Originally Posted by
linberl
I can relate. People are always suggesting I get a recumbent or crank forward, but the only thing that helps is cycling in a 45-50% bent position. Oddly, riding in an upright position makes it worse. I'm thinking the bent position spreads the discs in a way that is helpful as opposed to upright riding where it would compress them. I've found a rigorous stretching routine helps also along with a torture device (foam roller). I purchased a stretching machine from Valor to make it easy to do - - so I would actually do it - and I stretch every night before bed and first thing in the a.m. Takes 15 minutes. When I feel the hip starting to tighten up, I use the foam roller (damn, that mother hurts!!!). Usually, the combination of all 3 (cycling, stretching, rolling) keeps everything pretty happy. I rarely have to take Nsaids anymore. Surgery is a last resort and I want to hold it at bay as long as humanly possible.
Exactly what my chiropractor told me many years ago. He also showed me Williams Flexion exercise which is basically a stretch that spreads your vertebra.