My doctor....mumble grumble mumble

[Catrin]

My doctor isn't happy with the progress of my neck since my whiplash injury last year. He mountain bikes himself and flat out told me that I need to seriously consider stopping. Not stopping riding, or my gym work, but stopping mountain biking. Given my ride/crash/injury ratio over the last two seasons it becomes hard to argue with him. He is especially concerned with my cervical spine arthritis combined with the bulging disk plus the whiplash that hasn't healed completely yet. I can't handle any more neck injuries on the bike...

This is heart breaking to even consider - when it is working it is so much fun! I need to balance out prudence and fun... I won't make any immediate decision either way, but he has my attention and he hasn't ever gone here before. I love my Jamis, the thought of never riding her again is very hard to contemplate.

[ny biker]

If the issue is crash probability, you could still ride the bike, just not on singletrack.

[OakLeaf]

I'm sorry to hear that. I'd take his advice seriously, but also look for another opinion. Winter's coming - good time for a break, see if you can get it to heal better, maybe try a different approach (I think you mentioned you've exhausted insurance benefits for this year, the New Year is only a couple of months away which it could take that long to get an appointment anyway). Hang in there (((((Catrin)))))

[emily_in_nc]

If the issue is crash probability, you could still ride the bike, just not on singletrack.

What she said. The first year I started mountain biking, I rode single-track and fell a lot. I was always banging myself up -- whiplash, messed up shoulder, etc. etc. It just never seemed to end, and some of these injuries took months or more to heal. It was fun at times but terrifying at other times, and to get my skills to the point where I wouldn't fall as much would involve more practice and even more falls. Since I'd already recovered from a serious pelvic fracture on my road bike a couple of years earlier, I just didn't want to keep injuring myself.

So I switched to riding fire roads, gravel roads, and easier double-track trails. Some still had some serious hills and gorgeous woodland scenery, but were just not technical. Never fell again over the last two years I rode my MTB in the US. Might be an option for you and means you don't have to give up your beloved Jamis!

Keep us posted...

[Catrin]

My Jamis is a size small for me - this was deliberate to take care of some fit issues, it would take some expense to make it comfortable for road use and that might not be easily done. Feels great on the trails, terrible on the road...

Oakleaf - I am thinking that perhaps it might be a good idea to find a good chiro in January. My insurance won't cover that, but I think my flexible spending benefits would - but I have to wait for next year for that. For now I think I am off the mountain bike, and there is some relief to that thought (along with sadness) so I take that as a sign that I am doing the right thing.

In the end, if this does become a permanent solution, it would cost far less to turn my Dakar XC into a commuter than it would be to buy another bike.

[Catrin]

So I switched to riding fire roads, gravel roads, and easier double-track trails. Some still had some serious hills and gorgeous woodland scenery, but were just not technical. Never fell again over the last two years I rode my MTB in the US. Might be an option for you and means you don't have to give up your beloved Jamis!

Keep us posted...

I would love to find places like this to ride...and there aren't many to choose from. I know there are some really steep gravel roads in southern Indiana. They are so remote that I wouldn't want to ride them by myself. This doesn't mean that there aren't other places I can ride - this is a good idea. I was focusing on not being able to mountain bike - but there is more than one style of riding. Single-track isn't the only option - thank you! Somehow I think she would be sad if she never got to see dirt/gravel/grass...something that wasn't paved!

[goldfinch]

Oakleaf - I am thinking that perhaps it might be a good idea to find a good chiro in January.

Please, discuss with your doctor in detail about whether you should see a chiropractor and what exactly they can do for you. Maybe a PT is a better choice.

Sorry about the cycling and I hope you can find some nice dirt roads to explore next year. If not, come visit me!

[Irulan]

Some docs hate chiropractors, or don't see the benefit of cross discipline treatment, and other that welcome the "go with what works" approach. I know many pt's that dis chiropractic which is unfortunate for the good chiropractors out there. Personally I welcome multi disciplinary treatment options. If you know of someone highly recommend... you never know, it might be what you need. I think some MDs are really narrow minded about this kind of thing and think if you can't write a scrip for it, or operate on it, it can't be fixed.

[TigerMom]

Catrin...That is sad. The only up side that I can think of is that at least your doctor didn't say "no" to bike riding of all types.
_____________________________________________
2012 Specialized Amira Elite, upgraded carbon handle bars, Jett saddle 143mm switched to 145mm 2012 Selle Italia Max SLR Gel Flow saddle
2010 Santa Cruz Juliana with R kit and Crampon pedals
2011 Specialized Ariel Sport,suspension post,Serfas Rx Women's Microfiber saddle (sold)

[Catrin]

It is the crash potential that is the problem with mountain biking. To get better I have to push harder and ride more often - but the harder and faster I ride the harder I crash which means I hurt myself more and it also increases the chance that I will snap my neck again...and that really wouldn't be good. I've hurt myself enough that now I second guess myself which makes crashing more likely. I won't go to spinning class because THOSE old Schwinns stretches me out too much and causes cramping in those neck muscles - which is the only thing that really does that.

