recovering from a herinated disc

[JLD]

Yep......did a series of herniated discs--then went for surgery..........before all that I was riding--just casual stuff--sometimes it hurt and sometimes it didn't. It was After surgery-for 12 weeks--that I was not allowed to ride-not because I would be bent forward over the bike--but because it was crucial to Not swing the hips up and down-that side to side rocking motion you get if the seat is too high...............Anyway--I switched to a hybrid after all that, and my handlebars are straight across--and I am pretty upright in the saddle--with good seat placement--and I don't get pain. I would trigger some old sciatica--in the process of finding just the right seat to fit my sit bones. I am doing fine since that has been solved...............I would not have had surgery if I had been okay with physio-but-unfotunately for me--conservative treatment didn't fix it............Don't get discouraged--back pain doesn't last forever! Most folks Do resolve on their own.

[lifehappened200]

thank you for your responses and the hope that this will not be forever. Some days it feels that way. I will definitly look into the hybrid bike.

[mcoleman]

My husband had a herniated disc last summer (L3) from putting MY bike in the back of the truck. He continued to ride some, along with therapy and a few spinal injections, until it ruptured in October. He was literally dragging his left leg. He had surgery November 3 and was swimming, with no flip turns, by the beginning of December. Of course this called for a new bike, since he mostly rode a QRoo tri bike. He was back riding his new road bike by February and just finished his first Ironman in June. He did play around with handlebar adjustments, so he was a little more upright. We have just installed aero bars and he is working on getting back into a more traditional position. He just saw his orthopedist yesterday and gave him a picture crossing the finish line at Couer d'Alene!
We were blessed with great doctors and an awsome PT who does triathlons and is a nationally ranked masters swimmer. It really helps to have athletes treating athletes. There is hope for cycling after back problems!