Bike Setup for Lumbar Disc Herniation

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Bike Setup for Lumbar Disc Herniation
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flag supercollider
O+
Posted: Sep 2, 2016 at 12:03 Quote
I wanted to make this thread more specific than general back pain.

I have facet joint degeneration on L2-L4 and Slight herniation (no leg numbness etc) in L4-L5,
and I like to ride all mountain/occasional park. Anyone have bike setup tips that help them? I'm on a canyon strive race medium (445 -ish reach, short stem, Tall stack)
I was thinking of tilting my seat down to keep my back straighter when pedaling (the disc bulges out the back)

The degeneration gets agitated when riding aggressively out of the saddle (descending, drops, rock gardens) any setup advice would be awesome there too.

As for off- the bike rehab, I just had Spinal injections to block the nerves in the Facets and Cortisone for the disc and PT as well. I also am and have been a serial foam roller/planker.

Thanks
-Jeff
flag brettjohnson80
Posted: Nov 3, 2016 at 14:08 Quote
hey jeff

have no fear. back pain sucks but it can many things beyond herniations and djd. just about everybody has that but yet not everybody has pain. or how come people get better when cant fix djd?

i have had back surgery and still have a few herniations and other ugly looking things on my mri and i still ride hard, crash hard and feeling good.

i would caution against moving the seat. the fwd tilt will increase lumbar lordosis past neutral and create more force on your facet joints. most people have a misconception of posture and dont know where neutral actually is.

where do you live, i may be able to point you in the right direction if the current treatments are not helping.
flag supercollider
O+
Posted: Nov 3, 2016 at 14:40 Quote
brettjohnson80 wrote:
hey jeff

have no fear. back pain sucks but it can many things beyond herniations and djd. just about everybody has that but yet not everybody has pain. or how come people get better when cant fix djd?

i have had back surgery and still have a few herniations and other ugly looking things on my mri and i still ride hard, crash hard and feeling good.

i would caution against moving the seat. the fwd tilt will increase lumbar lordosis past neutral and create more force on your facet joints. most people have a misconception of posture and dont know where neutral actually is.

where do you live, i may be able to point you in the right direction if the current treatments are not helping.

Thanks for the reply! I'm in Venice near los angeles. so you'd lean towards level tilt?
flag brettjohnson80
Posted: Nov 3, 2016 at 16:17 Quote
i would keep it level. lots of other ways to adjust the bike for comfort but i wouldnt be putting my spine in a position where it can not move 3 dimensionally and a fwd tilt will bias your spine into extension and make it harder to move in the other directions.

i would check this guy out. PRI is a new thought process in physical therapy that incorporates whole movement patterns, neurological influences, and sensory processing. its what my back better after surgery when the old school stuff wasnt working. its different but heavily science based. nothing wacky.

Mathew Varca PT, PRC
Positive Energy Physical Therapy and Motion Analysis
1912 S. Pacific Coast Highway, Redondo Beach, CA
varcaPRC@gmail.com
973.476.3650
flag supercollider
O+
Posted: Nov 3, 2016 at 16:55 Quote
Thanks I'll check it out. Also I've noticed a lot of the issue comes from Attack position while descending aggressively. I think that is definitely PT base solution and there isn't as much I can do with regards to bike position
flag mbrouse
Posted: Nov 6, 2016 at 18:34 Quote
I would get a fat bike with suspension, get summer tires for it and ride it summer and winter. You will not feel any pain cause of the cushion it gives you. That's what I do, I won't ride anything else now.
flag DucatiDavid
Posted: Mar 2, 2017 at 16:25 Quote
OP,
Plus one for the level saddle. I have herniated disc at L4-L5-S1 and I still ride and jump. I would say what has worked best for me was lose some weight and keep it off and I can't say it enough, core strength, core strength, and core strength. I had the whole numb big toe, foot drop, and the pain down the leg. Positive thinking was one of the biggest things that I could have done to help my recovery but you also have to remember to do all the PT exercises as well. I'm a whole lot better now and I still have to be careful. I even do crossfit but have to watch the weight and be precise with doing the right techniques when lifting. My advice as this works for me and may not work for everyone would be to have a positive mind set, eat well, exercise regularly including yoga/stretching, and be open to try new things/ideas to keep you injury and symptom free. If you ever want to chat about it feel free to hit me up.
flag traintoride
Posted: Mar 14, 2017 at 19:57 Quote
If you want that issue to go away, See my colleague, Dr Jason Amstutz at dramstutz@linkmedicalcenter.com, http://linkmedicalcenter.com/about/

Get this taken care of asap or you will likely end up with much more of a major issue than you complain of now. Tell him I sent you, Dee Tidwell in Denver, CO.
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