I was wondering. Does anyone have this issue? Or has anyone been fit on a bike to fixc this problem:
I have 2 mildly herniated discs, L4, L5 and L5S(I think). The main problem I have been having is on the bike. My PT is using a method called the McKenzie Therapy to get me fixed up and it appears to be working. What she wants me to look into is an alternate posiotn on the bike that will keep my spine curved inward or at the very least very flat. My normal positon does have a slight outward curve, this puts my disc in the wrong postion, so when i do finally get off the bike my back is all kinked and bent in a sideways and forward bend that will not relax until I lay down for a bit or get corrected by my chiro. Of course I cant really lay down during a race to allow my back to stop its spasm, so i have been forced to give up any long distance sort of training and racing.
So, do any of you have these disc issues? Are there any bike fitters out there that can help me get my pelvis tipped forward more and get my spine curved down towards the road? Any PT’s on this board with exeprience dealing with this? Any ideas out all?
I am willing to give up long course if I have to, i dont want to sacrifice my future health just to do another Ironman, but if there is anyway to allow me to continue I would love some advice.
I try to do McKenzie exercises everyday. They work great for me as long as I do them. Also deep breathing/relaxation/biofeedback can help keep your muscles along the spine from becoming too tense. How long has your back been bad? Sometimes it takes a while for your body to get back to no pain. Maybe even 6 months. Did your PT give you some core exercises also? The only time I have position problems on the bike is when I ride on the trainer but I avoid going aero too much and if I do McKenzie before and after I am usually OK.
I have similar sounding herniated disc problems to you in the L4 & 5 area. The thing is, pretty much everyone is different and will respond differently to different stress and different PT. I don’t train or compete in triathlons at any serious level anymore. I was surpriseed to find that cycling on a road bike in the classic road postion, to be not bad on my back at all. I have worked quite hard on more core strength targeting the Tranverse Abdominus, the Multifidus and Oblique muscles. Pilates when done right( and that’s not easy) REALLY targets these three. It has allowed me to go from being in non-stop pain and in-active to being fairly active. I can’t run much and I doubt my back could handle really long stints in the aero position, but the road riding has been great.
You’re probably going to have to open up your hip angle by raising the front end of the bike (spacers and/or a longer rise stem). I’m not familiar with “McKenzie Therapy”, but hamstring flexibility is going to be important.
You may find that your initial position is going to be very open, and not so aerodynamic. However with increased hamstring flexibility and adaptation to tilting your pelvis forward, you should be able to gradually decrease the hip opening.
I went through a two year struggle with trying to find a bike position to work for me (three herniated disks and some facet issues). In the end I opted for fusion surgery, which has been very succesful in eliminating pain and returning me to the sport.
Good luck. I know how frustrating the process can be.
ken, i had similar problems with L4 and L5 and finally blew them. had a laminectomy/partial diskectomy. what it did for me was make me stop running and riding for 5 months. i did core and stretching. i never in my life could come close to touching my toes till now. anyway, one year and one month after the operation i did IMFL. best IM ever, fastest time in my ag on the bike and a decent 4 hr marathon. best thing that could have happened to me.
i ended up raising the aerobars about 3 cm and i think the seat back 1 or two. and i wasn’t too aero to begin with. go figure.
i don’t know as much as a health care professional but for me i think lowering and tilting the pelvis forward was worse. when i sat slightly more upright i had fewer problems.
it’s a mystery.
my doc told me he’s never had to operate on someone with flexible hamstrings. tight hamstrings are a killer.
I have a herniated L5/S1 disc. I tried everything and I credit the McKenzie Method for getting me back to nearly 100%. Some days are good and some are uncomfortable but for the most part, I’m unaffected by it. The exercises I did started working within 2-3 weeks and from there my recovery was very slow and gradual. I have no issues on the bike at all (regular or TT position). I thought for sure I would and so before/after a ride I do a short set of the McKenzie exercises. I think having the daily regimen (morning/evening) of doing the exercises has helped move that disc back into a better position.
I had only 3 half hour sessions with the PT who taught me the McKenzie Method…better than 9-10 visits to the quackopractor.
You’ll probably want to be a bit higher in the front to find comfort on the bike. Also try lowering your seat slightly to take a bit of pressure off the hamstrings.
Are you riding a road or tri bike? Some of the road bikes like Trek Pilot, Giant OCR, and a Specialized model have taller head tubes but are still sporty bikes. A beam bike might give more comfort as a tri bike.
hey Ken, i am sort of in the same boat. i herniated L5-S1 in August and just got back on the tri frame. i continue to have issues and tightness, now 6 months post injury, and it hurts to stay aero for longer than a few minutes at a time. i have found that LOTS of hamstring stretching, piriformis and quad stretches, the “McKenzie press-ups” are crucial, but i still have to “re-adjust” once i dismount.
i am going to do my first real road ride tomorrow, 2-3 hours, and i hope my back can handle it. i think i jumped the gun signing up for Wildflower. i don’t think my back is ready to handle the stress of those hills.
I had reached a point where I was in constant pain and couldn’t walk for more then a half hour without my hip flexors giving out. Looking at the link that cerveloguy posted, those are excercises that I was doing daily in addition to yoga. For me the problems just got worse. In addition to the herniated disks I had spinal stenosis (or something like that) where some of the nerve impingement was being caused by the vertabrae itself.
Fusion has been a blessing. Nine months post surgery and I’m running and swimming 5 days a week, riding 3-4 days a week. The only time I’ve taken anything for pain in the past 6 months was after a cross country flight followed by 4 hours of driving. I couldn’t drive around the block before the procedure without being in excruciating pain.
Anyway, I know people who have done well treating disk problems with excercise and anti-inflammatory meds. It’s why I held out hope for as long as I did.
Hey, we’re not all quacks!