Help, lower back injury
Don Cooper
I was hoping that some of you might be able to help me with recovery from a lower back injury. I have been
struggling with an injury to a disc in my lumbar area (L3 or L4). The diagnosis has been that the disc has
been injured from excessive bending and pressure. The disc is not ruptured.
This injury (I think) took some time to set in and did not appear over night. I had noticed that after long
hard rides (particularly ones with a lot of hills) my lower back would get pretty sore. But usually it would
be fine in a day or two. Unfortunately I ignored this until one day I rode a little too hard and then
followed it with a weekend sitting in an uncomfortable car. I was so sore afterwards I could hardly climb out
of bed. It has been a problem since.
I can stand and run with very little aggravation. Sitting aggravates the injury in minutes. The most
comfortable position to be in is laying down on my back or stomach.
I have been going through physical therapy for about 2 months now (ultrasound and traction). My treatments
were twice a week for the first month and have gone to once a week now. I avoid sitting whenever possible. I
have not been on my bike since the injury either. I have seen improvement but it is a slow recovery. I was
told by my therapist that an injury like this can take up to 6 months to heal.
Do any of you have some advice on how to speed up the recovery? Also, what might be wrong with the way I am
riding or my bike geometry to help cause this? I know also that my job ( which involves a lot of sitting) did
not help my back either.
Thank you in advance.
Don
Steven Woo
was in October of 94 and I went to PT for a couple of months and it
got worse. I can ride but it's kindof a day to day thing. Saw sports
medicine guy and he essentially told me I had to live with it - it was
not bad enough to warrant surgery. Some people have had surgery and
say they feel much better but I've heard lots of bad things about
corrective surgery for the back.
I still race and have to stand to minimize the pain sometimes.
Everyone's different, though, Maurizio Fondriest, the pro road racer,
had a herniated disk and was back racing in six months.
Steve Woo
sw...@vtel.com
Derek G Bell
: Greetings Everyone,
: I was hoping that some of you might be able to help me with recovery from a lower back injury. I have been
: struggling with an injury to a disc in my lumbar area (L3 or L4). The diagnosis has been that the disc has
: been injured from excessive bending and pressure. The disc is not ruptured.
Have you gone to a chiropractor. I used to get lower back pain all the time, the MD told me
it was back spasms and would go away eventually. It was not until I went to a chiropractor,
that the pain stopped recurring. Man what a relief. If you are going through the same pain
that I had, my sympathies. I would be bed ridden for dayz in constant pain. Hope this
helps
--
############################################################################
Derek Bell db...@uoguelph.ca
University of Guelph Phone: 519-836-0746
Guelph, Ontario
############################################################################
David LaPorte (Biochem)
I'm not a medical expert, but I've had my share of low back pain and I've
learned a few things. When in doubt, go see a medical professional.
Low back pain is one of the most common problems afflicting humans. It's
been estimated that about 80% of these problems arise because of poor
posture. These posture problems occur when we stand but are even more
significant when we sit or ride a bike. We tend to round up our low
backs, stressing the ligaments and tendons which lie along the spine. It is
the irritation and inflammation of these ligaments and tendons which leads
to most low back problems.
It is important to remember that back pain results from the sum total of
ALL the stresses your back experiences. Even if you only experience pain
when you're riding, poor riding posture may not be your only problem.
For example, you may be sitting poorly at a desk all day or lifting boxes
poorly.
**Low Back Pain and Posture**
Since posture is the problem, it is also the solution. Those of us who
suffer from low back pain need to be constantly vigilant. We need to
maintain some arch in our backs as much as possible.
Sitting is a particular problem. Most chairs, coaches, car seats, etc
provide little low back support. You can buy low-back support pads at some
drug stores. Try them before you buy them because they are not all
comfortable. Alternatively, you can fold a towel and put it behind your
low back. The key is to maintain some arch without being uncomfortable.
Position on the bike is also important. Get your bike fit checked at a
shop that you trust. You should also work on maintaining a flat back
when riding. One way to achieve this is to push your belly button toward
the top tube.
***Stretching***
Stretching is an important way to achieve flexibility and improve your
posture. A very useful stretch is to place you hands on you butt and
push your hips forward while standing:
o
<\
/
you should feel this in the front of your hips. Tight hip flexors
prevent an upright posture. After a few seconds, arch your back and
slide your hands down the back of your thighs:
o
|)
/
This movement puts the arch in you low back. You can do this stretch
many times a day. It is particularly useful to do it periodically when
you have to sit or ride for an extended period of time.
