After reading many articles about sciatica pain and recumbent bike riding I felt it too was my story. Right now I can barely stand at times, but I can pedal for hours with no pain. I’ve always had a touchy back since a car accident in my late 20’s. So back pain was no new thing to me. But sciatica has made me drop to my knees in pain.
Last week, I went to urgent care looking for some pain relief. What I got was a doctor who was trying to convince me I had DVT blood clots in the legs. After he did and ultra sound, he sent me on my way saying, “you’re fine no clots”. Well that’s good to know, but I already knew that it was sciatica, a muscle pull or a nerve problem and I needed help managing the pain. I left there so frustrated and with no plan on how to manage the pain.
The following day, I called my doctor. It’s still telemedicine for lots of things here, due to Covid19. But the doctor prescribed steroids for a week. I am definitely not a pill person, but I jumped at the chance to relieve any of the intense pain. Well, it’s been a week. I don’t think the steroids have done much good at all. The ice packs, heat and Tylenol seem to help the most. But I hurt and I got bored. I was staring at my bikes, when something in me said try it.
With great caution, I sat in my huge dorky e-recumbent and did 10 miles without pain. Hmmm, the next day I did the same thing.
Then I tried my Terratrike Rover non E assist recumbent. I can easily go around the neighborhood. I’d go further but the traffic and streets around here are not safe for biking. I’d love to ride at the beach, but there’s no way I’m going to lift the bike into the car. So for now it’s up and down the street and my hill. Of course there’s a hill. There’s always a hill.
I think I’m getting better ever so slowly. But for now, I’ll be biking and I’ll be working on stretching and strengthening my core.
Even with my drop to the floor pain, I can bike. I truly believe Anyone Can Bike with the right bike.
I’m not alone, there are millions of us out there. I’ll encourage you, you encourage me.
—- Update it’s 2022 an after lots of gentle stretching and simple manual traction that I do at home on the floor, my back and the sciatica pain are way down or not there. On occasion it’s a 1-2 on a scale of 1-10. I’m even back to riding a two wheeler. But seldom do I bend forward to pick things up off the floor. That’s a big NO for me!
There’s hope! Don’t give up. There’s an activity out they that’s just for you.