3 years ago I suffered a herniated disc in my lower back at L5-S1. The first month was very painful. Numbness on the outer edge of my left foot and lots of burning nerve pain all over in my left foot. I don’t know how the injury occurred, I woke up in the morning in extreme pain. 

After 6 weeks I had a MRI and went to see a Physiatrist at a spine center. He said with the majority of these injuries they heal on there own and recommended physical therapy. Went to 6 weeks of PT, which was largely focused on core strengthening. The numbness on the outer edge of my foot always remained. I was off my bike for about 4 months from the date of the injury. 

9 months from the injury I still had the numbness on the edge of my left foot constantly, with nerve pain/inflammation in my left foot at least once a week. I went for another 6 week stint of PT at a different facility along with receiving traction for my back. I felt like the PT did very little to help and didn’t feel like the traction helped at all. 

1.5 years from the initial injury I had 2 injections in my lower back that provided no relief from the nerve irritation inflammation/pain. 

Had another MRI and consulted a surgeon just shy of 2 years from the injury. He basically said he thought the herniated disc had healed as much as it was going to at that point and if I was still being bothered by it almost 2 years into it, I was probably going to continue to be bothered by it. He said they could do a microdiscectomy. But it came down to if I was being bothered enough by it to want to have surgery done. 

I then went on neurontin for about 4 months which did a good job of relieving the nerve pain/inflammation. I quit taking it because I didn’t want to be on it long term even though they say it’s non-narcotic/addictive and safe for daily use for long periods of time.

For the last 3 months I went to a chiropractor 2-3 times a week and saw minimal improvement. 

I felt like over the last year my lower back has become extremely tight and at times very sore. I attribute it to the nerve in my left leg being pinched from the herniated disc, in turn causing my hamstring to be very tight and creating the lower back pain. I don’t know if all that is the actual cause but that’s my theory. 

I think I’m at the point of really considering surgery. The surgeon I’ve consulted twice over a year ago was at Carolina neurosurgery and spine. 

From a physical standpoint it hasn’t affected my balance or walking or physical abilities. I’m pretty sure at this point the nerve is permanently damaged and the numbness will remain in my left foot. I can live with the numbness.  It’s the nerve pain/irritation and the lower back pain/tightness that worries me. I’m a 37 year old male who is in good physical shape. So I don’t feel like it’s a lifestyle change that will remedy the situation but I could be wrong.   

Anyone have any stories to tell about disc injuries in their back and what they did or what helped. How’s it affected your bike riding.

I feel your pain...literally.

A few years back I was loading heavy boxes up into my truck and like an idiot did what you should not do, bend at the waist, lift and twist up over the side of the bed.  I woke up in excruciating pain. I'd had a Chiropractor for years due to a mid back issue after a motorcycle crash injury years ago and he diagnosed me as having "bulging discs" and put me on an expensive daily treatment plan (my insurance doesn't cover Chiropractors) After a couple of weeks under his "plan", I ended up in the ER.  An MRI showed I'd actually herniated L4/L5 and L5/S1.  Same deal.  Excruciating pain down my left buttock and the outside edge of my leg from my knee down through my left foot is numb and remains numb to this day. 

They put me on high dose steroids for a week for the inflammation and I also went to Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine and worked with a Physiatrist there (Dr. Vemuri).  Same deal.  Spinal shot, avoid surgery if at all possible and continue with PT and core strengthening exercises. 

While I will likely never be a runner or tennis player again due to the residual numbness, I have to say that my back never feels looser and more normal than when I come out of the trails.  I do not do the jumps anymore due to the compression they place on the spine when you land, but other than that, riding has not caused me any issues.   Usually when I do have back issues now, it happens doing something as simple as pulling on boots!  I worked on Saturday hoeing out a bunch of clogged drains at Sherman and paid the price on Sunday with lower back soreness, although an Alleve seemed to make everything feel pretty ok. It's a bit better today. 

I have resigned myself to the numbness being permanent, and even on my best days, I can still tell that my lower back is something less than 100% and always will be. It's tight, it's always a bit sore, but tolerable.  I try to stay up with the exercises like the one where you do kind of a pushup, but keep your waistline pressed to the floor, but the better I feel the more I slack off in doing them. Because of my Chiropractor's misdiagnosis, I will never see one again. 

I also ride with a lumbar support belt which really helps keep everything from slopping around in my lower back and would never ride without one now.  I have the Sport Belt ( (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) ) but they don't sell them anymore.  Lots of other options on Amazon.  It also gave me an excuse to upgrade from an entry level hardtail to a higher end full suspension MTB.  I keep the rear set on squishy to allow maximum travel and minimal spine compression. 

I get tempted at those constant TV commercials from the Laser Spine Institute which tout that they can solve all my problems.  If you spend some time reading patient reviews however, the results are all over the board from "significant relief" to "much worse".   So... I try to keep my core strong and I never pick anything up by bending at the waist.  Seems to be the best I am going to get and a lifelong annoyance.

Good luck to you.

I read the OP but not the responses. 

I am a PA with Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine. There is a good study that shows that 85% of people with pain from a disc herniation with be pain free in 2 years. My job is typically to try to weed out the people that fall into that 15% who won't get better with conservative management (Time/PT/Inj/etc) or can't tolerate the pain.

If I were in your shoes, I would move forward with the surgery. I haven't seen your images or examined you but if its a simple Microdiscectomy, you'll most likely be very pleased with surgery. 

Happy to see you in clinic to go over all this if you want. I'm in Concord but happy to recommend a surgeon/PA in Charlotte if that's more convenient.

Sandman wrote on 01/18/19 at 7:07pm:


I might have to come see you next time.  Whenever I have a flare up, even though it's never caused out on the trail, my guy at the Matthews office keeps telling me that I should give up mountain biking.  Ain't happenin! 

1 year and a month since my microdiscomy. Numbness, toes burning and tingling as I sit her typing this. Not nearly as bad as before surgery.  I would suggest ya to have it done even tho I’m not 100%. I can live with 85% better. 
Our problem comes from weak gluts, tight hamstring and hip flexors and overpowering quads. These cause us to bend through our backs instead of through our hips. Which leads to deterating disc usually in the l5 s4 disc area. 
An easy test is to stand with your feet should width apart, chest up shoulders back and try to touch your toes without arching through your back. You’ll find your hamstrings start screaming before you get to 90 degrees. 
Strengthening glutts and losening everything else is the key, only wish I could get it to happen. 
Maybe we need to start an - almost old men with bad backs workout group for motivation