Have you had an mri?

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24 Hour World TT Champs-American record holder
Fat Bike Worlds - Race Director
Insta: chris.s.apex

oh man, amazed you are still running at all! I injured my back in 2012; locked joint at L3, disk issue at L4 (bulging or hernitated, never got the MIR to find out since tx remained the same). I spent 3 months no running no biking no surfing. Had at times extreme pain at times while working (i am a dentist). Lots up the physical therapy workouts/stretching. At about 3 months was able to get on stationary bike and spin but just sitting up. Got back to surfing and some weights at about 3-5 month mark, still had the shooting leg pain on and off. 6 months some light running. It took a full yr till i was pretty much back to normal and a full 2 yrs till i did not worry about it. Still have some days were i just have to take it easy because on my back but i workout like normal now. Biggest thing about a back injury is don't push it, it takes time to heal (if it does) you can't "train through it" and try at all costs to avoid surgery. PM me if you have more questions.

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2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

No... Hopefully soon..

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Mason

It's weird because cycling is way worse than running even though both hurt. I guess I've been lucky that I can still manage about 25 min of activity without too much pain. What do you mean you didn't get an mri because tx was the same?

MRI would have been nice to peace of mind, but if i had had a bulging disk or herniated the physical therapist would have given me the same exercises. Also having a few friends that are orthopedic surgeons they said active people in there 30-40's typically will show disc issues on a MRI but many are non symptomatic. Also with my disability insurance had i been dx with anything bad that would not have been good for my rates. My PT and I talked about it and agreed that if things were not getting better at the 4-6 month mark we would get the MRI and start looking at surgery. With disk stuff normally the less stress you put on it the better and faster it will heal.

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2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

i was also sleeping on the floor first week after i hurt it since the floor was better then the bed.

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2024: Bevoman, Galveston, Alcatraz, Marble Falls, Santa Cruz

Probably hurts more cycling since you are bent at the waist, and it is stretched out more. Agree with conservative treatment. I have suffered through a couple bouts of sciatica. Just tried to avoid things that bothered it, and it went away both times. Did take awhile - weeks to months.

Pretty much the same with my back. Lying on the floor was the only relief. Yet it mostly all got better with time. I was antsy to get something done but the doc said to wait, as these things often have a way of working themselves out - which means healing. Any kind of surgery on a back should be a last resort. Seeing a PT is very good, and will help speed up the healing and/or recovery. Seeing a chiropractor will all but guarantee a longer recovery. Avoid them.

Have you ruled out piriformis syndrome? spine-health.com has a good piriformis syndrome video
If that's it (and even if it isn't you've got nothing to lose by trying) the solution: lots and lots of (very painful) deep massage. My weapon of choice: lacrosse ball

My L2/L3 disc bulged, causing same symptoms to my upper right leg. I went to PT for three weeks, then had a couple cortisone epidurals. They helped, but only temporarily. The pain suddenly got so bad one night, I had to get doped up on morphine. It was like my femur was being slowly crushed. I ended up getting spinal fusion. Problem solved & no adverse effects.

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Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

Haven't ruled it out yet... At the point of ruling it down to that, and this disc, spine, si stuff.

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Mason

I recently read that cortisone is no good for injuries due to 'wear and tear' and can cause them to get worse, like recent studies with the plantar. I'll try and pull up the info on that.

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Mason

So,

-time
-continued exercise (self and PT-directed) not effective
-persistent signs/symptoms suggestive of lumbar dis w/ degrees of nerve involvement

Hmmmm' what to do, what to do?

Discontinue unsuccessful approach.
Seek competent specialty evaluation

.

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RayGovett
Hughson CA
Be Prepared-- Strike Swiftly -- Who Dares Wins- Without warning-"it will be hard. I can do it"

I realize you are in a lot of pain, but you do need to have the MRI as other people have suggested, to give you some idea I have suffered a back issue this past July 4th to be exact got home from a bike ride a couple of hours my back got sore but by the next day I couldn’t get out of bed for a couple of days due to the pains anyway long story short I went to my regular orthopedic doctor had x rays nothing showed up started some very light physical therapy needless to say I couldn’t exercise at all at this point. Did that for a couple of weeks still no better so I got the MRI showed an annular tear in L3 – L4 disk area 6mm pressing into the L3 nerve.
Funny but about that time the nerve pain kicked in bad flip flopping from left leg and groin to the right leg and groin where it seems to have stayed. Back to more aggressive physical therapy then two epidurals which didn’t do much, I saw a spine neurologist last week who went through my MRI with me disk by disk he was very good. He said for a guy my age (59) with as many years of running and cycling my back is in great shape! I do have a couple of bulges but he couldn’t see any nerve impingement certainly nothing to warrant surgery at this time so he suggested for me to continue with the back exercises and swimming as I can do that.
So I guess that is it for now, never had a bad back in my life until this episode so I guess it can happen to anyone but don’t push the biking or running get it sorted out plenty of ice, heat, tens units are very helpful for the nerve pain if you have one and go on u tube you can find lots of good back strengthening exercises and do them every day. Time is a big healer for back issues but I do feel for you and anyone going through back pain as it is the worst it disrupts life like you wouldn’t believe until you suffer from it… Good luck LA Rob

