BluesDawg

To the OP, glad to see you are improving have been able to get back on the bike. It sounds to me that you have the right attitude to deal with whatever it takes to recover. If only there was a way to convert the emotional intensity of forum posts into health and riding improvements you would soon be ready to take on the pros in the Tour de France.

BlazingPedals

Allegheny Jet told AeroJoe to not get a recumbent unless he was already dead, then went on to suggest a fit or position problem, then suggested exercises. Was there something in the post that I missed, which would have indicated a joke?

Sailorman13

There is no such thing as "these" conditions. Bulging and herniated disks are two different conditions that require different treatments. The fact that you may be an alternative treatment cultist does not make my post "total BS". I don't post BS.

Here's some information that your Chiropractor won't tell you. I have heard the same warnings about Chiro from some of my own doctors and therapists.
https://www.rebuildyourback.com/chiropractic/damage.php

And here's a response from an honest Chiropractor that knows and acknowledges the limitations of his trade.

From Chirobase.org
https://www.chirobase.org/17QA/disc5.html

Answers to Questions about Chiropractic:
Should I See a Chiropractor for My Disc Problem?
Samuel Homola, D.C.
Question

About five weeks ago, I herniated a disc in my lumbar spine, to the tune of 6 mm. It is impinging on the sciatic nerve, producing pain and weakness in my left leg and foot. Sitting, standing, walking, and bending are things I can do for only a short time. The healing process is slow, and I have not yet returned to work.

As soon as the results of the MRI came back, I got in to see a neurosurgeon who is, at present, teaching his minimally invasive surgical procedure to surgeons in France. I have also consulted with an orthopedic specialist. Both doctors suggested doing everything possible to avoid surgery. Therefore, I am going to physical therapy 3x/week, .......

Would you advise me to see a chiropractor, or am I in the hands of the professionals who can help me the most?
Answer

I would not recommend spinal manipulation for a herniated disc that causes leg pain or muscle weakness. Manipulation will not correct a herniated disc, and there is a possibility that inappropriate manipulation might increase the herniation and further impinge the nerve root. If the disc protrusion is forced into the spinal canal, it could result in loss of bladder control.

About 80% of people with leg pain caused by a herniated disc will recover without surgery. But itâs important that you be kept under observation for signs of progressive nerve damage. If the weakness in your leg and foot increases, for example, and you are unable to toe walk or heel-walk without your foot flopping to the floor (foot drop), you might have to have surgery to relieve the nerve pressure in order to prevent a permanent foot drop.

If there is no progressive nerve damage, symptoms may diminish as the swelling subsides. Once the leg pain goes away and the nerve pressure has been relieved, surgery may not be needed. With time, a herniated disc will dehydrate and degenerate, absorbing the protruding cartilage. But if leg pain and other symptoms of nerve involvement persist after a month of conservative therapy, surgery might be indicated.

It sounds to me like you are in good hands with the neurosurgeon, orthopedist, and physical therapist working as a team. They can keep you under observation for muscle weakness, loss of reflexes, and other symptoms indicating as possible need for surgery. It also sounds as if your neurosurgeon is familiar with microsurgical discectomy and other minimally invasive surgical procedures and is conservative enough to use surgery only as a last resort. It appears that you are progressing as well as can be expected over a short period of time, so I would certainly suggest that you continue with the care you are now receiving.

____________________

Dr. Homola is a second-generation chiropractor who has dedicated himself to defining the proper limits on chiropractic and to educating consumers and professionals about the field. His 1963 book Bonesetting, Chiropractic, and Cultism supported the appropriate use of spinal manipulation but renounced chiropractic dogma. His 1999 book Inside Chiropractic: A Patient's Guide provides an incisive look at chiropractic's history, benefits, and shortcomings. Now retired after 43 years of practice, he lives in Panama City, Florida.

This article was posted on September 24, 2002.
********************************************************************

Also the Mayo Clinic has something to say about this: https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/her...9/PAGE=HD00033

And a few comments on the subject. Anecdotal to be sure, but they tend to support the contention that Chiropractic treatment poses risks for herniated discs. They do nothing at best, (a majority of herniated/slipped discs heal themselves) and cause addional damage at worst. Quotes below are from this site: https://www.medhelp.org/posts/Neurolo...sk/show/294898

"Incidently, a coworker had a herniated L5-S1 last year, had chiropratic tx for a long time when one final treatment caused her leg to become totally numb. There ARE RISKS TO CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS when you have a herniated disk"

"Your story seems a bit like mine. I went to a chiropractor for too long, he never referred me to anyone else. Until it was too late! Now I have permanent nerve damage, from nerve entrapment."

"My physical therapist told me one should never to to a chiropractor with a herniated disk."

no motor?

