Riding after back surgery

[txjames]

A few months ago, I fell off a ladder and landed on my back from about 10 feet. I wasn't being careless, the tree pushed me. I was a little sore but didn't feel injured.

Then, while coaching softball, I was bending to field a slow roller, and my back popped so loud people in the stands hurt it.

Fast forward several epidural spine injections later; I'm not doing well. Oddly enough, riding my fz6r is the only relief I can get.

I will be having surgery in a couple weeks. I was wondering who has gone through something similar, and how soon before you were able to ride again. If I had my way, it would be the afternoon of the surgery, but of course that isn't going to happen. I've read one doctor recommend a year!!!

Thanks y'all in advance if you would share your experience with riding after major back surgery.

 

[Nastybutler]

Oh, man. That sucks. Best of luck with your surgery. I hope it's successfull and you have a speedy recovery.

 

[leprecaun jon]

i hope everything goes well, and you recovery quickly, i know that the wait and anticipation is goina kill you lol

ill keep ya in my prayers james

 

[Marthy]

Sorry to ear that bro... take good care, the cycle will still be there later on.

 

[Spunky99]

I am missing the disk L3/L4 and have ruptured disks L2/L3 and L4/L5 and C4/C5.
Other than having the vertebrae grinding against each other at L3/L4 I guess I'm doing OK.

I wouldn't recommend doing any MotoGP racing but riding the bike won't hurt anything after you get some muscle strength back so you aren't using your arms to support you. Believe me it is worse with clip-ons....but then I'm leaning forward and you are sitting with the spine more vertical and that might hurt more on the bumps in the street.

I guess it depends on the surgery. Is it arthroscopic or are they fusing some vertebrae? I never had any surgery....so it took a while before I could do anything. I think once you are comfortable with being off any pain killers, you should be able to ride again but you have to understand the risks too. If you aren't healed enough and have to bail off in a low or high side, you could really be hurting afterwards. Some simple rides around town in a safe environment might be OK but canyon carving can wait.

 

[littlepinecone]

I agree with Spunky99, it'll definitely depend on the surgery.

I had massive back surgery 14 years ago, and ended up with a bunch of fused vertebrae. One month after the surgery I was walking around normally again, but it took me about 4 or 5 months until i could do ALL the things I did before. Back then i wasn't riding (or even driving yet), so I couldn't say for sure when i'd have gotten back on the bike, but if i had to guess, i'd say it would have been around month 4, at the earliest.

That said, my surgery was pretty invasive, and there was a lot of muscle damage that had to heal before I was back to my old self. If you have a more minor surgery, you could be back out on the bike much sooner.

Here's hoping things go smoothly for you, and that you're back out on your bike in no time. Best of luck!

 

[anson650]

Good Luck.
Sometimes the gentle up and down motion riding is just what my back needs, but I never had surgery on my back. Listen to the Doc, don't hurt yourself. Not riding for a few months is better than never riding again.
Again, Good luck,
Anson

 

[Rookasaki]

Let me tell you about surgery haha... Had spinal fusion surgery back in 2007. Had 11 vertebrae fused. The damage, 18 metal screws and two metal rods. 3 days in the hospital and 8 months off work! At 23 years old! (had Scheuermann's Kyphosis) basically in a nut shell it's having a very bad hunch back! My discs were completely gone, like Spunky's case, bone to bone... It was horrible, I suffered with that condition for years until I had my surgery... To all who have suffered with "I don't want to live anymore back pain" I feel ya! shit was horrible to deal with... But thank God for doctors and modern medicine :thumbup:

Anyhoo..... Sorry I always get caught up in back surgery/pain stories.. I waited about 6 months until I started riding again... I did however cheat and rode one month after my surgery (not advised) but I just had to feel that throttle I have a pic of my scar and X-ray below. Good luck brother!!!

 

[Spunky99]

Duuuuuuuuude......!

Those pics really creeped me out.....

I have no scars..only pain.....and Motrin....

 

[Rookasaki]

Duuuuuuuuude......!

Those pics really creeped me out.....

I have no scars..only pain.....and Motrin....

haha sorry... my surgery helped a lot... I have muscle pain now and then but the extreme pressure in my spine is all gone!!!

That's why people at my work call me Robo cop! cause it's kinda true.

 

[txjames]

Wow Rook. Reminds me of the old saying, "I complained I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet." Glad you got new feet and are doing well now, apparently.

I'm not sure yet what they're going to do, but probably a discectomy or laminectomy. The surgeon does endoscopic, so it won't be as *relatively* traumatic as having a Hayabusa frame screwed directly into your spine.

 

[Rookasaki]

Wow Rook. Reminds me of the old saying, "I complained I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet." Glad you got new feet and are doing well now, apparently.

I'm not sure yet what they're going to do, but probably a discectomy or laminectomy. The surgeon does endoscopic, so it won't be as *relatively* traumatic as having a Hayabusa frame screwed directly into your spine.