A more potent stretch that can be done a couple of times a day starts
with you lying on your front. Using your arms, push your shoulders off
the floor. Don't lift with your back. Keep your low back as relaxed as
possible. Let your hips hang down, staying as close to the floor as
possible.
o
__/|
This is a powerful stretch and should be started gradually. Otherwise,
it can do more harm than good. However, done properly, it can be
enormously helpful. Over a period of weeks, you should gradually
increase the height you achieve and the time you hold the position. It
is also less stressful to do this stretch for short periods with a little
rest than for a long period (for example, 3 X 10 sec with 5 sec rest
rather than for 30 sec straight).
Once your back starts to heal, you will probably need to stretch it
deliberately. This is apparently because of the scar tissue that built
up during healing. Keep it gentle, especially at first. You could
easily reinjure your back. Here's a good one: lie on your back with your
legs straight. Pull your knees up, grasp your thighs by your hamstrings
and gently pull your knees to your chest.
Stretching the ham strings can also help relieve low back pain. Tight
ham strings tend to pull the pelvis out of line. This can stress your
low back. The problem with most ham string stretches is that they also
tend to stretch the low back by forcing it to round up. The most
appropriate stretch I know requires the use of a doorway. Lie in the
doorway with your butt near the wall. Gently slide your foot up the
wall until you feel the stretch.
doorway
|
|-
||
||
|___|____O
/
Two ways to make the stretch more gentle are (1) bend the lower leg,
keeping only your foot on the floor or (2) move your butt further away
from the wall. To make the stretch more intense, loop a cord or towel
over your raised foot and gently pull it away from the wall. As with all
stretches, this shouldn't hurt.
***Exercises***
Another key to preventing low back pain is to keep your abdominal muscles
strong. These muscles help support the back. Do abdominal crunchers,
not sit ups. Sit ups emphasize the hip flexors, not the abs, and can be
hard on the back. Crunchers are done by lying on your back with your
knees bent. Press your low back into the floor and curl your head and
shoulders off the floor. Hold for a couple of seconds, then lower back
to the floor. Repeat until you can't get your shoulder blades off the
floor. Abs can be worked every day.
Strengthening the low back muscles can also be helpful. To start, lie on
your front with your arms and legs extended in a straight line with your
body. Raise your right arm and left leg. Put them down and raise your
left arm and right leg. Put them down and continue. As your back
strength improves, try raising both arms and legs at the same time, arching
your back in a "reverse stomach crunch". There are, of course, more
powerful back exercises, but they are also more stressful and shouldn't
be considered until your back is 110%.
***Medication***
Antiinflamitory medication can be helpful. Ibuprofen, naproxin and
aspirin are all available without a prescription. Acetominophen (eg.
Tylanol) is NOT an antiinflamatory. These drugs are most effective if
they are taken early since inflamation is hard to get rid of once it's
become established.
A danger in antiinflamatory drugs is that they are also pain killers.
Pain is your body's way of telling you that your doing damage. If you
block the pain signals, you can easily aggravate your injury without
knowing it.
Muscle relaxants are sometime prescribed for back problems. These should
only be obtained from a physician.
***Ice, Heat and Massage***
Ice is a great way to reduce pain and inflamation. A good way to apply
ice is to freeze water in a paper cup. Peel the cup back to expose the
ice and then use the cup as a handle while gently rubbing the ice over
the effected area. Ice is particularly good for the first couple of
days. Some people find that it's useful to continue ice treatments
beyond that. Others find that the ice treatments make their backs tight
if they continue beyond a couple of days.
Heat, especially moist heat, can be useful. However, it should not be
used for a couple of days after injuring your back or after aggravating a
current injury. Regardless of the timing, if you feel worse during or
shortly after heat treatment, stop doing it.
In the later stages of a back problem, I find that my low back muscles
get tight. Gentle massage seems to help them relax, promoting the
healing process. I suspect that massage could make things worse in some
cases, such as when the injury is fresh.
***Book***
An excellent book on this subject is "Treat Your Own Back" by Robin
McKenzie, Spinal Publications Ltd., P.O. Box 93, Waikanae, New Zealand
ISBN 0-9597746-6-1. They use this book at the Low Back Center of the
University of Minnesota Hospital.
Good luck.
