Have you looked into traction at all? Most physical therapy offices will have them.

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Mason

yes, though if you're having to roll it out that much i would suggest there is something else causing it to flare.

Mine is irritated from running, not cycling. I'm seemingly doing all the right things and am not able to run through it. Frustrated.

Wish I knew my root cause. But, have stopped 99% of my running since seems logical to not be helping.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

I just found an inversion table to borrow from a friend. Will see if it does anything.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

just had surgery today. will keep you posted with recovery. 0 nerve pain ATM

What was your surgery again? And what had you tried before? How long had you had? What is the rehab process?

Good luck.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

i had l5s1 microdiscetomy.
this is a repeat procedure of a larger discetomy i had Feb 2011.

Prior to 2011 surgery i had tried everything, under the sun for 2 years. ART, prolo, needing, tons of PT and massage work. I spent close to $10,000 chasing symptoms. I finally went for a MRI and confirmed disc bulge, once we knew root cause it became clear how we needed to actually address it. Issue wasn't in my legs but actually in my back. Unfortunately before we could develop a proper plan the disc fully ruptured in my sleep one night in Feb 2011 leaving me with partial paralysis as the disc fully impinged my spinal cord basically filling in the spinal cavity and crushing the whole cord. Woke up to no feeling in left leg at all and only partial feeling in right leg.

The original surgery was extremely successful and i have been pain free for 4.5 years since. Able to bike, backcountry hike, snowboard, and road/crit race without pain.

Oct 2015 i all of a sudden after a gym session i started feeling familiar nerve pain. Instead of messing around I went right back to surgeon and had MRI. They confirmed a re-bulge of same disc and impingement of nerves causing sciatic pain. Told to give it 6-8 weeks to see if it would settle down, over which time i was to build core strength and do Mackenzie stretches to help the disc possibly reabsorb.

I made slow progress and the pain did subside between Oct and Jan 2016, but an outdoor ride in Feb 2016 left me with severe nerve pain, and numbness in foot. At that point I could no longer walk properly and it was clear surgery was going to be required.

i had surgery yesterday morning at 630am, took around 4.5 hours and i was discharged last night to come home to lots of bed rest.

Recovery is going to be a slow process. I'm spending the next couple of weeks largely in bed resting and just allowing my body to recover from some pretty serious surgery. I'm pretty weak at the moment and extremely tired. It takes me 5 minutes to go up a single flight of stairs in my house, and I can only walk 20' from bed to bathroom before I am tired and need to stop and rest. Nerve pain is gone but lots of pain around point of incision.
As I rest and body builds strength I basically just need to start getting up and walking. 5min at first, and building to 20-30min over time. Movement helps build strength and activate nerves and muscles, but also allows lymph nodes to do their thing and flush waste from body.

I hope within 4-5 weeks I can start sitting on the trainer with bars up as high as they go and just spin 75w gently to continue to build strength. Keep walking, do PT to rebuild core strength which is currently non-existent. Will also be focused on strengthen muscles in lower back. Hopeful i can be back to a somewhat "normal" lifestyle within 12-16 weeks and maybe be able to road race again in august. Going slow and listening to body is #1 though. Pushing too hard and too quick will just set me back. So right now its all about keeping neutral spine, eating healthy food, and allowing my body to rest as much as possible.

Resurrecting this thread as I believe I'm dealing with a sciatic nerve issue as well. The pain started maybe 10 days ago which I feel stems from a poor mattress where I work (northern Iraq) which is provided for me. I'm back home now but I cannot get any relief. For me, sitting is the best posture. I cannot lay down for long stretches of time. My sleep is definitely being affected. I take aleve just before bedtime which allows me to sleep for 3-4 hours. Then, the shooting pain returns and nothing relieves it. I've done ice, heat, ball rolling and went for a massage the other day to see if he could find the tightness and eliminate it. Unfortunately, that didn't work. I can still swim pain free. Haven't dared to run or bike though. Has anyone been able to eliminate this using acupuncture?

I see my back doctor today and will see what he says about my MRI. I still cannot sit in a car

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

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Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Since it's bumped back up, an update for those of you contemplating the surgery route;

I was up and walking (very slowly) the day after surgery. managed about 100 yards outside with my cane and s/o supporting me. Took about 15min to do. all nerve pain free.

by day 3 following surgery i was able to walk around the block with my cane, and by day 5 i was walking 3km with cane in 45min.
Back felt fabulous. Only problem was walking with a cane changed my stride/gait and i ended up straining the hallux longs tendon in my foot which connect from calf to big toe. Meant severe pain, worse than post surgery, and no weight on it.

That has now calmed down and I can get foot into most shoes again.
Ten days post surgery I was able to ride the bike on trainer with stem all the way up and bars flipped over so drops are like bullhorns. I built up to 30min, and then when that was pain free spent the next 3 days doing two a days of 30min each on the trainer.

Last Friday I gave an hour on the trainer a shot, it worked well. Saturday I tried a normal workout at pre-surgery FTP (x3 10min blocks at 290w w/ 4min rest between). Went well, I could tell I've lost a bit of fitness as I used to be able to bang that out no problem. But I'm maybe 5% down on power.

I'm slowly building up trainer time. I'm also in the gym doing a LOT of core work, zero weight. Lots of plank, bridge, muscle ups, chin ups, and work on the parallettes (gymnast bars) to build core strength.

Will take me a bit before i dare risk riding outside, but at least with the trainer rides i have stemmed the fitness loss and can start to do some build workouts soon.

