Scoliosis + Mountain biking???

Pedro2005 · Mar 10, 2005

Hello Everyone!

I was wondering if any of you guys mountain bike with mild Scoliosis and if 'yes' do you guys do any sort of stretching to compensate adverse effect of biking.

I heard swimming is very good for it but do you guys have any specific stretches to recommend???

All response would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Pedro

rfields4013 · Mar 10, 2005

I do

Pedro2005 said:
Hello Everyone!

I was wondering if any of you guys mountain bike with mild Scoliosis and if 'yes' do you guys do any sort of stretching to compensate adverse effect of biking.

I heard swimming is very good for it but do you guys have any specific stretches to recommend???

All response would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Pedro

I have it. I mtn bike and snowboard and have found that what helps me more than anything is weight training to strengthen the muscles along my spine. I can usually ride 4 or 5 hours before I notice any discomfort in my back. I also do various stretches from my hamstrings to my upper back, but am having a hard time coming up with descriptions of each!

The stretches that I do, I found on the internet. I also switched from a 120mm - 5 degree stem to a 100 - 15 degree and went with a 1.5" riser bar. That has increased comfort substantially, not to mention control. I should have changed sooner.

derby · Mar 10, 2005

Chiropractor

Pedro2005 said:
Hello Everyone!

I was wondering if any of you guys mountain bike with mild Scoliosis and if 'yes' do you guys do any sort of stretching to compensate adverse effect of biking.

I heard swimming is very good for it but do you guys have any specific stretches to recommend???

All response would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Pedro

My girlfriend had a moderate problem with Scoliosis. After 2 months of bi weekly chiropractic alignments she was much improved. Her figure turned from angular and asymmetric to symmetric and curvaceous (not that a dude would want that). And her strength was much improved.

Everyone should go to a chiropractor at least twice a year. Feeling good and strong is addictive.

- ray

BadHabit · Mar 10, 2005

Pedro2005 said:
Hello Everyone!

I was wondering if any of you guys mountain bike with mild Scoliosis and if 'yes' do you guys do any sort of stretching to compensate adverse effect of biking.

I heard swimming is very good for it but do you guys have any specific stretches to recommend???

All response would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Pedro

Yoga.

No offense, derby, but I have heard scoliosis patients advised to forego spinal adjustment. Apparently some danger involved. Cool it worked for your friend!

I have moderate scoliosis, getting worse. Each year of riding I think might be my last. I have raised my seating posture and also wondered why I didn't do it long ago.

But I'm 55 and did pretty well with it until maybe 5 years ago.

I am a candidate for fusion (multiple herniated discs, facet arthropathy and stenosis) or a titanium ladder and have put it off as long as I can. I have begun to collect the names of neurosurgeons. It's a long, long surgery with questionable results---mostly for the desperate.

I purchased not long ago an inversion table, a nice one. It felt good, no panacea, but I boxed it back up to save space. If you ever consider that, let me know. Traction, like chiropractic, is controversial for scoliosis.

I do hang from a chin-up bar in my basement, or from branches on the trail, and that gives some good temporary relief--recommended. I do crunches each day and mild floor stretching along with them.

I also jump rope, but I am addicted and hesitate to admit it. I can justify it if pressed.

Swimming is great! Long-term, to avoid where I am--yoga. It might not be too late even for me.

http://www.yogaforscoliosis.com/

Best wishes!!

gunfodder · Mar 10, 2005

second weight training

I incidentally weight train three times a week, and I can't recall the last time I had back pain on a ride. Weight training also helps you with bike handling in general and specifically rough descents. Many years ago a doctor did recommend weight training as a therapy for my mild scoliosis, so I am pretty sure that it has helped me avoid back problems.

Take this with a grain of salt though. My scoliosis has never had much of an impact on my activities. If I get back pain I can generally attribute it to some other cause; sitting for 8 hours with poor posture, sleeping in an unnatural position, tweaking it while lifting something, etc. In the last few years since I started weight training I am pretty sure I have had fewer instances of back pain. I think strengthing your core muscles definitely helps protect you against strains, bad posture, and other common causes of back pain.

Pedro2005 · Mar 10, 2005

Hey Guys!

Thanks for the responses. I will definitely look into stretches on the internet, weight training and that yoga for scoliosis. Also, I will keep up the swimming.

BadHabit, what do you mean by raising the seating posture. You mean you simply raised the seat even higher so you would be riding in a LESS upright position or is it quite the opposite. I am just wondering because it appears that rfields4013 has done the opposite. He seemed to have raised the handle bar so that he would ride in a MORE upright position. Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks again for your replies.

Pedro

imridingmybike · Mar 11, 2005

Chiro, weights and beer

Pedro2005 said:
Hey Guys!

Thanks for the responses. I will definitely look into stretches on the internet, weight training and that yoga for scoliosis. Also, I will keep up the swimming.

BadHabit, what do you mean by raising the seating posture. You mean you simply raised the seat even higher so you would be riding in a LESS upright position or is it quite the opposite. I am just wondering because it appears that rfields4013 has done the opposite. He seemed to have raised the handle bar so that he would ride in a MORE upright position. Sorry for the confusion.

