Degenerating discs - human

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Hawkeye

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30 October 2008
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What advice, if any, does anyone have about riding with degenerative and degenerating discs. My back is getting progressively more and more uncomfortable and although I'm taking regular pain medication my doctor informed me today that as much as I must exercise (scanning me up and down and clearly working out that I only ride), riding was probably the worst exercise I could be engaging in. Sadly, sore back does not equal a lovely deep seat so I feel as if I'm staring at a brick wall. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.
 
I have got degenerative discs in my L3/4, L4/5 & L5/S1 and go through periods where I really suffer. To be honest a gentle ride, just walking and trotting often helps stretch everything out...but not always....riding is a $hit or bust thing when my back is bad. I certainly can not school during these times. Luckily since I've had Cropi my back has improved. I think that its due to the core stability, having said this I did go through quite a few periods last year when it was bad. I started Pilates last November and that has really, really helped me. Try and build your core muscles up to protect it and above all be sensible. Try and keep your stirrups as long as possible too, this helps me.

Good luck xx
 
Many thanks for your advice. I have had pilates recommended to me on numerous occasions and I guess it's time I stopped ignoring such solid advice. Thanks again.
 
About 5 years ago i was going about my normal duties at the yard and was unloading a few sacks of feed from the back of my horse box. I jumped out of the grooms door and landed on my feet, but that was where my troubles started
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. When i landed it felt that my spine had collapsed through to my bum
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. It was agonising and i still don't know to this day how i managed to get myself home. I had 7 weeks off work and was told by the hospital that two of my disks had been leaking (fluid of some kind) and that there was nothing to cusion the landing and that the disks had compressed together and i had fractured the bottom of my spine
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.

I had a lot of treatment on my back and thank goodness help with the then 7 horses i had in at the time. I had private health care cover through my work and was advised by my specialist that because (as you know) the horses are such demanding & hard physical work he strongly advised me to give them up
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. It was a very hard decision but i also had to weigh up my health
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. I have had to go back to the hospital at 12mthly intervals & have 8 injections into the spine when things get to pianful/ sever spasms.

I don't want to scare you & i certainly don't want you to give up the horses but you must put your health 1st. You will be no good to your animals if you are not physicly fit enough to take care of them and believe me back pain can lead you to a life of misery
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. Although mine can be severe at times it is only my giving up the horses, that i have been able to lead a moderately pain free life.
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Get some professional opinions weigh up the situation and hopefully you will make the right decision for you.
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Pilates and yoga were suggessted to me too, also have a word with the doctor to see if you can be fitted with one of those medical corset thingies, they give support to sports people might do the same for riders...
Edited to add see if you can see a physio, did wonders for me when i was first diagnosed with a slipped disk.
 
Hi Hawkeye I have a degenerative lumber spine/discs and have had to have 3 major spinal ops in recent years so know how you feel. Following a spinal fusion last July I'm hoping to get riding again at the end of next month (have the OK from my Consultant and physio). The positive aspect of riding is it's good for your mental state and also strengthens up your core muscles. The down side IMO are all the manual jobs involved in actually keeping a horse. After previous ops I've found that riding does strengthen up my back although long periods of riding at walk aren't do tend to increase back pain. My horses all live out 24/7 365 days a year which certainly suits them and me and means they're much easier to handle/ride during winter months. Try to look at all aspects of horse care to see if you can make life easier for your back. Use rubber matting if your horse has to be stabled to minimise time and effort mucking out. Use lightweight tools and a lightweight wheelbarrow. Ask friends/OH to lift sacks of feed etc. I also use a synthetic saddle purely as I can lift it onto my horse much easier. Many people swear by Pilates but that's something I've yet to try as gyms are not "my thing". Hope this helps.
 
Ditto everyone that has mention pilates, my specialist has mentioned this to me on several occasions, but through my own stupidity i have not taken it up as yet.
 
Everyone seems to swear by pilates so go for it. My doctor says my spine and my knees are at least 20 years older than the rest of me. When my horse retired I did the same. I miss riding HER, but not riding as truth to tell it was getting so painful and I was so stiff I didn't think it was fair on any horse if I couldn't move with it.
 
My lower 2 spinal discs are non-existent!!! So I very well know where you are coming from. I get a spasm that lasts like half a week from one intense session of riding!

But I still ride, have own horse... so... oh well.

I think you should look into getting a memory foam mattress or at the very least a memory foam topper (sp?) to your current mattress (look in ebay... you can get them cheap these days rather than buying the Tempur one). It really helps. You know, when riding you put quite a bit of stress on your spine, so it's good for your spine to have some "off-time", too. My back has been much better since we got ours. I only realised how good the mattress was once we stayed at friends/family - and the back pain came back!

Also... get a good saddle that isn't hard on your bum!!! Kieffer now produces those that have this trampoline like thing in the bum area of the saddle tree. You have a softer "landing" on that, much nicer for your spine.
 
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