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Hey Guys, I have a bulging disk and I ride about twice a week adding up to about 16 miles on the trails. I was wondering if anybody had any advice sitting positions or anything that would ease the pain a little.
Anyone have the same problem, thanks!Chris
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Been there and done that. 😕 Thankfully it got better with time and rehab. Never really figured out how to shift the saddle to make it feel better but doing more stretching and back exercises really helped. Google "back rehab exercises and stretches" and you’ll probably find the same 10 stretches/exercises on most sites. Take it easy no matter what. Unfortunately it takes strengthening the muscles AND time to allow the swelling to die down. Bouncing up and down on a saddle over rough ground isn’t the best idea so be careful. It got to the point that I could feel my feet tingling from sciatic pressure and I pretty much had to lay off the mountain rides for a couple of weeks. The stationary bike and road bike weren’t as bad to me. Not nearly as fun, but at least it kept me pedaling.
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"GoldenGoose" wrote
Been there and done that. 😕 Thankfully it got better with time and rehab. Never really figured out how to shift the saddle to make it feel better but doing more stretching and back exercises really helped. Google "back rehab exercises and stretches" and you’ll probably find the same 10 stretches/exercises on most sites. Take it easy no matter what. Unfortunately it takes strengthening the muscles AND time to allow the swelling to die down. Bouncing up and down on a saddle over rough ground isn’t the best idea so be careful. It got to the point that I could feel my feet tingling from sciatic pressure and I pretty much had to lay off the mountain rides for a couple of weeks. The stationary bike and road bike weren’t as bad to me. Not nearly as fun, but at least it kept me pedaling.
Thanks man, yea I have stretches that I try to do daily to build the area up around the disk. But being one the saddle I guess I just need to experiment to see what works and feeling better when riding.
What do you think about the position and the height of the saddle?
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I just follow the old road bike fitting rule that Ritchey uses to fit riders. 0.883 x inseam length. That is the height from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle. It gives me great extension for XC riding. My saddle is level. If it’s not, I slide off in one direction or the other.
Depending on how high your bars are, you may feel a little too bent over but you can always adjust your stem to correct that.
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Been there done that waited too long, road too may times and ended up in Surgery L4/L5 fusion.
Dude, Do not mess around with that crap, Stretches and all of that are a great start. Don’t be pounding down a huge Dh at 30 MPH and expect your back to feel great. Your best bet it to take some time off the rough stuff and HEAL.
I did not heed the advice above and got to where I couldn’t walk, I had surgery and was flat on my back AND off work for three months. It took me almost 6 months before I could ride anything again and two years before I felt like I could trash a trail like the old days.
You should go have an MRI and see whats really going on if you have not already.
Good luck and BE Careful with those back issues.
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I have two bulging discs and some arthritis junk in another in my lower back. I think the pain that I have now is from the loss of muscle mass as a result of me moving and not riding (dirt bikes) or excercising as much as I used to. I’m 23 and have had the pain for two years now.
I tried cortisone shots (which only relieved the pain for about 4 weeks), chiropractic (which was a complete waste) and physical therapy (I could do every excercise/stretch easily with no excess pain so I only went once). The docs told me to take it easy for a while and it should/could get better. After a year and a half of resting and being in near constant pain I decided to get back into what I was doing before moving. I started riding mountain bikes and motocross againas wel as just plain old stretching and excercise. This is the best my back has felt in 2 years! I still have some bad days but nothing that keeps me down.
I have found that stretch my hammys with toes touches, heel drops/raises and some Wii yoga has helped a ton!
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Dealing with a deteriorated bulging disk myself. You didn’t mention the type of bike that you’re riding, but going from a hardtail to a full suspension made a big difference for me. Had to bite the bullet for the extra money for a full suspension but it was defintiely worth it. As far as exercising and stretching goes, you have got to do it everyday. Spend extra time on the hamstrings, that’s probably where your weakness is. Good luck and keep moving.
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I have had a bulged disk for years as well. There is little you can do to change your riding position that will make a significant difference in pain. There can be good in using a full-sus. bike over a hardtail for obvious added shock absorbtion benefits. There are some things you can do to mitigate the pain. Ibuprofen prior to a ride can sometimes help to ease inflamation. Stretching daily is important. There are several lower back stretches that can be added in with your overall body stretching. Particular attention must be pain to your ham strings because of their correlation with the lower back. Building your core is very important as well. I use front and side planks as well as using the lower back machine(roman chair) without weight, and crunshes, obliques etc. Traditional sit ups can be detrimental to your back so if you choose to do them use caution. Not all these exerciese can be safe for all bulged disk sufferers so be careful with all things. I use glucosamine as well, but you must use a reputable brand or I feel you will be wasting your money. Just some suggestions.
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cliffrider here, I have whats called kissing spinal disorder where the two of the vertebre at the base of my spine rubs together when the big ball of scar tissue surrounding my spine swells also constricting movement.I go to chiro once a month to get straightened out. The only way ive found to keep pain down is to just keep riding and keep moving. I just registered for the flying frogs adventure race in sep . Hopefully it will hold up through the extra training. throwim way leg!
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Lots of great advice prior to this post. I’ll always make sure to stay loose and if I don’t feel up to it, I simply won’t ride. Better to play it safe and live to ride another day.
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