[QUOTE=Sailorman13;8851373]There is no such thing as "these" conditions. Bulging and herniated disks are two different conditions that require different treatments. The fact that you may be an alternative treatment cultist does not make my post "total BS". I don't post BS......



Ever hear of Dr. Joe Mercola? He's an Osteopath who "knows and acknowledges the limitations of his trade". He used to think conventional medicine is the third leading cause of death in the US. Now he thinks it's #1. I've heard that many times too - so who's right? The doc I quoted isn't an "alternative treatment cultist" like yours - does that make him more correct?

This issue has been debated many, many times. When the issues of effectiveness of Chiropractic has been brought up in the courts Chiropractic has been proven to be both safe and effective for treating a number of conditions. The AMA has been trying for years to discredit any type of healing that doesn't utilize drugs and/or surgery, eventually loosing the landmark case Wilk versus the AMA in the early 90's that showed the AMA was engaging in an unlawful restraint of trade instead of protecting the public from an "unscientific cult" that used dangerous and ineffective techniques. Unable to legally continue their efforts to monopolize medical care, they found someone with the right title in Dr. Steven Barrett (as in he'd graduated with a degree in Psychiatry, but didn't pass the board examinations needed to practice) who later left town after loosing another big case involving Chiropractic. Dr.s Barrett and Homola work closely together - why didn't you just quote Barrett?

So why the big effort to discredit those who help heal without drugs and surgery? Why not be concerned about what's best for the patient? With an estimated 10% of the US being treated using Chiropractic care, and plenty of room for improvement in allopathic care, why wouldn't they "get their own house in order" first? The answer lies in the old saying "follow the money". Sick patients are more profitable to treat than healthy ones, and the AMA/the drug companies are doing what they can to keep those patients coming back for more care and drugs. Chiropractic must have something to offer for it to survive the decades of discrimination - much in the same way as bicycles never went away after the car became so prevalent.

You sound like your minds been made up for a long time and are complete opposed to considering anything different. I'm not expecting you to suddenly change your mind either, but am merely presenting a rebuttal in case anyone openminded stumbles across this obscure portion of the internet.

AeroJoe

This is AeroJoe, thanks for all the responses. Right after I wrote that 7 years ago, I got laid off in the Great Recession. I'm just now getting back to the bikeforums again. As for the pinched nerve in the neck, Doc had me use a "neck stretcher" (head harness+pulleys and rope+water bag) that you put on a door. It took about 3 or 4 months, but all the pain went away and I'm still riding that same bike today! I also have 4 more bikes I ride, even though I'm older and fatter (I just like to ride my bike). No recumbent yet, but they are looking better and better each day!

Wildwood 

What a way to revive a zombie thread. OP follows up 7 years later with a success story.

Congrats on the effort to persevere the therapy. and continue....

MuddyBikeRider

I have a lot of friends with this same problem. My one friend is on a lot of pain killers just to make it through the day. As you said, finding someone to operate it tough. If it is causing you a problem only when you are on a bike, then I would recommend an e-bike with pedal assist. You can turn on various amounts of power (from none to 75%?) to make it easier. Pedal assist feels like switching gears to make it easier to pedal, but your cadence doesn't change. It will keep you out on the road when otherwise you would have to give up because of the pain. Though going to a pain doctor might make a world of difference.

Kindaslow

I hope you are still reading your thread, while the grumpy old men repeat the argument that never ends.

Because, 18 years ago I had surgery for exactly what you have. They did a great job, and I can do most anything I want. I had little choice, given I had lost the use of my left arm and hand, and some of the use of my right hand.

Talk to more docs. It is highly unlikely your symptoms will stay stable, but it could take years to get as bad as mine had. But, it is likely you will eventually need a surgery if the doc got the diagnosis correct.

JanMM

Take a look at post #55 . He's just now back to BF after a multi-year absence and doing well.

Zombie Thread with a nice twist!

mjh365

OP. Surgery worked for me. I had a very similar situation and surgery worked in my case. I had my C5 / C6 replaced with an artificial disc (ProDisc C).

Kindaslow

I could not make it through the argument. Thanks for letting me know this!

I am willing to bet his doctor was a little off on the diagnosis, but sure glad things worked out for him.

dbg

I rode a bent one year on an annual group trip we take through WI. My co-riders complained they got no value from drafting behind me. (and I was so much faster on downhills --it was scary)

BlazingPedals

I call BS. I've been riding lowracers for almost a decade, and I get more room with them than I ever got on my upright. Anyway, if you have a height complex, something like a Bacchetta Giro is almost as high as an upright anyway.

FBinNY 

Before doing anything radical, either on the medical front or spending big dough on a new bike, try some more minor adjustments.