Dave LaPorte
U. of Minn.
dav...@microbe.med.umn.edu
Smbkrn
degenirative (sp?). I have tried everything except surgery. My problem is
so bad that I have turned down job offers if I have to be on my feet for
too long! After spending thousands of dollars on chiropractors, md's and
pt's the best advice i can give you is that when you have an attack see a
pt or massage therapist to get the muscles relaxed and calmed down. do not
do anything like riding in the aero position until your back is calmed
down and there is NO accute pain. to keep further attacks from coming back
i stretch very, very thouroughly EVERY day and do crunch sit ups EVERY
day. Also, once you get your back stong enough to ride stay on top of your
riding during the winter, i.e., don't go for weeks without riding, even if
it's only for 1/2 hour 2x a week on wind trainer. then as season starts
build up to your long rides. So far I have escaped back surgery and have
kept the attacks to a minimum. Good luck, i've had problems for almost 15
years now and i'm only 33. i know what the pain is like. Andy W.
yourlo...@augsburg.edu
> Greetings Everyone,
>
> I was hoping that some of you might be able to help me with recovery
from a lower back injury. I have been
> struggling with an injury to a disc in my lumbar area (L3 or L4). The
diagnosis has been that the disc has
> been injured from excessive bending and pressure. The disc is not ruptured.
>
##### Don, I empathize with you as I have a herniated disc (L 5). I have
been racing with it competitively for the last three years. Therapists
are like bubble gum, they all go in your mouth, but have a different
taste. If you're seriouse about racing, go to a sports specific
therapist. The therapists you may be dealing with are used to 50 year old
fat people who have lost the will to take care of their bodies. Recovery,
different with each person. Mine is life-long. Exercises that WILL HELP,
FOR REAL!! are 1.prone laying position. Lay on the floor and prop
yourself up on your elbows. 2. strengthening the back muscles by doing
leg lifts, while on your stomach, on a raised bench. 3. stretching out
your hamstrings. $. Take a break during long rides to give your poor
back a break. The cycling position is inherently bad for you back.
GOOD LUCK, RIDE TO LIVE SHAWN!@$#!@#%!^@
Greg ABBISS
don...@cv.hp.com (Don Cooper) wrote:
>Greetings Everyone,
>
>I was hoping that some of you might be able to help me with recovery from
>a lower back injury.
Just echoing some advise given to me about 14yrs ago when I cracked a
vertibrae and crushed a disc in my lower back.
I was told that the back bone as such will not support any weight at all,
that it merely acts as a form for the muscles of the back and abdomen to
cramp down onto thus forming a support column for the weight. This is
backed up by the fact that a wieght belt works by increasing this
intra-abdomenal pressure. When you have a belt on and lift something the
muscles have a wall to press against in stead of simple expanding outwards
as they cramp so forming a stronger column.
Using this info I have found if I keep my back and stomach muscle strong
(using your normal weight excersizes) I don't have any problems with my
back. When I get lazy and let them go for a while I start getting
problems.
So strengthen and support ( a simple belt) helps out. I used to have to
use a belt but have not worn one for years now as I believe keeping the
muscles strong is enough.
Hope you get it sorted. There is nothing like the dibilitating back injury
to attack your confidence.
GREG.J.ABBISS :: Waitakere, Auckland, New Zealand
INTERNET: abb...@iconz.co.nz
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Eric Roseme
: Don
Don,
These guys have given you lot's of good advice. I'm 38, injured my back
at 19, got diagnosed as a herniated l4-l5 at 35.
Don't ever give up, dude. I ski 30 days a year, swim-bike-run, and still
race motocross occaisionally. You've gotten lots of advice, so you will
go into information overload, but I'll add a couple of items anyway.
1. Get an ergonomic chair at work (if possible).
2. Stretch your hamstrings as much as possible, BUT DON"T BEND OVER.
I lie on my back, place a long (4 ft) strap over the instep of my
foot, and pull my leg towards my head. Good stretch, no back flexion.
3. I do 4X100 crunches EVERY morning.
4. 2X30 back extensions every morning (on stomach, leave pelvis on ground,
push up with arms to extend lower back).
5. Ride a Softride. The results have been amazing for me - no roadshock
up the lower back.
6. I've got an excellent MD, an excellent DC, and a good accupunturist (?).
The DC can do nothing for me as far as treatment, but is very good at
diagnosis. Accupuncture worked very well for reducing inflammation
and chronic stiffness/soreness.
This is all empirical (sp?), and it works for me. Take it with a grain
of salt. Good luck.
* * *
* * * Eric Roseme
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