Thanks again for your replies.

Pedro

I can't say if I have mild, moderate or whatever, but I know I have it, as it's been mentioned several times by my doc and chiro...

I was getting "adjusted" at the chiro several times/week for a year or so, and felt great.

When I lifted weights, my back was much happier for it too.

And beer, well that goes with out explaining!

Good luck,

IRMB

BrokenBones · Mar 11, 2005

My Wife Does

My wife has severe scoliosis with a double curvature. The first time I saw her X-rays I almost passed out. Looking at her "from the outside" you wouldn't know she was so out of whack. Her Doc once estimated she would stand 6' tall if she had grown properly. She is now 5' 5". Anyways, she is an enthusiastic mountian biker in spite of her back condition. Two years ago I got her a Racer-X and she immediatly fell in love with it and serious biking. Her previous bike was a rigid, which beat her up pretty bad. She could only ride a few miles at a time. Last year she logged 1000 miles on her Titus.
Like BadHabit, she is a candidate for spinal fusion with implanted rods. She has resisted that solution for about 30 years (she's 46), and with any luck will continue to do so. We have been circuit training for several years, and the combination of weight lifting and core work has helped her posture and back strength. She seems to have fewer back problems as a result.
So, as others have said, work on your core strength, take special care in setting up your bike properly, and enjoy the ride.

BadHabit · Mar 11, 2005

BrokenBones said:
My wife has severe scoliosis with a double curvature. The first time I saw her X-rays I almost passed out.

*laugh* I know what you mean--my most recent images make me wince; kinda wish I hadn't looked at 'em.

Takes a lot of willpower to be doing what your wife is doing; very best wishes to her and you.

The height thing is depressing for me.

BadHabit · Mar 11, 2005

Pedro2005 said:
BadHabit, what do you mean by raising the seating posture. You mean you simply raised the seat even higher so you would be riding in a LESS upright position or is it quite the opposite.

The opposite. The old bike racing posture of bent over the bars can cause discs to prolapse, slide out of alignment. Forget about road bikes with drop bars, for instance.

You want to adjust saddle height for proper leg extension at the bottom of the stroke, saddle fore and aft for positioning the knee over the spindle, saddle attitude to keep your butt back on the fat part of the saddle, and go on from there to adjust bar height and reach to make yourself sit up straighter. There are advantages to the straighter posture beyond spine benefits--better visibility forward, better weight distribution, etc. Ways to adjust are spacers beneath stem (I had to send my fork in to get a longer steer tube to do this; I added 40 mm of spacers); shorter stem (I use a 90 mm); steeper stem (I use a 15 degree); riser bars (I stuck with my flat bar but might have to go riser); swept bars (mine are 12 degree, bringing the grips closer). Bottom line, if you can't get comfortable on your bike, you might need to check out a new frame.

Eventually ahem I think I might have to join the bizarro world--recumbent! Gack!

derby · Mar 11, 2005

BadHabit said:
Yoga.

No offense, derby, but I have heard scoliosis patients advised to forego spinal adjustment. Apparently some danger involved. Cool it worked for your friend!

I have moderate scoliosis, getting worse. Each year of riding I think might be my last. I have raised my seating posture and also wondered why I didn't do it long ago.

But I'm 55 and did pretty well with it until maybe 5 years ago.

I am a candidate for fusion (multiple herniated discs, facet arthropathy and stenosis) or a titanium ladder and have put it off as long as I can. I have begun to collect the names of neurosurgeons. It's a long, long surgery with questionable results---mostly for the desperate.

I purchased not long ago an inversion table, a nice one. It felt good, no panacea, but I boxed it back up to save space. If you ever consider that, let me know. Traction, like chiropractic, is controversial for scoliosis.

I do hang from a chin-up bar in my basement, or from branches on the trail, and that gives some good temporary relief--recommended. I do crunches each day and mild floor stretching along with them.

I also jump rope, but I am addicted and hesitate to admit it. I can justify it if pressed.

Swimming is great! Long-term, to avoid where I am--yoga. It might not be too late even for me.

http://www.yogaforscoliosis.com/

Best wishes!!

No offense taken.

Your deteriorating condition is reversible with chiropractic treatment. Surgery leads to more surgery. Drugs lead to more drugs. Your choice.

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to health.

- ray

ShivaSteve · Mar 11, 2005

second vote for yoga, swimming

I've had years of experience with Chiropractic and many other modalities for treatment of scoliosis that resulted - due to lack of treatment - from a zip line accident/injury as a young teen. Chiropractic adjustments were critical in the early stages of treatment to get the worst of the curvature and rotation addressed...but frankly, its done me no good as an adult. Short term relief at best, then you are back in for another adjustment. Wait one week, repeat, ad nauseum. If you have a good health plan, you can pay for some guy's BMW but not have any longterm relief.

