Category: Cycling

I’ve now been using the lumbar traction device for about 6 weeks, 3 times a day 15-20 minutes a time. That means I’ve spent 40 odd hours lying there looking ‘odd’.

Well is it working? Simple answer is yes, certainly to relieve symptoms. I can now feel my shin again, its not numb any more. The sciatic pain now doesn’t go below my hip, where as over Christmas is was going right down to my foot. I am more mobile generally and moving less like a robot. The other major difference is that for three weeks in a row, when seeing the physio, my lower back stability is much better, no pelvis / SI joint misalignment, something I’ve not had for years, meaning no crunching and cracking from Ivor the physio!

But…. I still get lower back ache and have to be very careful I don’t over stretch. I use a lumbar roll most of the time and if I stand up for too long I get pain.

I am also icing a couple of times a night and doing core stability exercises when I feel able.

My orthopaedic referral has now come through. Staffordshire has an Orthopaedic Triage centre which provides initial assessment of backs, hips and legs, to prioritise treatment. My appointment is next Friday, so Ill know then how long I will have to wait for possible injections or other invasive treatments.

In the meantime I will carry only slowly building my Whyte E5 in readiness for whenever I am allowed back on a bike proper !

My physio has always said that as long as I don’t push a big gear or over do it, I can get back on the turbo trainer for some light spinning as soon as I felt ‘right’. I have tried a couple of times over the last few months but found it uncomfortable and ‘wrong’ so haven’t managed it, up until now.

My cabin fever reached a all time high this week: a combination of too much work, too much driving and a conscious eye on the scales showing my weight again steadily growing. I’ve also been cold the whole time, in the car, in bed, at my desk. Perhaps my metabolism is slowing down due to months of inactivity?

So, Wednesday night I dug into the back of the cupboard for my cycling gear for the first time since November and ventured out into a chilly garage. As normal, I seemed to gravitate to Top Gear on BBC iplayer as I fiddled with the seat and stem positions to get comfortable. Orange supercars streaked round an oval trying to do over 200mph, with Clarkson genuinely looking terrified for a change, as my legs tried to remember what to do. I really struggled with my cadence for a few minutes, 80rpm feeling like the 110 of old. The bike seemed to be struggling as well, not wanting to get into gears I have been using for 3 years!

Eventually I seemed to get into the groove, but was ready to finish when my allotted 20 minutes came to an end. There don’t seem to have been any ill effects and I have since been out once more, to watch the rest of that Top Gear episode.

Well, I’ve been using the lumbar traction stretch thingy for a couple of weeks now. I saw an immediate improvement in the sciatic pain I was getting, especially first thing in the morning. The problem is remembering not to do anything daft which sets me back. For example, on Wednesday I had a full-on day at work, zooming around to various meetings all over Manchester with a laptop bag. In hindsight, I ended up walking too far and should have got some taxi’s but that’s just not how I am used to operating 🙁

I have been to the GP and lined up an orthopedic referral ready for if the lumbar traction does not work and I need some form of intervention. Apparently, the waiting list for an initial consultation isnt too bad and as ‘Ive already got an MRI, and if they decide an injection might sort it, it could happen reasonably quickly. Hopefully, I will get the green light from the physio today to get back on the turbo trainer now to keep the weight from piling on and the cabin fever at bay…..