One place to start, is a more upright riding posture. This will reduce the strain from holding your head up. You might do as I do, and spend some time riding with your head lower. This calls for looking up and verifying that you have clear road ahead, then dropping your head. Moving your head up and down like this is easier on your muscles and possibly pinched nerve. (obviously, you have t use some common sense, and not use this technique in busy areas).

Also do some physical therapy, bending and stretching your neck. You can start on your own and continue if it helps, or you can consult a physical therapist for advice on targeted exercises that will do the most good.

IME - (living and riding with neck issues for almost 50 years) almost any of these obstacles can be surmounted if you're patient. Keep in mind that you rode for years before the problem arose, and the underlying cause wasn't a sudden event or injury. That means that you should be able to get back to some semblance of the prior status quo if you work towards that.

BlazingPedals

I'm glad this thread was resurrected for a success story and not a "me too" post.

Gonemad

Back in late 2004 I suffered exactly what the OP went through. I tried the conservative approach for 5 years, which included the neck traction the OP described, but in the end it only made things "manageable" but not possible to ride without inflaming the problem. I finally had a cervical fusion in 2009. I brought up about using a prosthetic disk, but my doctors strongly advised against it so I followed their advice (I won't go into the details but some of their arguments were compelling). Anyways it wasn't until 2014 before I felt recovered enough to get back into riding beyond anything more than one hour rides. Now I'm fully back into it and loving every minute of it.

If I had to do it over again I'd bail after 6 month of the conservative stuff and have the "scary surgery" done in 2005. I count those 5 years as years wasted...I had kids in school at that time and missed out on opportunities with them for which you don't get a second chance. This statement is the only reason I made this post. I am glad it worked out for the OP, but in my case it wasn't so happy.

tg16

Only if you want them to be. Do you want it bad enough to find a way?

rydabent

Why not go to a recumbent. Probably 75% of cyclist would be better off on a recumbent or a trike. If you are not racing or mountain biking, bents have many advantages, the number one of which is comfort. People with all kinds of physical problems can ride bents with no pain.

I first went to a bent because they appeared to be logical. The day I got my first bent, my road bike and mountain bike just hung in the garage. I immediately started riding faster and further. Yes bents are that good.

Guntrainer

Everything was fine for decades, then almost overnight, Advanced Arthritis in the knees. Ouch. Hurts to walk, hurts to ride my favored Cannondale. Slow progressive treatment. Pills, braces, shots, then replacements as the last resort.

Quit riding or go Recumbent? Bought a Catrike 700 Recumbent Trike. Easy on the knees. Oh, I forgot about the fused bone in the neck.
The Cat has a neck rest. Guess what? It will blow the doors off anyone who is not an elite younger cyclist. Knees don't hurt, neck don't hurt.

It was with a heavy heart when I took kit off the Rocket and put it on the Cat. I got over it on my first 35+mph blast on a flat with not a whole lot of effort. Not bad on hills, either. After the Knee replacement, I can't afford to fall. Three wheels will make me as safe as I can be and still do what I love.

If it "R" or don't ride anymore, take the "R".

GaryPitts

I feel your pain, OP. I started riding just 5 years ago. Got up to 500 or 600 miles a month and loved it. Felt good, lost weight, saw lots of neat things. Then my neck started hurting. Switched to mostly the flat bar bike. No help. Went to chiropractors, PT, orthopedic doc, had x-rays, nothing was helping. I could ride for 20 or 30 minutes and then it would start to hurt and by 45 minutes in I had to stop, and then stop every 5 to 10 minutes afterward. I rode a total of 377 miles last year, where 2013 was 4500

I went to a pain clinic because I had a PA tell me to check on trigger point injections. After a couple of months, he recommended I go to a neurosurgeon and get a myelogram. Did that, and lo and behold I have spinal stenosis in the neck area. They recommended steroid epidural injections and I've now had my second one. After the first one, after 15 miles of riding, my pain level had gone down from around a 7 to a 4. I was very pleased! The bad news is after a week my neck started to hurt all of the time. Not bad, but it was pain that wasn't there prior. After the 2nd injection, things pretty much stayed the same. The day after my 2nd injection, I went out for a 15 mile ride and after 20 minutes it was bad. After 30'ish minutes I was stopping again. Very discouraging

So... I also think my cycling days may be gone. At least the days of riding 35 and 40 miles and going places and seeing things and really enjoying it. It's just not the same to go for a 15 mile ride vs. a 35 mile ride. I don't see myself ever riding a bent. In my mind, they're just dorky. No offense to those that ride them. My plan at this point is to put a riser on the handlebar on my flat bar bike and see if that helps anything. Man, getting older just sucks Moral of the story, if you can ride pain free, ENJOY! It could all be over in a heartbeat.