SI Joint Pain...Frustrated.

[KnottedYet]

Not a long time!

A couple weeks, a few weeks!

Get the back fixed (remember, I said there was no way the disc would be stable yet?). Once Sally is certain your disc is fixed, and if you try the bike again and it hurts, then you will know you need to address bike fit and positioning issues.

Clearly something is pretty off with your bike fit or bike posture right now, because the bike is what really hurts the most. However, you can't address that until the disc is healed, because right now it's just confusing the issue.

When you can sit at work without pain, try the bike again.

It hasn't even been a week yet.

Keep chasing that disc back into place.

(if you had gashed your hand open with a kitchen cleaver, would you expect it to be healed up and functioning perfectly after 5 days?)

[Kathi]

Patience is the key and raising your handlebars, although the common solution was not the answer for me.

I had a locked SI joint and went through 4 mos of pt etc. but still in major pain (for me) after PT ended. 3 visits to a wonderful pt settled everything down. Before I met this PT I thought I was doomed to a lifetime of pain, today, less than a year later I'm back to full activity, right now, for me it's downhill and xc skiing, snowshoeing and hiking.

My wonderful bike fitter found my saddle was too wide for me and pushing me forward so he put me on a different saddle. He also changed the pedals on my mtn bike so my knees wouldn't cave in. If you haven't had a professional bike fit please do so, it can make a huge difference in how you feel. A good bike fitter can help you, working along with your PT to work out issues dealing with your pain.

[daisylubob]

Not a long time!

It hasn't even been a week yet.

Keep chasing that disc back into place.

(if you had gashed your hand open with a kitchen cleaver, would you expect it to be healed up and functioning perfectly after 5 days?)

Yeah, yeah. I am very impatient when it comes to healing. But, I will persevere and get this figured out!! Maybe I will end up mtb racing on one of these.....
http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/...le/4207/36648/

Thanks for all of your advice, and support!!!

[Chile Pepper]

Wow. I have learned so much from reading this thread. Knot, you are amazing. Thanks for all your input!

[daisylubob]

I saw Sally this morning, she is 99.9% sure that it is a bulging disc at L4-5 or L5-S1 due to the symptoms that I get. And when I do the cobra movement, it improves. Next appt is 4/5, I am to stay off the bike til then, and continue the stretches. She said an MRI would not be a bad idea, just to confirm or rule out disc issues.
As for bike fit, I have had 2 done by the Specialized BG fit system. At this point, it may be helpful to be more upright on my bikes. And I have put mtb racing out of my mind til I am 'fixed'.

[KnottedYet]

As for bike fit, I have had 2 done by the Specialized BG fit system.

Ah-ha.
After your disc is healed up, lets have a little discussion about bike fit philosophies.

[lisathew8lifter]

you will definitely not like the answer that i'm going to give you but the ONLY way to ever fix this is to take the time to heal and to strengthen your core.

on august 21 i went to a sports med doctor in the twin cities that also treats olympic athletes. i was desperate and in massive pain. i mountain bike, i run, i lift weights and i did classes at the fitness center. i couldn't lay down, i couldn't sit, it hurt to do everything. EVERYTHING. i got a new bike, i went back several times to adjust it. i took 4 motrin before every ride...nothing cut it.

when i went to see amy, she could tell immediately what needed to be done just by looking at me stand, sit and walk. i was skeptical...really...you're going to help me after seeing me two minutes? she said women are prone to pelvic instability and she knew it was SI joint. i had never heard of an SI joint much less thought mine hurt. we started with xrays and went from there.

the xrays didn't tell the full story so we went for an mri. stress fracture in right tibia (running) and disc degeneration. the mri was the worst since i had to lay for 1.5 hours...that is soo not right.

she said the degeneration could be causing pain or maybe not, but i proceeded to have two shots of cortisone in each SI joint. i have never been so happy as the relief i immediately felt after each shot. again, i was desperate..not going to live on advil, not going to quit exercising. when the doctor told me i needed to quit, i cried. it was august...summer still...bike season, i had vacation plans and they involved biking. BUT...i wanted to heal and i knew that i needed to treat the condition or i'd be talking about this forever.

soo...my point is that it takes time. this is NOT a quick fix. not even close. if you want to enjoy yourself and become better at the sport, whatever your goal may be, you need to resign yourself to the fact that you need about 6 months of very low impact (or no impact) activity WHILE you do PT. i am lucky, i had the means and the time to do PT but it was a long road. i was fortunate to get in the hands of the best PT in this area...specializing in this type of injury. it was a long time coming, many years of abuse and over use and using the wrong muscles. i had no core strength, was breathing through my back, using my back for everything i did. i started with limited ranges of motion and no strength and now i have stregnth. this is going to be a life time of PT (on my own now) and continuing to build on what i already do an know.

yes august 21 until february 27...that is SIX months. i walked outside and on the treadmill and did my PT. six months. no biking, no running, nothing. if i lived to tell about it, so can you. i am running, haven't yet started biking (mn - still colder here - but soon) and i am so excited to start because i know that i'm going to be pain free when i do.

bottom line, you know what to do, now do it. if i can, anyone can!

[daisylubob]

UPDATE:
Xrays show disc degeneration and bony changes (arthritic type) in the lumbar spine. MRI is next, and I have an appt w/ a neuro DR who is a cyclist on 5/17. I am not liking the sound of this....scared.