Back Problems

[ed_in_az]

Originally Posted by gusotto

When riding, a weightlifter belt can give extra support.

Good for long rides, even if you don't have a back problem.

I've got a friend that has used one and he likes it.

The bad spot in my low back usually isn't to painfull itself. It's the pinched nerves downstream from it, particularly the sciatic and sapehenous nerves. The sciatic pain was relieved when I added forward controls and pullbacks. Pain in the saphenous nerves(kneeling) is what forced me back to the doctor. Riding is great, but the thought of landing on my sensitive knees is a little scary. If the belt relieved pressure on the nerves it still might be a good idea. I'll try to remember to mention it to my physical therapist when I start treatments.

[ed_in_az]

Originally Posted by indyrednek

With fractures/breaks of vertibrae Chiropractor can do nothing. There are forms of alternative medicine that can work. I shattered C3 years ago. I have learned to deal with it over the years. Kepp doing what you enjoy until you cannot do it anymore. Enjoy life.

BTW Are you going to Ramjet this sunday? I can give you some details on alternatives.

Sundays are my no ride days. I spend those with church and family. It's my fault I've trashed my body, but it's the grace of God that I'm still here to appreciate the time I have left, and I don't take that for granted.

Thanks for the offer though.

[Urrell]

I lost strength in my arm. Hospital tests showed 3 missing discs in my spine and others damaged. Pain relief tablets would not touch the pain. When the pain starts I go into the garage and lift weights. I have a cranked bar with only 20kg on it. I stand with the bar resting on my thighs, I then lift to outstretched arms over my head in as smooth an action as possible keeping the bar close to the body and bring it down behind my head to rest on my shoulders. Reverse action to finish with bar at top of thighs. I do this about 12 times. This is magic for pain relief (nearly as good as taking the Sporty out). The strength lost in my arm muscles I recovered by exercising with a Bullworker (the wife's). This probably would not work for everyone but I find stronger muscles help to support the damage. I have not found anything to help the blxxdy sciatica though.

[DIESEL]

Ed--I don't know if this will help, but a while back I was having some pains in my back. I always used to carry a wallet. I paid the doc to tell me to remove the wallet. I carry my cash, id/etc.. in my front pocket or in my back pack.

No more pain. Something to do with sitting straight up instead of caulked a little bit to a side.

[pbudrovic]

In my country doctors likes to do such surgery. I done one 8th years before. Pain is still here, o yea, and I ride too. I hope you will be o.k.. Best wishes. Rock an' roll.

[ed_in_az]

Wow, great minds think alike.

I use 20lb dumbells for my arms. It does help. What didn't seem to help was a sponge? grip exercise thing.

I ditched the back pocket wallet decades ago. I know that works too.

[Islander]

Originally Posted by ed_in_az

I started this thread as a sort of warning for others, maybe the young'uns here, to be extra careful with their bodies because we don't get away with anything we do to them over the years. A price will be paid.

Ed,
I'm not sure the young'uns are slowing down enough to hear us (crippled) old farts mumbling on the sidelines. For many years now my personal mantra has been "tricks are for kids, silly rabbit!"(from the old cereal ads).
Personally I've had to manage chronic back pain a long time. I had a thirty year career as a mountain guide/heli ski guide. I in last ten years if I could bend enough in the morning to put on socks I could go to the morning briefing, if an hour later I could bend enough to put on ski boots I could get on the heli, and I never took the pills that warn against operating machinery until I knew I was on a flight back to the valley! Worked with many aspiring pro snowboarders on movie shoots jumping cliffs etc. saw many compressed vertabrae in young atheletes and saw them get old later in life.
Islander

[Gone]

Originally Posted by gusotto

When riding, a weightlifter belt can give extra support.

Good for long rides, even if you don't have a back problem.

You have to be careful using those too much because they will eventually weaken your back and stomach muscles.

[XL 50]

Originally Posted by ed_in_az

33 & 35 years ago I had 2 "should have died" motorcycle accidents I walked away from (after trips to the emergency room).

Hey my brother ED, sorry to hear of your "pain in the neck". I would be close to being the winner on this forum for the number of bike accidents I was in, if MOST would mean your a winner. I didn't walk away from one, woke up looking at doctors, not expected to live, head in a cast, head with permanent stainless wires to hold things in place, no visitors allowed, etc. Ahhh.... what a great bike it was though, a 1960 XLCH, Hi-FI blue and white ( left turn car, I laid down 66 feet of tire marks). Oh, by the way the Lord blessed, I don't feel a thing.

[ed_in_az]

Islander and XL50, you guys definately know whereof I speak. Sounds like we share the same addiction too.

Maybe the 2 accidents I had long ago did put some sense, or fear in me 'cause even the one in 2004 that totaled my 1st Sportster was no where near as painfull, I was prepared and composed before impact. And, if it takes 30 years for those injuries to get unbearable I might be compost first.