Regaining Leg Strength After Bulging Discs
10-01-18, 11:22 PM
#1
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Regaining Leg Strength After Bulging Discs
Been off the forum for sometime and been off my bike since November of last year. Bear with me a few, to understand what I'm asking...Last November, I woke up one morning with legs feeling stiff after a gym workout the evening before. After climbing in my truck within a couple of miles I was unable to sit, and by time I got home crawled back into house and spent the next 5 weeks laying face down unable to sit or walk or lay on my sides or back. MRI revealed bulging disc was pushing against spinal cord and the reason I was in excruciating pain in my left leg...anything other than laying on my stomach was unbearable. Yep, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was stuck in bed. Pain meds finally regulated to place where I was able to get up for short walks, short sits, etc. I believe it was in April that I first tried to get back on bike and made it around the block before legs just gave out. Waited a few week, tried again. Over and over, some improvement...but I'd ride once then in frustration at not being able to ride more than 2 or 3 miles park the bike and give myself more time to improve. Totally off all meds. Physical therapy has helped, but here's where I am now. I rode last week over by Back Bay (for my SoCal peeps) and got in about 6 miles and at one point tried to stand up to power out of an underpass only to promptly fall back onto seat.
OK, here's my question anybody been through something like this? Any suggestion for getting cycling strength back? One of my last rides before this was 60 miles, so to now be reduced to 6 miles is messing with me.
OK, here's my question anybody been through something like this? Any suggestion for getting cycling strength back? One of my last rides before this was 60 miles, so to now be reduced to 6 miles is messing with me.
10-02-18, 12:08 AM
#2
SuperGimp
Haven't had that experience but good luck!
So are your legs just weak or is your back still affecting your ability to sit/stand/pedal?
You could always get a trainer and get some spinning in to get the blood pumping again.
You guys missed our re-enactment of the Pizza Port 70 yesterday.
So are your legs just weak or is your back still affecting your ability to sit/stand/pedal?
You could always get a trainer and get some spinning in to get the blood pumping again.
You guys missed our re-enactment of the Pizza Port 70 yesterday.
10-02-18, 01:18 AM
#3
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Thread Starter
TrojanHorse, it is the legs. The weird thing is I never had pain in the back...occasionally a bit of tightness...but the pain was all in the leg, although according to Dr and MRI it was bulging disc causing it.
Re: Pizza Port, definitely hated that we missed it as my wife was just asking me on Friday about that. Hopefully there will be another one and we'll be in on it.
Re: Pizza Port, definitely hated that we missed it as my wife was just asking me on Friday about that. Hopefully there will be another one and we'll be in on it.
10-02-18, 03:10 AM
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Ruptured the L4-L5 disc some years ago. Parts of it lodged against the spinal cord. It was quite bad. No loss of function as such, apart from the distraction caused by white knuckle, cold sweat, tear wrenching pain.
It sounds like I was a bit more mobile than you. No weeks consistently in bed. Managed some hours of mobility each day.
As a semblance of normality resumed, I never thought about loss of leg strength as such. I’d lost some stamina, but there was nothing special about that. It returned in good order.
What’s been more difficult to recover is upper body strength. The nature of my injury meant that I was severely limited in the upper body exercises I could do for years, and still am.
In short, the legs sorted themselves out, arms and shoulders are still lagging.
It sounds like I was a bit more mobile than you. No weeks consistently in bed. Managed some hours of mobility each day.
As a semblance of normality resumed, I never thought about loss of leg strength as such. I’d lost some stamina, but there was nothing special about that. It returned in good order.
What’s been more difficult to recover is upper body strength. The nature of my injury meant that I was severely limited in the upper body exercises I could do for years, and still am.
In short, the legs sorted themselves out, arms and shoulders are still lagging.
10-02-18, 04:50 AM
#5
Senior Member
Back in 2014 I was hiking with a friend of mine and my left leg starting having excruciating pain, had to keep stopping and sitting on the ground. Skipping the drawn out medical process, I had burst a disc, pieces were pressing on my leg nerves, I had micro-discectomy surgery and the pain was gone and has stayed gone.
One reason I had the surgery: the doctor showed me how I was starting to have nerve damage on my left foot compared to my right foot. Standing on my heels, trying to lift my toes, could barely do so on my left foot. If the pieces kept pressing, that would worsen as your brain starts to ignore the messages from down there - that's one reason why a lot of old guys walk funny, often called drop foot.
I'd get some doctor's advice about that to make sure you aren't in that situation.
The physical therapy afterwards was mostly back/stretching related and I was able to get on a stationary bike nearly immediately and road biking a month or so later. I did not see major degradation in riding ability, just what you would expect if you had to take two months off.
I got some advice from the physical therapists, I've added squats and soleus exercises to build up leg muscles. I was able to get my left leg closer to the right in that heel/toe raise test, but there was definitely some long term nerve damage - again, I would definitely look into that aspect.
One reason I had the surgery: the doctor showed me how I was starting to have nerve damage on my left foot compared to my right foot. Standing on my heels, trying to lift my toes, could barely do so on my left foot. If the pieces kept pressing, that would worsen as your brain starts to ignore the messages from down there - that's one reason why a lot of old guys walk funny, often called drop foot.
I'd get some doctor's advice about that to make sure you aren't in that situation.
The physical therapy afterwards was mostly back/stretching related and I was able to get on a stationary bike nearly immediately and road biking a month or so later. I did not see major degradation in riding ability, just what you would expect if you had to take two months off.
I got some advice from the physical therapists, I've added squats and soleus exercises to build up leg muscles. I was able to get my left leg closer to the right in that heel/toe raise test, but there was definitely some long term nerve damage - again, I would definitely look into that aspect.