I was in PT for close to 6 months when the original mountain bike fall caused the whiplash - before the crash I had no idea how bad my neck actually was. All in all it is much better than it once was (the whiplash), but they tell me it can take another year or more to fully heal. Interestingly enough my work in the gym appears to be helping as well.

Hopefully there are other places I can ride my mountain bike. Personally I don't know of anything locally that isn't single-track, but that doesn't mean something doesn't exist. This doesn't have to be a permanent decision, but it feels like the best one for now. Sad

[ridebikeme]

Catrin: I too would talk with your DR about the chiro, perhaps there's another alternative if indeed he doesn't approve??

I can certainly understand your disappointment, but at this point, I wouldn't make any snap decisions until you have had this conversation with your Dr. As others have mentioned, there is lots of interest in riding dirt roads and lots of excitement in the midwest about this... lots of races etc... I can give you more info about that if you're interested. I also would check with your LBS and see what they say about dirt roads, perhaps there is someone there that has more info or that can point you in a direction. There also might be some maps available for you to check out as well???

I realize that riding gravel might not have the 'excitement' factor, but it is a lot of fun, something different and can give you some of what you are looking for. Here in Maine, we have thousands of miles of dirt roads just in my area, and we have all been riding them since we were children... and 'yes' that is a very long time HA!

Have a good weekend and hope the conversation with LBS will build some excitement about something new!

Have a gr

[Catrin]

I had this conversation with my LBS back when I first got my mountain bike and wanted to ride less technical routes before hitting single track, there isn't much... However there are gravel roads in southern Indiana, I just need to find a gravel road riding partner. These roads are very remote than the my single-track I've been riding, and just because they didn't know of any other options doesn't mean there aren't any.

Part of me wants to ride in the Death March (very early March). This is a gravel road partner-required race that is more like orienteering on mountain/cross bikes. "I" wouldn't be racing

Thanks for the encouragement everyone, it is appreciated. I will admit that this has all been in the back of my mind for a couple of months during my recovery period from each crash, I just didn't want to go there.

[OakLeaf]

Well, I'm not going to say anything negative about chiropractic in general, because I had a really good experience with chiropractic for my *last* neck injury. But I wasted a whole lot of time with another DC this summer, and she was the one my PCP recommended, too.

I don't want to put too much stock in the treatments I'm getting now since I've only had three of each so far - but the thing about it is, everything is connected. With a complex injury like mine or yours, it may be that working on the connections themselves is the best approach. Most chiropractors don't pay much attention to fascia at all. Orthopods, next to none; PTs, it depends. Acupuncturists, particularly motor point acupuncturists, and DOs who practice Sutherland's techniques, work directly on the fascia. This is the approach my sister recommended to me and I only wish now that I'd asked her to begin with. When I first got hurt, it just didn't seem like it was going to snowball like it did.

I did a quick google and there isn't anyone in all of Indiana certified in sports medicine acupuncture. Or Ohio, for that matter - the LAc I'm seeing now is just studying for her certification and incorporating the techniques she's learned so far. I could ask her if she's met anyone from your area in the seminars who's also studying motor point. But there are several DOs near you who practice Sutherland's techniques (ligamentous articular strain and cranial osteopathy). I think you said your insurance won't cover OMM, but with a FSA, can't you use that for anything that you could take as a health care tax deduction?



Also along the lines of everything is connected ... we survivors of trauma have to be extra alert, I think. I've started back into psychotherapy and I'm finally realizing how much old, old emotion I've been holding in the diaphragm and abdominal fascia ... which pulls my ribcage out, which pulls my shoulders out, which pull my neck out ......... Everything is connected. My LMT has a proverb painted on her wall: "The muscles hold the tears the eyes refuse to shed."

[Sky King]

This is our neighbor Trailhead Chiropractic Nate is an avid Mountain Biker and very, very helpful. I know he wouldn't mind you emailing him. He may know someone in your area and he may just have some simple exercises for you.

I am doing some with a resistance band to help my neck/shoulders, easy and helping too

[goldfinch]

Some docs hate chiropractors, or don't see the benefit of cross discipline treatment, and other that welcome the "go with what works" approach. I know many pt's that dis chiropractic which is unfortunate for the good chiropractors out there. Personally I welcome multi disciplinary treatment options. If you know of someone highly recommend... you never know, it might be what you need. I think some MDs are really narrow minded about this kind of thing and think if you can't write a scrip for it, or operate on it, it can't be fixed.

I think that many rather than being narrow minded, most doctors just want to follow the evidence. There is some things where chiropractic can be helpful. There many other things that have no evidence that supports effectiveness and with neck stuff, there is some risk as well.