Thanks for reply, I am trying to schedule an mri soon just Incase and will be discussing piriformis as well with PT. I feel lucky hearing some of your stories, as I am able to get through daily life painless, it is only with the exercise... Or wearing a back pack at school that really starts to hurt. I've been lucky to manage small amounts of exercise, but really trying to pinpoint problem here as I am a collegiate xc/track guy... This needs to end soon.

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Mason

It can weaken tendons and ligaments. That doesn't appear to be a problem as an epidural because the steroid is contained within the spinal cavity and discs are not the same material as tendons and ligaments.

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Proud member of FISHTWITCH: doing a bit more than fish exercise now.

I'd get an mri before any further treatment except maybe massage. Without an mri you are guessing and maybe wasting money on treatment that's not working.

Why do I say this? Because I've been there. I went from racing a marathon to hardly able to walk in 3 months. Waiting so long to get the mri and correct treatment probably cost me permanent nerve damage in my leg.

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24 Hour World TT Champs-American record holder
Fat Bike Worlds - Race Director
Insta: chris.s.apex

Backpack that elicits pain indicates spinal nerve/disk compression.

You can heal a herniated disk.

I am not a physician and there is no substitute for a personal evaluation.

Been there - 3 years ago.
Had a herniated disc at L4-L5, caused debilitating sciatica.
Ive been good now for 3 years.

Find a good chiropractor first.

Get xrays, perhaps an mri.

Determine if the discectomy is necessary, or if the non-surgical treatment path is adequate.

If non-surgery, it will take several months to heal.
Go thru an extensive spinal decompression regimen with the chirporactor.
Insurance should cover most of the treatment.
Follow the PT - and follow the McKenzie exercise regimen (look on Youtube)
It is excellent.
For $10, but the book Treat your own Back.
Well worth it.

If you need surgery, go to a neurologist, one that deals with the spine/back issues.

Delaying medical treatment will only delay your diagnosis, treatment plan and healing/recovery.

I'd encourage you to get and MRI and get on this asap. I have had 2 discectomies for ruptured L4/L5 and L5/S1 courtesy of an ass hole drunk driver. That numbness in the foot is not a good sign if it persists long enough you can end up like me with something called 'foot drop'. My damage is permanent, it's much much better the last few years, but some of that nerve won't ever repair it's over 25 years for me.

Good luck don't mess around with the persistent numbness.

Some good nuggets of information posted here.

I herniated my L2/L3 disc about 2 years ago. The herniation was significant (about 8mm). I have had back issues off and on for over 30 years and probably had some degree of herniation before it got really bad. My ortho who is a competitive cyclist gave me wonderful advice: do nothing until the inflammation and discomfort dissipated. Once I got some degree of free movement back I started doing a series of strengthening and stretching exercises called Foundation Training. Simply put these exercises are outstanding and have allowed me to resume vigorous training with very little limitations. The exercises focus on the posterior muscle chain within the back, glutes and hamstrings. After your pain dissipates, which it will eventually, you might consider trying the exercises before considering surgical options.

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Gary Clendenin (aka, "The Kid" or "G-man")

I had very similar problems about 10 years ago. Mine was so bad that I really could not exercise. I went to a PT that did something like "McKenzie therapy" and it worked very well. I was able to swim within a week and was running within a month. I would be really careful, I think a bulging disk is weakened and at risk to rupture which will be a lot worse.

Definitely go get an MRI and get it tested out.

Pain and discomfort is one thing; but once you get the nerve pain and lack of feeling in your foot then its more of a compressed nerve issue in your spine.

I had the same thing and managed to deal with it for 12 years; but then once the numbness in the foot, limping when walking, etc. was too much I had to go in and have a surgery for the bulging disks. I know of some people who didn't have it and started to lose some strength and sensation in their legs; so don't push it off!

Hopefully you can avoid any surgery. As someone else pointed out the McKenzie Method is popular, its one I did and still do now after the surgery.

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-Tony Zamora
http://www.endorphinhub.com
USA Triathlon Level 2
Certified Coach

As an alternative treatment to sciatica, if indeed this is your situation, you may want to consider acupuncture. In my personal experience it completely relieved my sciatica and back pain associated with a bulged L5 disc. I also tried the traditional PT, cortisone, almost surgery track prior to acupuncture with limited results. Granted, it may be "controversial" and medically unsupported (to a degree), but all I know is that it worked. Good luck, I wouldn't wish that kind of suffering on anyone.