WonderMonkey

Understood on your concerns. Can't argue against it. There is always recumbent, etc.

Neil_B

Pam's advice about a road bike position being easier on the (bad) back matches my reading and experience. If possible, get the hybrid set up so you are in more of a road bike posture. Work on your core muscles and keep your weight down.

WonderMonkey

I agree. The one I currently see is tremendous. Prior to that it was several "crack, snap, come back again!". When you find a good one it is good stuff.

JackoDandy

Our familys past experience too. About 20 yrs ago my wife pulled a muscle in her back (on the job). The company she worked for insisted she go see a chiro. She went to this guy who wanted 3x a week visits 'for the forseeable future' (big company, deep pockets). Within seven days the muscle healed by itself and she stopped seeing this quack - mainly because she could not keep up a 3x week schedule. He never did anything to her but x-ray and test - no healing hands. It healed by itself. 20 yrs later shes never had an ounce of back pain.

BigUgly

My 2 cents on real doctors vs Chiropractors. I have been having back problems for nearly 20 years now. They come and go. About 15 years ago I swore off Chiropractors because after an adjustment I could not get out of bed the next day as I was in tremendous pain. Maybe it was because I went to play volleyball after the adjustmentbut who knows. I went to a real doctor he put me on valium(actually a muscle relaxer) for a couple days and gave me some excercises to do to keep my back strong. About 12 years went by and I started riding alot. I dropped 40 pounds and was doing centuries. After one particular century my back went haywire. I was in severe pain once again(not so sure it was actually the riding because there were some other circumstances that may have led to it). I went to a real doctor. He told me to take 4 Advil, 3 Tylenol and some muscle relaxer called Baclofin or something like that. I was still in sever pain and in hindsight the amount of meds he told me take was probably doing a number on my liver. The meds didn't help. I was desperate, I went back to a chiro and within a few weeks and a couple of adjustments I was feeling like a million bucks again. I was riding, running, and playing volleyball pain free. Then a couple months went by and the back hurt again. The kook of a Chiro I was going to made a comment to me before an adjustment to the extent, "I hate to open this up but..." and crack. I never had soo much back pain in my life then I did the following months, I was yelling and screaming at the chiro and all I got was a bunch o jibber jabber. I found some strong anit-inflammatories and the back pain went away in two days. Needless to say I gave up on this kook. Over the past year I discovered a type of chirpopractic called Gostead. It is a more scientific/mechanical approach to chiropractoric. I got to tell you over the past year my knee pain has subsided(I still play volleyball and am able to jump pretty high for a middle aged fat guy and my knees would be sore for several days after the a match). My back has never felt better and my overall energy level never felt better. I am running, cycling and playing volleyball at a level I have not seen in over 10 years. Moral of my story, I don't trust real doctors anymore as they just want to throw meds and mask the problem, and you need to search out good chiropractors. I would highly recommend using a Gonstead chiro. I know some chiros charge you less if you don't have insurance or use insurance. My guy is $23 for an adjustment. Lastly, I have always been told to never use heat on my back and to always use ice. Heat would just inflame things more. However, I guess this may be unique to my back issues.

contango 

All I'd say to this is that putting her needs before your own is laudable. Putting her wants before your serious needs is foolish.

If she needs a new pair of shoes for school that's one thing. If she doesn't like her red shoes any more and wants a pair of blue shoes, maybe she should learn to live with the red ones for a while because Daddy needs to see the doctor and you can't do both.

Pamestique 

Just one more word about chiros... it's personal preference, I undersatnd and acknowledge that but: If you have already seen a doctor and know your diagnosis and are convinced a chiro's manipulations would be beneficial versus harmful, then by all means go to your chiro or a massage therapist as the results are generally the same. However, chiros are not trained nor are they qualified to render medical opinions. If yours does, he IS a quack.

That is, but to the topic... suggestion... make sure you truly understand your medical insurance first. Many plans have a consultant you can call. Generally if the doctor visit is not routine and is based on injury, you will only be responsible for a co-pay. If you don't have insurance or its only catastrophic, then locate a good ortho in your area and call and explain your financial issues. Many doctors (those who aren't quacks) will work with you and not ask for unnecessary tests etc (I've done this). Or they can recommend some financial help or aid. If your pain continues for a period of 3 weeks and even after Aleve and heat therapy is strong, you need to see a doctor. Something serious is wrong with you... like someone said it may not be back pain at all.... it can indicate kidney issues, or even cancer.

But if you insist on being the "wait and see until the flesh falls off anor blood starts pouring out" type of guy, again try Aleve and Tylenol (generally 2 Aleves and 3 - 4 Tylenol is clinical strength) and heat and see what happens. Pain may never go away (my is always there) but it should get better.

Pamestique 

Totally agree. Won't do your princess any good if you can't provide for her at all... just think about that.

Pamestique 

Not certain who told you that... always use ice for a new/fresh injury (R.I.C.E. - generally within the first 3 hours to prevent swelling)... always use heat on an old/chronic one. Ice does nothing if swelling has already occurred. Google this or better yet ask a real doctor.

Back to the orig. poster: I AM NOT A DOCTOR! This not medical advice... but when my back flares up a lifesaver for me is Tylenol's PRECISE(R) HEAT PATCH. Peel off the adhensive protector and apply to the painful site. Almost immediate relief. I generally sleep with one but can use it during exercise. Once I remove the patch, the pain is gone for a long while.

https://www.precisepainrelief.com/?id...ducts/main.inc

corwin1968

Sounds like a classic case of sciatica. Generally, it heals on it's own and can take anywhere from a few days to a few months to return to normal. The pain is caused by physical pressure AND inflammation of a nerve. Anti-inflammatories are what my physician prescribed for me, 800mg Ibuprofen three times daily at the onset of symptoms. When I've followed this advice, my flare-ups usually remain rather mild rather than becoming debilitating.

For prevention, it's all about core strength as discussed by several other posters.

Good luck. Many of us have been where you are and it's not fun.

FrenchFit 

I can't believe I'm making a bike fit post, but here goes:

I don't know what you're riding or your riding posture, but if you are riding upright I think you are asking for problems. When I got into biking five or six years ago I gravitated to a bike I road sort of upright, not quite townie style but definitely weight on the back on the sitz bones and pressure on the spine, big ol' Brooks saddle. My lower spine and hips suffered, after very long rides I could hardly walk. As I got more bike fitness I rotated down and forward, saddle a good deal higher. For a while I suffered hand and wrist pain, but as my core strength got better, and I got a little smarter about my bike fit that problem went away as well.

Occasionally I'll go out on a more upright rider with my wife, we'll do 15-30 miles. I can feel how my back and hips react, it's not sustainable for regular riding. So, my point is simply that your riding position may be causing your problems, all the doctors in the world are not going to overcome the damage you are doing to yourself. There are many FREE articles on the web about fit and riding position, if you are studious you can learn a lot about what's working and what's not, and the why behind it.

JackoDandy

No, my princess isn't draining the bank account. She never asks for anything and will happily go to school with holes in her pants. What is draining, and has, drained the bank account is the $6000 medical bills from last medical issue - not a pair of $30 shoes. Passing on a pair of Payless shoes for my kid isn't going to pay the chiro bill - not even close. We simply cant afford another medical investigation that = thousands of dollars.

Thanks again for all the input. Today the back is at 'normal' pain which is a dull ache. But I am walking normally again. I may try a couple of short rides on the road bike this weekend. I think the most valuable thing to come out of this discussion is my misunderstanding that riding upright was 'better for my back'.

Thank you.