Without wishing to appear as a recumbent evangelist, I thought I'd relate how riding a bent seems to
have greatly aided my recovery from a back injury over the last few days.
First, some history. I first became interested in recumbents around the same time as I injured my
back playing judo (I can't remember whether it was before or after, but 1994 anyway). Because the
injury manifested itself as sciatica, and because neither I nor my GP was aware at the time that a
pain at the back of the leg could indicate a back injury, it didn't get appropriate treatment until
the GP went on maternity leave and I saw a locum.
I was unable to ride an upright bike for some time, though unicycling helped. Eventually I managed
to build up to a 28 mile bike ride (coincidentally that was to Future Cycles and back, to look at
recumbents). Following that ride (18 months after the original injury) I woke up unable to move -
suspected prolapsed disk in the lumbar region.
After 5 weeks of physiotherapy, I was grudgingly allowed back on the bike. I also took up
gymnastics, which worked wonders for the strength and flexibility of my back. Eventually I was able
to go on long rides again, though I have never since been able to ride much more than 60 miles on an
upright bike without discomfort.
Anyway, thanks to care and exercise I have had no significant back pain since 1996. I've had the odd
twinge, but those have been much less frequent since I started riding the Street Machine 2 1/2 years
ago. Until Thursday evening.
On Thursday evening I found myself in great pain. On Friday morning it was touch and go whether I'd
be able to get my socks on. If I hadn't had a recumbent available, I wouldn't have been able to get
to work. But actually riding the recumbent made my back feel better by the time I got to work than
it probably would have done otherwise. Riding home improved my back further still.
We had planned a family ride on Saturday, but I wasn't sure on Friday evening whether I'd be up to
towing a trailer. Saturday morning I was still very stiff, but decided I could do it as long as I
didn't have to lift anything. Although I wouldn't have been able to ride an upright, every mile on
the bent seemed to improve my back. 24 miles later I arrived home with no back pain, although still
stiffer than usual.
And this morning I didn't even have any difficulty getting out of bed. I'm still not back to full
flexibility, but I feel a lot better than I think I'd have felt if I hadn't ridden the Street
Machine over the last couple of days.
OTOH, I'm still not sure what I did to my back on Thursday but my best guess is that I picked my
bike up badly after fixing a puncture. So it's quite possible that the latest injury might never
have happened if I'd been riding a lighter upright bike :-/
--
Danny Colyer (remove safety to reply) ( juggler.netdannyOpen ↗ ) Recumbent cycle page:
speedy5.freeserve.co.ukrecumbentsOpen ↗ "He who dares not offend cannot be honest." -
Thomas Paine