DBrown, once you get all this sorted out with your doctor and assuming you are able to ride again...I want to recommend a saddle. Only because you mentioned having some issues. The Selle Anatomica has completely changed my riding. After 35+ years of riding with at least some sort of butt pain, the S.A. has done away with all of it. You can search other threads here to read much more about it.
Good luck!
Good luck!
05-26-15, 02:55 PM
#41
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And I'm betting the Hip X-rays will be clean. It's overuse/bad fit, and you'll get it straightened out and be back riding pain-free!
05-28-15, 08:01 AM
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Diagnosis is in. Arthritis in my hip. Doctor wants to see me to discuss treatment options. I'm not sure this is the correct diagnosis but it's all I've got right now. The good news is I will start riding again today!
05-28-15, 09:06 AM
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The right PT program should be able to take a lot of stress off your hip even if arthritis is present.
05-28-15, 09:37 AM
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Before starting any arthritis meds or cortisone shots, I would look for a physical therapist who is either a cyclist or a runner. The National Institute of Health website says "Clinically, we rely heavily on NSAIDs and intra-articular (IA) corticosteroids to treat OA pain, but several other oral, intra-articular and topical agents are available. In the elderly particularly, non-pharmacologic options like exercise, weight loss, physical therapy (PT), bracing and orthotics should be considered first to minimize medication adverse effects (AE)."
The right PT program should be able to take a lot of stress off your hip even if arthritis is present.
The right PT program should be able to take a lot of stress off your hip even if arthritis is present.
I've gone through years of back pain and other inflammation related issues (hip, wrist, shoulder). So many wrong diagnoses along the way. I am so glad I've resisted surgical solutions numerous times for problems that either just went away or were well treated by physical therapy, chiropractic manipulation, or cortico-steroid injections. The most effective of all has been PT and/or manipulation. I just finished another round of chiropractic after declining L3-L4 and L4-L5 fusion recommendations. Problem has vastly improved with chiropractic recommended exercise.
05-28-15, 11:38 AM
#45
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Surgery is something I would probably never consider and I avoid narcotics unless the pain is unbearable. I did just buy a bottle of glucosamine/chondroitin, a dietary supplement. I am not overweight and am very active summer and winter but have had lower back issues for many years which I will take pain meds for if I have to. I have to say I now sympathize with arthritis sufferers (if that's what I indeed have) as the pain is quite severe, especially at night. It keeps me from sleeping or wakes me up once asleep. Proper fit of my bike is next on the list but I will not sit still and "rest" any longer. Doing that didn't help anyway.
05-28-15, 11:56 AM
#46
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I am devastated. I just joined here a short while ago after buying a new hybrid bike and have really taken to riding every day to improve my health and because I'm having a blast rediscovering the joys of biking. I had some discomfort with my saddle, purchased a better one but was suffering from NDS and soreness. I got used to the seat, or it got used to me and the numbness has gone away but for the last two weeks I've had testicular pain, hip pain and pain in my flank that radiates to my groin, knee and then down to my big toe. It's hard to describe but it feels like a tooth ache in my hip/ groin which radiates down. It has gotten so bad I can't sleep on either side (if at all). There is little to no pain during the day but by bedtime I'm really in agony. I went to my doctor today and had a cat scan, blood work and urinalysis. I have had kidney stones in the past and thought it might be another stone. The cat scan came back negative, no blood in urine but blood work results won't be available until Monday. I also need X-rays to be done next week. In the mean time my doctor told me to stop riding the bike! I don't know if it's a hernia, bone cancer, bursitis or what. He did ask if I had changed my routine lately and I told him I've been riding 20mi. a day on a new bike and told him about the numbness and knee pain. I think at this point it's the old "doc, it hurts when I move my leg like that. Answer from doc? "stop moving your leg like that" I'm taking pain medicine so I can sleep and feel cheated out of something I really enjoy doing. I'm now just hoping they can find out what is wrong. Prayers or positive thoughts appreciated. Anyone else have something like this happen after starting to ride after 4 decades off a bike? My dog has gotten used to going with me on short rides around the block too. When I say "want to go on a bike ride?" he gets all excited. My wife also likes to ride but now I'm grounded so she has to ride alone. This whole situation is a real bummer. I was already picking out my next bike and now I'm sitting on the couch or walking.
05-28-15, 12:55 PM
#47
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Actually I've been quite active all my life. I'm just back in to bicycles after a very long absence. Being active is not the same as being in shape though. Just a few 20mi. rides made me realize that. I'm grateful the diagnosis wasn't worse. No cancer or anything horrible.
05-31-15, 02:26 PM
#48
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"Wife's idea to buy bikes, I was against it and now I'm addicted."
You or others may not find this idea popular but as someone who has been battered, bruised, burned (second degree) and most recently, broken - I have learned that middle age, even late middle age, is not the end of the trail but it is something you have to respect. One's body injures more easily and takes longer to heal when it is injured. This doesn't mean quit, but it does mean accepting that a) less is often more and b) one cannot, must not, compare oneself even to others the same age. I still play tennis, for example (well, I will when my wrist heals completely) but the days of overhead smashes over and over again are over. (A pity, I loved the tension release that sort of thing afforded.) But the important thing is that I can still play, I just have to learn a new approach. Also I do a little of a lot of sports, including biking, and the diversity of activity I think is healthy, not only physically but psychologically. All of one's eggs are not in a single basket.
Slowing down doesn't mean weakness, it means learning to play smart poker with the cards one is dealt. Hope you are soon on the mend.
You or others may not find this idea popular but as someone who has been battered, bruised, burned (second degree) and most recently, broken - I have learned that middle age, even late middle age, is not the end of the trail but it is something you have to respect. One's body injures more easily and takes longer to heal when it is injured. This doesn't mean quit, but it does mean accepting that a) less is often more and b) one cannot, must not, compare oneself even to others the same age. I still play tennis, for example (well, I will when my wrist heals completely) but the days of overhead smashes over and over again are over. (A pity, I loved the tension release that sort of thing afforded.) But the important thing is that I can still play, I just have to learn a new approach. Also I do a little of a lot of sports, including biking, and the diversity of activity I think is healthy, not only physically but psychologically. All of one's eggs are not in a single basket.
Slowing down doesn't mean weakness, it means learning to play smart poker with the cards one is dealt. Hope you are soon on the mend.
06-02-15, 01:16 PM
#49
Senior Member
You need to be careful with "arthritis" as a diagnosis from a GP. I once got one because of some severe hip pain. (Turned out to be lyme disease.) He diagnosed it as "arthritis" even though imaging showed nothing! I didn't trust him so I went to an orthopedist and he actually called the GP and read him the riot act for a bad diagnosis, saying there was "NO arthritis in the hip and to go back to med school!" (The actual cause of the pain took longer to diagnose, and is another story entirely.)
Get a second opinion from an orthopedist. It might actually still be something like tendinitis.
Get a second opinion from an orthopedist. It might actually still be something like tendinitis.
06-04-15, 04:53 PM
#50
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Sciatic pain, lower back mostly degenerative arthritis induced. Some in right hip also. Took me off any and all impact sports. NSAIDs (diclofenac) "fixed"/controlled and bike riding again has helped...cut the need for meds in half.
