Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
... may I ask which level(s) your back issue is at?

My PT has suggested that if I ever get back on a bike at all, I'll need to ditch the road bike. I've got issues at multiple levels, but the one that really gets nailed on the road bike is L3-4. I'm still skeptical that anything shy of a unicycle would let me ride in perfectly neutral spine regardless of terrain ... but I'd like to hear your experience.
My back is all out of whack. 50% of my T9 vertebrae is gone and then mild compression at T7, T8, T10, T11 and T12. Severe joint deformity in T9-T11. Disc deformity and compression all through my Thoracic as well. Everything that is going on in my Thoracic spine though has an effect on the rest of my spine. My lower back continues to try to compensate for the Thoracic and then the muscles and ligaments are constantly fighting to keep or try to pull my back back into it's natural alignment which it will never be in given the Kyphosis with half of T9 being gone. I have chronic pain every day but 75% of it was relieved with nerve ablation. Now it's just the residual pain from other nerves, joints, ligaments and muscles that are still lingering but not as severe.

The one thing my doctor said to me was to continue cycling if I can deal with the pain that I might have. He said sitting around doing nothing will only make the pain worse and affect my overall health and mental well being. I am only 33 and he knows I am a very active individual so he looks at the overall picture. I won't be doing any more damage cycling unless I crash and have a harsh force on my spine. The pain now is just nerves, muscles and ligaments getting aggrevated from the activity. So if I can deal with that aggrevation/pain then no need to stop cycling. I have noticed that my back has strengthed up and the pain takes longer to set in. I try to stretch before, during and after riding. So do I ride pain free? No. My pain is less/takes longer to set in on the CX bike because I sit more upright. On my Felt I can only last 15 minutes before back pain sets in.

So sorry you having to deal with back pain as well. I hope it gets better for you. I think I am just to the point that it's such an every day thing that it's just now a part of life.