Herniated Disc and Riding

[Seeker]

Hello All,
I had been fighting serious back pain for almost a week and last Friday I was to the point of not able to move without intense pain.  Short version is the MRI found a herniated disc, L3-L4.  I'm freaking out on how this will effect my riding.  Anyone have a lower back herniated disc and still ride?  How does this effect you?  What if any precaution do you take?

I'm actually glad I have my bike stored in a friends garage for the winter, or I'll probably be out there trying to swing a leg over the Ol girl to see what and how much it hurts...

[bluepoof]

I think it'll depend on how bad it's herniated.  Your doc will be able to give you a better indication.

I had a herniated L4-L5 that ruptured and I've been essentially off the bike for 2.5 years.  That said, I think that's pretty much worse-case (I was extremely conservative with treatment for the first year and have always been adamant against surgery).  Many many people have herniated discs for years and never know.

If your doc doesn't think your disc is at a big risk of worsening, my advice would be to take a few weeks off completely and try to let things heal.  Do any PT that the doc recommends; light movement once you're past the acute pain phase is really helpful.  I also had good luck with massage, acupuncture, and lots of hot baths.  

Once I started riding again (caveat: my longest ride since Summer 2009 has been 114 miles), I had to stop to stretch a lot more often.  You also get very good at recognizing which back pain is normal "I'm on the motorcycle and my muscles are a little stiff" and which is "this is going to turn into crippling nerve pain within then next 10 miles". .

I'm probably making this sound a lot worse than yours will be.  I know a lot of people who have herniated discs that flare up from time to time but don't really affect their lives much, so hopefully you'll be one of those! I guess I'm trying to encourage you that if even I got back to riding, your chances are really good.

If you ever wind up down the road of spinal decompression therapy or epidural steroid injections, I can wax poetic about those too.

[FJRick]

Hey Denny,

   I'm sorry can't help you with any advise or suggestions. I just hope you figure out what it will take to get healed up and ready for spring with minimal pain! Maybe it's a good thing your bike isn't available for awhile?

Rick

[JSharp]

I've had an assortment of herniated discs. I now have 2 fusions in my lower back, 3 in my neck. After every surgery every doc told me to never get on a motorcycle again.

I listened to them for about 15 years and quit riding. Finally asked myself how bad could it be? Bought a ST bike that turned out to be too uncomfortable for me. Traded for a different bike that's much better. I can't ride a cruiser or a real sport bike since they both hurt my back/neck and I have problems with one leg, an artifact of one surgery where they took bone from my hip to put in my back.

Good luck with this. If you want to keep riding try different bikes if you need to. In spite of what some will tell you, sitting in an office chair in front of a PC all day is likely just as hard on your back as riding...

[Seeker]

Thanks all.  I have to herniated disc in my neck and on windy days, I can feel it.  My ST is as close to sit up and beg riding position as you can get, mostly to address my neck discomfort.  I'm thinking this will be OK for my back but mostly worried how heavy the ST is and not being able to control it in the garage and slow speed maneuvering.

Rick,
 If it was in the garage, I'd try to figure a way to climb a step ladder and try to swing a leg over it so I can make vroom vroom noises!

[Lasercut]

Hey Denny-

Sorry to hear about your back troubles.  The fix may be to get that bagger you've been secretly lusting for.  Lower seat height, cushy suspension and limited leaning should help you avoid any spirited riding, that's hard on the spine......

If this type of riding is new to you, here are a few tips:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A3b_MRimbk&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Maybe a few laughs will help with the pain.

Keith

[Joe308]

Been there. My doctor is a sports and occupational doctor and he had me with only conservative treatment which included physical therapy building up the back muscles and while the healing process was many months, it worked. I am back to riding as long as I want and pain free. I will confess, I did change my ride to a Goldwing but I am an older guy.

Good Luck!

 

[DrMikey]

Usually, disks get better with time.  (I treat a lot of people with bulging disks.)  PT, manipulative therapy, and meds can speed things up, but there are no magic bullets.  Avoiding impact and abrupt or exteme rotation, flexion and extension is important.  Do  you smoke?  If you do, quit.  The very small vessels that feed the muscles around the disks are affected far more than the larger vessels.  Listen to your doc and/or therapist, and don't rush things.

[jvick98]

 I'm short so my ST is a lean-forward situation for me, and that works just fine after my lumbar and cervical fusions.  My BMW R100RT was a sit-up bike and I had to quit riding it, made back too vertical and it hurt lots.  My long rides are 460+ miles daily and they work out fine.  Probably should get off and walk around more often than I actually do but I get away with it.

That moving the bike in the garage was a pain to start with but necessity required me to work out a system.

Probably is going to be different for everyone.

Jim

[bluepoof]

 My BMW R100RT was a sit-up bike and I had to quit riding it, made back too vertical and it hurt lots.  

+1, I have better luck now with a slightly forward leaning posture as well.

[Seeker]

Interesting stuff.  I'm scheduled to start PT next week.  I've heard several people say that building up the back muscles is key.  Hell, I may even loose a few pounds along the way.  I've stopped taking the pain meds and Advil is tolerable.    I'm hoping to have this behind me come spring time.  For the record, April will be 10 years as a non-smoker.

[JSharp]

+1, I have better luck now with a slightly forward leaning posture as well.

+2. The only thing I can ride now is a ST bike.

[fastfreddy]

+2. The only thing I can ride now is a ST bike.

+3. Took a weeklong ST ride two-up in the Smoky mountains one month after I hurt my back. Found out later it was a ruptured L4-5. My back feels fine when on the bike, but driving a car hurts after 10 miles. Got the injection yesterday, hope it'll keep my leg from going numb.

[bluepoof]

Got the injection yesterday, hope it'll keep my leg from going numb.

I had good luck with my injections (L3/L4 and L4/L5, done in January 2011).  It increased the pain significantly for a couple of weeks but as it eased, most of the nerve pain eased with it.  It took many months for a spot on my calf to stop feeling cold and wet but it did finally go away, and the numbness went away very shortly after the injection.  Hope you have similar good results!