What has worked for me? Yoga, swimming, therapeutic massage, weight lifting, core strengthening exercises. Basically just smart maintenance, but it is a lot of work. Every once in a while I do something *wrong* on the bike and get nasty muscle spasms, but by and large I maintain. [And I only ride single speed/fixed gear, which puts a lot of torque on the lower back problem area.]

So its definitely possible to ride with scoliosis, just do the maintenance and get those handlebars up!

Impy · Mar 11, 2005

derby said:
Everyone should go to a chiropractor at least twice a year. Feeling good and strong is addictive.

After my chiropractor told me that I was crazy to mountain bike with scoliosis I never went back.

Yoga and swimming do help alot. I concentrate on back extension and hip flexors. And sometimes it just hurts, but that's life.

Impy · Mar 11, 2005

BadHabit said:
*laugh* I know what you mean--my most recent images make me wince; kinda wish I hadn't looked at 'em.
.

I sure know what you mean.

I was braced as a teen, but I know its getting worse as an adult. No way would I do surgery unless I'm neurologically deteriorating.

I'm another one of those who are wondering when I won't be able to bike anymore - so I try and enjoy every ride as much as I can!

BadHabit · Mar 11, 2005

derby said:
No offense taken.

Your deteriorating condition is reversible with chiropractic treatment. Surgery leads to more surgery. Drugs lead to more drugs. Your choice.

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to health.

- ray

My concern is that I have been told by orthopedic doctors that I can be injured by spinal adjustment. I have structural scoliosis, not functional. I have been told I am subject to spinal collapse! If you saw my xrays, you'd see my small, tight curvature can't pushed back into shape. I went to a chiropractor (and MD) who did not attempt to manipulate me, recommended against it, but she did subject me to several months of electrostimulation and acupuncture. It was interesting; it did help pain, but only very temporarily, and it was an out of pocket expense, so I quit. This is a subject that I have been interested in for decades, and the Internet has certainly helped me stay informed. Surgery is unreliable; some MDs consider scoliosis untreatable. Some surgery patients are worse for it, but there are also success stories (Isabella Rosselini, etc.), and I keep waiting both to prolong my current flexibility and for medical science to advance. Much has happened in my lifetime. I am not one of those who discredit all chiropractic, by the way, and am happy for your friend whose case responded well!

This is the sort of view I keep finding (once you get past screen after screen of chiro advertising):

"Scoliosis is incurable. No amount of manipulation will straighten a spine that is actually crooked. Treatments for scoliosis involve braces worn about the torso to enforce straight spinal growth but are only effective while there is still a decent amount of growth left to do. Other treatments include the surgical fusion of vertabrae to reduce range of motion, thereby also encouraging straightening. Again: chiropractic is not an option. But once the spine has actually grown crooked, there really isn't much to do, chiropractic or no. Chiropractic may provide temporary relief from pain - though most people with scoliosis don't have pain from the condition - and the jury is out as to whether chiropractic can serve as a good supplement to a normal treatment course (braces, exercises, etc. plus some spinal manipulation) but it isn't going to resolve any of the problems.

I should thank you for bringing scoliosis to mind. Here we really do have a diagnosible spinal problem, where chiropractic should really shine, and it really doesn't seem to be of significant clinical benefit."

"Chiropractic mainuplation generally has no place in the treatment of pediatric orthopaedic conditions. Manipulation will not stop progression of scoliosis and may waste time. Slipped epiphyses will also progress if treated with manipulation alone. Electrical stimulation has been shown to be ineffective in treating scoliosis."

"To my knowledge (confirmed by a MedLine search I did) there has never been a case-controlled study looking at the effects of chiropractic manipulation on neuromuscular scoliosis. Bracing has been shown to be ineffective. I suspect spinal manipulation would also have little effect on neuromuscular scoliosis. I would advise caution using spinal manipulation."

The Squeaky Wheel · Mar 11, 2005

derby said:
No offense taken.

Your deteriorating condition is reversible with chiropractic treatment. Surgery leads to more surgery. Drugs lead to more drugs. Your choice.

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to health.

- ray

Bold statement given the fact that you know very little of the details of this person's problems.
Ray, I know your enthusiasm for chiropractic has no bounds, and as I've said before I am a proponent in some circumstances, but please try to maintain some degree of discretion.

BadHabit · Mar 11, 2005

Impy said:
I sure know what you mean. I was braced as a teen, but I know its getting worse as an adult. No way would I do surgery unless I'm neurologically deteriorating.

I'm another one of those who are wondering when I won't be able to bike anymore - so I try and enjoy every ride as much as I can!

Here's something for you Impy--if it hadn't been for my back issues, I'd have had to go fight in the jungle in 1969 for sure. I can't be entirely depressed about my circumstances.

What you say makes me think of Lance.

I've had other issues as well, and the man is a tremendous inspiration.

Best wishes.

Scoliosis + Mountain biking???

Pedro2005

rfields4013

derby

BadHabit

gunfodder

Pedro2005

imridingmybike

BrokenBones

BadHabit

BadHabit

derby

ShivaSteve

Impy

Impy

BadHabit

The Squeaky Wheel

BadHabit

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