10-02-18, 06:28 AM
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TrojanHorse, it is the legs. The weird thing is I never had pain in the back...occasionally a bit of tightness...but the pain was all in the leg, although according to Dr and MRI it was bulging disc causing it.
Re: Pizza Port, definitely hated that we missed it as my wife was just asking me on Friday about that. Hopefully there will be another one and we'll be in on it.
Re: Pizza Port, definitely hated that we missed it as my wife was just asking me on Friday about that. Hopefully there will be another one and we'll be in on it.
I see where you had the MRI And went to the doctor: just curious - what is your diagnosis? Is it one bulging disc? More than one bulging disc? You clearly had (or still have) some impingement. Did the doctor say that the bulge will subside with time? Was surgery given as an option?
If surgery is not recommended at this time, is there any way you could do gentle Yoga? This could help maintain some level of hip/hamstring/core & back strength and flexibility. Being inactive unfortunately leads to more stiffness, loss of fitness, depression and weight gain. How do I know this? Because it happened to me.
I’m wishing you a (speedy) recovery. Actually, the speedy part is optional. Trying to heal and be back on track I believe could take some time - as in several years. Keep us up to date on your progress.
10-02-18, 09:26 AM
#7
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jpescatore and masi61, Thanks for your replies! Mine was L4/L5 as well. The Dr assured me that no surgery was needed at this point, with weight loss and loosening up back he felt it could self-correct. Most of my PT had to do with stretches/loosening back up as I am very stiff at best...was even worse after this. jpescatore you had me checking to see if I could easily lift toes, no problem there thankfully. I will check into adding squats and soleus exercises. masi61 not familiar with gentle yoga, but will check into it...because as you have mentioned inactivity has some negative side effects.
10-02-18, 01:50 PM
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Been off the forum for sometime and been off my bike since November of last year. Bear with me a few, to understand what I'm asking...Last November, I woke up one morning with legs feeling stiff after a gym workout the evening before. After climbing in my truck within a couple of miles I was unable to sit, and by time I got home crawled back into house and spent the next 5 weeks laying face down unable to sit or walk or lay on my sides or back. MRI revealed bulging disc was pushing against spinal cord and the reason I was in excruciating pain in my left leg...anything other than laying on my stomach was unbearable. Yep, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was stuck in bed. Pain meds finally regulated to place where I was able to get up for short walks, short sits, etc. I believe it was in April that I first tried to get back on bike and made it around the block before legs just gave out. Waited a few week, tried again. Over and over, some improvement...but I'd ride once then in frustration at not being able to ride more than 2 or 3 miles park the bike and give myself more time to improve. Totally off all meds. Physical therapy has helped, but here's where I am now. I rode last week over by Back Bay (for my SoCal peeps) and got in about 6 miles and at one point tried to stand up to power out of an underpass only to promptly fall back onto seat.
OK, here's my question anybody been through something like this? Any suggestion for getting cycling strength back? One of my last rides before this was 60 miles, so to now be reduced to 6 miles is messing with me.
OK, here's my question anybody been through something like this? Any suggestion for getting cycling strength back? One of my last rides before this was 60 miles, so to now be reduced to 6 miles is messing with me.
Starting back fairly sucked though. I went to the flattest places I could, and rode the trainer on low. A lot to get that really, really atrophied leg back into shape.
10-02-18, 03:09 PM
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Been off the forum for sometime and been off my bike since November of last year. Bear with me a few, to understand what I'm asking...Last November, I woke up one morning with legs feeling stiff after a gym workout the evening before. After climbing in my truck within a couple of miles I was unable to sit, and by time I got home crawled back into house and spent the next 5 weeks laying face down unable to sit or walk or lay on my sides or back. MRI revealed bulging disc was pushing against spinal cord and the reason I was in excruciating pain in my left leg...anything other than laying on my stomach was unbearable. Yep, Thanksgiving and Christmas, I was stuck in bed. Pain meds finally regulated to place where I was able to get up for short walks, short sits, etc. I believe it was in April that I first tried to get back on bike and made it around the block before legs just gave out. Waited a few week, tried again. Over and over, some improvement...but I'd ride once then in frustration at not being able to ride more than 2 or 3 miles park the bike and give myself more time to improve. Totally off all meds. Physical therapy has helped, but here's where I am now. I rode last week over by Back Bay (for my SoCal peeps) and got in about 6 miles and at one point tried to stand up to power out of an underpass only to promptly fall back onto seat.
OK, here's my question anybody been through something like this? Any suggestion for getting cycling strength back? One of my last rides before this was 60 miles, so to now be reduced to 6 miles is messing with me.
OK, here's my question anybody been through something like this? Any suggestion for getting cycling strength back? One of my last rides before this was 60 miles, so to now be reduced to 6 miles is messing with me.
My advice is do what you can, know the difference between discomfort and pain. Push past discomfort and stop at pain. At first my right calve would get very tight and cramp about every four or five miles and I would get off and walk it out and then get back on and ride some more. There is a couple of threads in the road section that talk about this also.
10-02-18, 03:38 PM
#10
dollar-store reject
The Nautilus duosymmetric polycontractile squat machine.
Best thing I ever did was start working out at a Nautilus cafe.
Best thing I ever did was start working out at a Nautilus cafe.
10-06-18, 11:04 AM
#11
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Thank you all, for comments and suggestions. I will try to keep this thread updated as I work through this.
04-18-19, 06:03 PM
#12
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After doing way too many 2-5 mile rides that ended in pain...and I'd not touch the bike again for a few weeks...two weeks ago I broke 20 miles, granted it was flat and only just over 20 miles... Last Saturday the family talked me into heading to Monterey for Sea Otter Classic. I rode almost 24 miles with 1000 feet of climbing, still not back...but feeling good and know that I'm definitely on the right track!
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