I leave in a few minutes to see my Back doc. My issues is the l5s1 fragment from the disc and some bulging. Will see if the doc recommends the same surgery
that you just had to me. I have been doing exercises, using an inversion table twice a day. I can run pain free. Swim pain free. And bike as long
as I do not lean over in the aero bars. Been 4 months now. Not sure a steroid shot will help but will see what he recommends. Rest did not improve anything.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Rest will never cure back pain or leg pain. Activity that doesn't worsen your symptoms is your best bet. The research is clear on those things. Also, traction is unproved, ball rolling, lower extremity musculature stretching, core work... none of that is proven to reduce sciatica symptoms. With really fired up leg symptoms, walking, standing, sitting, lying and almost anything for a long time will irritate your pain. Find a mckenzie credentialed physical therapist in your area and reduce your derangement. Surgery should be a last option.

Doc is going to schedule me for the back shot again. Worked wonders in the past. And yep, he agreed, surgery is the last resort, and since I have no strength loss,
keeping my fingers crossed I can get it under control with just the shot.

He saw nothing negative with the inversion table, if I had no issues with it. I agree nothing proven, but if I can stretch a little and get the darn discs
to go back where they belong. :)

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

having been through it i'll agree that surgery is a "last resort". But it comes down to quality of life as well.
If you've got dropped foot, you can't sleep properly, you can't pick things up, and you can't go about your regular day to day life, you're going to want to look at all options including last resorts.

I waited with mine to see if i would get improvement and I didn't. There are risks with surgery but they are relatively minimal. For me it was a quality of life decision and I feel positive I made the right one, especially as I see where I am already on the road to recovery. Wondering why I didn't do this back in December.

h2ofun,
I was told by 3 doctors I had sciatica too. for 2 freaking years! Here's a bit of my story and the take away is that the sciatic nerve is just that...a nerve. Any sort of nerve issues with any of the nerves that come remotely close to the sciatic nerve can cause it to go crazy. Nerves feed off each other and can be absolutely horrific and alter your entire life. I'm 100% healed now as of about 2 months ago, but it wasn't without the swapping of 4 different saddles and a load of therapy.

My story...
http://www.c4endurance.com/MySciatica.html


Texan

If I had any of those issues, I would already have surgery scheduled.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Wow, amazing.

I may be lucky with the doc I have. He agree that PT would do doing? In your write up, I do not see anything about an MRI? Seems one needs this first since sciatica can be caused by so many things. In my case I have run pain free. It is just sitting in a car which kills me. But the MRI clearly shows my bulging disc hitting the nerve. So as we did 5 years ago, am going to get the back shot which after 2, calmed my back down and I was fine until now. Did you ever have the back steroid shots?

Interesting comments about a bike seat. Have been thinking about trying something different. I tried on at IMLT in 2013 from a friend. It was amazing since there was zero pressure between ones legs in the groin. Just have been lazy to spend the like 200 bucks, but maybe I should rethink since I spend so much time on my trainer.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Yes, all the doctors said an MRI would be a waste since it wasn't back/disc related but was just sciatic nerve issues. I spend probably 80% or more of my time on an indoor trainer the last 4 years after getting a good trainer. I'm riding Fizik arionne tri saddle now without any pain whatsoever. The specialized still caused me pain all through 2015, just not near what it was in 2014 on the ISM and Cobb saddles. I have never had shots in the back, but if you have a bulging disc, there are probably only a few options for you. I wish you the best of luck!!!

Interesting they "knew" what was wrong with you without an MRI, and then they were wrong. Yep, a lot of poor Doctors out there.

Cannot try to cure something without knowing what the real cause is.

Yep, bulging discs from age, injury, being tall, bad luck, etc. Keeping my fingers crossed with the shot. Now is this an illegal drug. :)

Interesting, that is the saddle I have on my Tri bike. I still feel it in the groin.

I wrote the person that had a saddle I tried a few years ago that was amazing, no pressure in the groin area. If they are selling, and I give it another try,
will let you know what I think.

This is why when someone say's do this or that for sciatic pain, without data like an MRI, they have no idea the cause, and no idea the correct possible
things to try and help cure.

Glad you are feeling better. I have seen a reduction in my power on the bike. I cannot bend over into the aero bars. Going to try and "race" on Sunday at Napa.
I will happy to just finish and not be walking the run.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Man do I hear you...not being able to even lean over without severe pain is just horrific. I couldn't hardly get out of bed in the mornings b/c even laying down, my back would hurt. I couldn't sit more than 10-15 minutes before it felt like I was sitting on a knife all the way from my glute to my toes.

I would love to find a saddle like the specialized one I had, but doesn't pinch this nerve. I had no pain while in aero on the soft tissue, but all sorts of nerve pain. Now I have no nerve pain, but all the soft tissue takes the bulk of the pressure and that's just not really fun.

Ride hard or go home I guess. Good luck in Napa! I'll be racing Galveston this weekend, but will be in Napa for Vineman 70.3 in July.

I always hoped that I would "race", even though I knew I would get my butt kicked. Just no fun when it finally hits.

I had heard about sciatica, but never knew how much it hurts, and limits what one can do.

Will let you know what I find out about the saddle.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

As I, a 54 yr old, battle a similar nerve issue I've been through the check list with my orthopedic surgeon. X-rays say great spacing at my meniscus, the bones of a 35 tr old and no spinal worries. The MRI showed no inflamed areas or impingement that would cause sciatic pain. This is great news, but why does my whole leg hurt so much? Mysteries that I will share with the chiropractor this week.

sciatica is not a ailment i would wish on even my worst enemy. it impacts every aspect of your life, not just being active. it grinds away at you day and night and makes you incredibly irritable as a result.

Wow, would love to hear what you find going forward. At least I know what is causing my issue.

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Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep