XL FORUM Offcial Sciatica Thread

[XLFREAK]

I've had a total of five back surgeries - four since 2004 (right after I bought the Sporty......hmmmm......) I have nerve damage in the right leg - the back of my right thigh and calf are numb, as are my right heel and the outer edge of my right foot. I also suffer from muscle spasms in the muscles down the back of my right thigh and calf - sometimes so severe that the thigh muscles feels like a piece of PVC pipe in the back of my leg.

I've ridden after every surgery - sometimes with the staples still in My wife raised hell, but I told her that it hurt like hell to drive any car - I had to drive with my hand on my right knee to help push down on the brake pedal. Riding the bike, however, resulted in little, if any, pain. I took the wife with me to an appt with my surgeon and he agreed with me. He said the different riding/sitting position could make a huge difference. Heck, I couldn't drive a car to the video store a mile away without hurting like hell, yet I rode the bike to Monroe, NC and back in one day with no problems at all.

After the last surgery (to remove the rod and screws) I did the physical therapy. Never thought I'd lift weights again, but the therapy seemed to work. After years of pain that was sometimes so bad my wife couldn't even stay in the room when I tried to get up, this is a big change. I looked very hard at medical retirement. When folks ask why I didn't pursue it, I say, "I've gone from being in near constant severe pain to being simply uncomfortable. I can live with uncomfortable."

[racerwill]

I've suffered these pains for years as a result of leaning over fenders, working on cars...... the doctors tried meds and physical therapy to no avail but the ultrasound had the most amazing results......nothing will make it go away forever but the ultrasound has been working for about 2 years now.......

Ww

[CapMorganXL]

I have a fairly mild case, comes and goes, and the most effective immediate/temporary relief is the inversion table I bought a while back... the kind where you hook your ankles under the footbars, then slowly lean back and the whole thing gradually flips over, hanging you upside down. It's the only thing I've found that allows me to totally stretch and decompress my spine and everything connected to it. The relief is almost immediate, and frequent use helps keep it from flaring up as often. I picked mine up at the local big box sporting goods dealer for about $100 on sale. It was a very good investment. I've noticed that mine rarely comes up when riding. Sitting unevenly, or lying on my side, which seems to push my hips and spine out of alignment, seem to bring it on the quickest. One good stretch on the ol' rack and it's much better. I'm sure long term relief relies on the stretching and strengthening excercises mentioned by others.

[sycle1]

I work bent over alot and have similar problems, I also had a rear ender where I was hit at 40 MPH with my body was twisted when she hit me.
I have a numb left leg and foot, some days I don't notice it much but when my back flares up I have to resort to the meds.
I have been educated in stretching and doing workouts to strenghten the back, abs, legs, etc and it does help alot, it doesn't cure it, but with the meds and an ongoing excercise and stretching regime I am suffering through it.
I have two friends that had operations on their backs both are still in pain one has even had another operation to try and get some relief from the agony.
I won't go down the back operation road as I fear having the operation could make me worse as some people I have talked too have said if you can bear the pain then your doing pretty good.
I just hate the fact that the pain makes me an angry tetchie old grump sometimes and I just can't help it.
Riding the sporty is about the only time I don't feel any pain.

[SpartanDen]

I have three herniated disks in my back that raise hell with my right arm and thumb and first two fingers. It took three or four months to figure out what it was. Initially pulled muscle and treatment for that. The numbness had not quite set in initially, but my back was so tight and constricted I could not move my head. Pain was bad, I could not find a position that was comfortable. After a trip to the e-room one night (wife forced me) the doc there told me to get an MRI. They found the herniated disks and set up treatment. It took damn near as long to recover as it took to figure this out. The doc said as long as we can treat the symptoms and get relief, I should not have surgery. And I believe him! Now I can tell when I have issues and can get therapy and help to clear it up. I know what I should and should not do, but I don't always do that! Right now knees are my worst enemy. Dang dirt bikes and youth! I'm sure paying for it now!!
Good luck to all who have back issues. I know it's no fun. And please get a second opinion before back surgery!!

[ed_in_az]

I've got sciatica + jacked up low back, shoulder blade area, broken vertebrae in neck, and torn rotator cuff. Dirt bikes + got smacked by a car and later a minivan, both while riding.

I noticed those with sciatica that said riding doesn't bother them have forward controls(custom models). I could not ride my first Sportster with mid controls. The pain was unbearable. I switched to forwards and have no sciatica pain while riding. Now the low back is another story. Sometimes it is pretty bad. I take Ibuprophen, 600mg at a time occasionally for it. I also keep an emergency Rx of tylenol with codiene for those rare occasions when my neck spasms.

[debster]

Originally Posted by xl1200r

Anyone have any experience with this type of surgery? Like, what the recovery time is like? Americade is not that far away and I had a whole week planned on the bike for that and I'd hate to miss it because of this crap.

xl, I had a herniated disk repaired last May. I was in agony, even with heavy-duty pain meds. It was the only thing left to do. I was in the operating room only 45 minutes, went home the same day (probably should've stayed overnight, but I hate hospitals). It was a miracle; the pain was totally gone immediately and I could feel my toes again. I was out of work for about 7-8 weeks. Lifting restriction of no more than 35 lbs. for a year. It worked out good for me.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[xl1200r]

My update - The pain is almost totally gone, but it's only due to the pain meds. They gave me some hydrocodone as a supplement if needed, but I haven't and want to go down the hardcore pain-killer road so I haven't taken any.

Went to the chiropractor again this morning and found out that the relief in pain was only a cure for the symtoms and the problem is still very much there. Still swollen in my lower back, and can't lift my leg hardly at all when laying on my stomach.

I go for my MRI tomorrow, so we'll what happens. The doc thinks right now that it's more likely some injection will do the trick. We'll see.

[XLFREAK]

Good luck with the cortisone injections. I had three series and none of 'em did any good for me.

[xl1200r]

Okay - maybe a change of pace...

went to the chiropractor yesterday and things were much better. My mobility was back for the most part. He told me as long as I keep up with the back exercizes I will be able to be as activee as I want.

Did the MRI this morning, so we'll see what that shows.

I'm going without the pain killers now...haven't taken one in 16 hours and I'm doing ok. I can feel it, but it doesn't feel like the nerve pain I had before, just soreness.