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Posted by Tim Green
Back pain during riding has been getting worse recently, forcing me to
take ever longer breaks ever more frequently. At the moment, a
three-hour ride (road bike) with several ten-minute breaks is the
absolute maximum, which I find a real bummer. Also, the last hour is
really painful, so riding is not so much fun any more either.
After performing a cat scan an orthopaedic microsurgeon diagnosed a
prolapsed/bulging (but not herniated) disc in L4/5 that is exerting
continuous pressure on the epidural cavity. He said that physiotherapy
and back exercises would improve my spinal support and general tone
but wouldn't have any effect on the bulging disc.
His recommendation is a minimal invasive endoscopic discectomy to
remove the disc tissue that is causing the pressure and pain. It seems
that the prognosis is excellent in my case and that the chances are
good that this will relieve the symptoms and allow me to ride again,
after a few weeks of careful recuperation. My medical insurance will
cover the op, so that's not the problem.
The point is, if I wasn't a cyclist I wouldn't really need to consider
this surgery -- except for the fact that I generally have a major
attack that puts me flat on my back for 1-2 weeks every 18 months or
so. In my everyday life I just feel a mild constant pressure, no
extreme pain. So it's very much a question of is it really worth the
risk.
Are there any road cyclists out there who've had experience with this
operation? I'd be very grateful for any information -- I don't want to
go into this without having contact with others who've already gone
through it. Particularly cyclists, as being able to ride again
properly is my number one objective.
Thanks in advance,
Tim
