Back pain

I'm not so sure there is guaranteed as strong a correlation between whatever is on an MRI image and what most people are feeling. Plenty of people have no symptoms and show degenerated discs and everything on MRIs. The image you're painting there of something pressing on the nerve causing direct pain also might necessarily be accurate and/or helpful.

I'm speaking from experience here, as I have spent decades with chronic back pain, multiple disc bulges and degenerated discs, plus some other spinal deformities in my lumbar spine. So my back pain will never be gone gone ... but what made the biggest diff was some sessions with the Physio I have been working with to change the way I think about and visualise my pain ... pain, after all, is a perception, and there is a huge body of actual evidence that supports that chronic pain especially can be reduced with mental techniques etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCF1_Fs00nM

Ha, in my case it went
"I'm not sure about referring you for an MRI"
"I'll be paying for it"
"Sure, here's your referral"

Should probably have asked here actually:

Has anyone got any recommendations for a good osteopath in Central/North London? Cheers

I have noticed that after a longer ride >2-3hrs I will have quite a stiff lower back the next day. I did have a bike fit earlier this year which has helped somewhat (and I haven't had any proper 'back attacks' since this), but I still feel quite stiff

I have been to a physio (actually an older member of my cycling club) and he believes my hip flexors are too tight from years of desk job + cycling and gave me some specific stretches to do. Again they may have helped a but but haven't 'cured' me.... after 4-5 sessions and paying out of pocket for his advice (albeit at a club discount) i didn't feel like i was actually getting anywhere so left him to it...

A friend of mine who lives in scotland and has his own physio clinic says the science behind the hip flexor theory is shaky at best and has recommend more strength training to build lower back muscle which I probably haven't been doing religiously enough to feel a benefit yet

just wondering if anyone has experienced similar? would really value your thoughts

Sorry to hear of your issues. I've been dealing with lower back pain for 15+ years, seen countless physios, 3 different bike fits, acupuncture, sports massage, MRI's, I've fully unloaded the money gun on it and saw very, very little progress. My pain is sciatica related and I used to get crippling attacks that would leave me immobile for 3-5 days anywhere between 2-6 times a year.

I only got better when I took strength work seriously, I had to go all-in on core strength. Deep core stability muscles, pelvic floor, etc. There are many areas and layers to your core and I only got better when I addressed all of them head-on. IMO stretching feels nice and I'm sure doesn't do any harm, but it sure as shit didn't make me any better.

If you're looking for a magic bullet, the closest thing I've come across is reformer pilates. It's mad expensive but I wish I'd started it many, many years ago.

YMMV of course and I don't know the specifics of your issues and I'm no medical professional. Feel free to DM me.

I have been doing this daily and it seems to be helping:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/stretches-for-lower-back-pain

thanks - very much appreciate your input. i am thankful that I haven't experienced any sciatica symptoms... !

am going to get a gym membership again and build some routine to work on my core over winter and see how we go :-)

thanks. i actually do most of these a couple times a week + skydivers... might need to be doing it more though

I've had decades of lower back pain, herniated discs, injections, etc.

The science I've seen work for me is to build a more balanced body. In cycling we are commonly quad dominant and hyper mobile in the lower back, at the expense of mid/upper back flexibility and glute / core strength. I've seen benefit from programmes of physio and pilates that target those areas. Is it a 'cure', no way. Does it mean confidence that body won't let me down, very much yes.

appreciate that - this is my train of thought too (although aware this may become slightly echo-chambery). all i do is cycle and very few other forms of exercise (some bouldering every now and again)

skydivers

I'm guessing that's some sort of lying on your front & lifting your arms & legs?

I've done something similar each morning in the past to work on lower back pain

lying flat on your front, tighten your glutens right up, toes forward (which takes the tension off your hams), hands by your head, tighten your core, left your legs then squeeze shoulders back and lift.

I should add, that I keep my head in a relatively neutral position - i.e. I'm not leading with it when I lift up - and making sure that I'm not just making the right shapes, but actively engaging the lower back & glutes hard.

Other exercises that have worked for me have involved focusing on lower back extension:

• Waiter's bow (unweighted good mornings basically), seated or standing, where the aim is to bend forward, keeping the lower back extended & not rounding it.

• pelvic tilts (on hands and knees, or standing holding a chair), where the aim is to take your back into a flexed position and work on recovering it into an extended position, gradually making it harder by rocking back more on your hands & knees, or bending over further.

Fuuckety fuck

Woke up with a slightly stiff lower back today. Went about my normal morning routine and then started a kettlebell workout. 12 minutes in and my lower back just went “ fuck off” . I can’t get comfortable in any position. I’ve lots of silly little tasks to do and can’t do any of them.

Stupidly, I do kettlebell exercises to strengthen my back.

Completely out of the blue my sciatica has come back this week, I haven't had it in over 10 years. It's manageable right now, numbness/discomfort going down my left leg as opposed to actual pain, but still annoying and it's most uncomfortable when I'm driving.

Looks like I'm back on the exercises from today.

Some hamstring and quad stretches in the shower have worked wonders, much better now

Lying in bed again waiting for the naproxen to kick in. This is the second time this year. Thanks good for the crisis pack of medication my GP prescribed last year that I'm slowly working through.
I think all my lower back problems are muscular rather than disc related, I don't get any tingling or pain in my legs, it's all in the lower back.

The physio has been doing great work with me, despite a relapse in October. I've been doing more deep core exercises recently but it's hard to find the time to do them regularly.

This time it was set off by lifting my foot onto the side of the bath and drying it!