Well whatever it may be dude, I wish you the best of luck. :thumbup:

 

[fz6rwolf]

About year and half ago i had laminectomy w/ fusion L4/L5, only out of work 6 weeks. At 2 1/2 week check-up with surgeon told me I could ride when I felt up to it, didn't only because told GF I wouldn't until cleared to work but felt up to it at 3-4 weeks.

 

[txjames]

About year and half ago i had laminectomy w/ fusion L4/L5, only out of work 6 weeks. At 2 1/2 week check-up with surgeon told me I could ride when I felt up to it, didn't only because told GF I wouldn't until cleared to work but felt up to it at 3-4 weeks.

I might be in denial about the recovery period. Six weeks? Yikes! What kind of work do you do?

I can't be out of work at all. I have very good benefits including short term disability, so it isn't that. I'm really hoping I can do the surgery and work from the hospital bed that night. Crap. Crap, Crap, Crap. :banghead:

 

[Bloke]

Prolapsed disc which gave me an extreme case of sciatica at the same time a few years back (left me immobile and unable to move my head properly or straighten my back).

Got treated at the time with steroid epidurals while I waited for an MRI (6 month waiting list, for a paralyzed 18 year old at the time!).

Total time off was 4 weeks, I was walking again within a week on painkillers but i'd say 8+ before I was back to "normal".

As I never had surgery at the time I still have problems but nowhere near as bad, now I know the warning signs of twinges coming on.

Chuffing working for B&Q (think: Home depot) and lifting a 150kg bathroom suite on a pallet into a bloody van on my own because the fit bird on the trade counter asked me nicely. Lifted it like homer simpson, locked out the legs, flexed back backwards, waddle forward and heave into van. what a twat I was.

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[Bloke]

I might be in denial about the recovery period. Six weeks? Yikes! What kind of work do you do?

I can't be out of work at all. I have very good benefits including short term disability, so it isn't that. I'm really hoping I can do the surgery and work from the hospital bed that night. Crap. Crap, Crap, Crap. :banghead:

Are they knocking you out? Have you been under before?

When I went under for an eye op all I remember doing the evening of the surgery was vomiting everywhere and moaning about how the room wouldn't stop spinning. Probably going to have to take some time off, at least the night of your op.

GWS

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[fz6rwolf]

I might be in denial about the recovery period. Six weeks? Yikes! What kind of work do you do?

I can't be out of work at all. I have very good benefits including short term disability, so it isn't that. I'm really hoping I can do the surgery and work from the hospital bed that night. Crap. Crap, Crap, Crap. :banghead:

Was able to walk VERY slowly 1st day but walk normal took a week and still painful at surgery site for couple more weeks. I'm a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant which my job requires some lifting helping patients transfer at times. After the 6 weeks had no restrictions but during recovery was restricted to lifting 5 lbs. No sciatic pain any more so definately worth it.

 

[txjames]

Well my friends, today I did pre-op and my surgery is next Wednesday. I'm having a discectomy (cutting out of the disc material that isn't where it's supposed to be) and a foraminotomy (using a drill to waller out the hole in the bone where the L5 nerve exits the spinal cord). For those who pray, I greatly appreciate your prayers. I'm the first case at 5:00 AM, so please include in your prayer that the doctor got plenty of sleep.

I haven't asked him about riding after the surgery, but I should be done by 8 or 9 AM, anesthesia off by around 3-5 PM, so I'm thinking KSU (kick stands up) at 5:30?

 

[roundhouse]

Well my friends, today I did pre-op and my surgery is next Wednesday. I'm having a discectomy (cutting out of the disc material that isn't where it's supposed to be) and a foraminotomy (using a drill to waller out the hole in the bone where the L5 nerve exits the spinal cord). For those who pray, I greatly appreciate your prayers. I'm the first case at 5:00 AM, so please include in your prayer that the doctor got plenty of sleep.

I haven't asked him about riding after the surgery, but I should be done by 8 or 9 AM, anesthesia off by around 3-5 PM, so I'm thinking KSU (kick stands up) at 5:30?

i wish you the best. 21 years ago i had my L5 fused to the secrum. sounds like yours is going to be a bit more complicated than mine.

i will give you this, i am 90% pain free! for all this time. as for riding i had a 08 R6 and the seating position was too aggressive and it put too much pressure on the fused vert so i got the 6R and i can ride for hours.

hope yours is as successful as mine

 

[fz6rwolf]

Well my friends, today I did pre-op and my surgery is next Wednesday. I'm having a discectomy (cutting out of the disc material that isn't where it's supposed to be) and a foraminotomy (using a drill to waller out the hole in the bone where the L5 nerve exits the spinal cord). For those who pray, I greatly appreciate your prayers. I'm the first case at 5:00 AM, so please include in your prayer that the doctor got plenty of sleep.

I haven't asked him about riding after the surgery, but I should be done by 8 or 9 AM, anesthesia off by around 3-5 PM, so I'm thinking KSU (kick stands up) at 5:30?

Wasn't an option for me, Dr said would have to take out pretty much one side and wouldn;t work with just half a disk so whole thing out and fused and low enough down have all my flexibility. Sciatic pain gone but maybe just my imagination but when it's cold out feel like all the cold right to the metal in my back LOL