Sciatica/Back Pain & Riding

[AntiPuck]

If you suffer with sciatica in the legs and/or low back pain, and have continued or returned to riding - are there any adjustments, either to equipment, type/style/duration of riding, etc. - anything - that you have made, to make it manageable and less painful?

I have chronic sciatica, which I manage reasonably well outside of horses - and want to return to riding in a few months. I plan to wear a BP and an air jacket to try and reduce the impact of falls, but wondering mostly how to make normal riding more comfortable.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I slipped a disc last Spring and it was impossible to ride, excruciating doesn’t even cover the pain. I spent months having treatment and being straightened up and have got back on since but it still hurts and I ache afterwards. As far as equipment goes I use Acavallo Opera stirrups and a gel out seat saver which both help to a certain extent but I have found the only way to stay on top of the pain is to have regular treatment from my wonderful back lady.

 

[AntiPuck]

I slipped a disc last Spring and it was impossible to ride, excruciating doesn’t even cover the pain. I spent months having treatment and being straightened up and have got back on since but it still hurts and I ache afterwards. As far as equipment goes I use Acavallo Opera stirrups and a gel out seat saver which both help to a certain extent but I have found the only way to stay on top of the pain is to have regular treatment from my wonderful back lady.

Thank you, Happy - and sorry to hear that you're still in pain with it.

These recommendations are really useful.

Out of interest, what kind of back lady do you see? I saw an Osteo for 7 months, and they managed to reduce the pain but never get rid of it. I've found that the only lasting difference has been made by stretches and strength training, so far, but it's still not completely gone, 2 years on.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

If you suffer with sciatica in the legs and/or low back pain, and have continued or returned to riding - are there any adjustments, either to equipment, type/style/duration of riding, etc. - anything - that you have made, to make it manageable and less painful?

I have chronic sciatica, which I manage reasonably well outside of horses - and want to return to riding in a few months. I plan to wear a BP and an air jacket to try and reduce the impact of falls, but wondering mostly how to make normal riding more comfortable.

I Damaged my back in 1978 and damage L 3 4 qnd 5 it goes into Facet lock and spasm - zoom onto the hear and now after many backs out and spasm, I now have sciatica mainly in the left leg which is weakened my leg for gripping and giving aids, and also get pins an needles in my left thigh all to do with the back injury. No less painful just have to deal with it bu regular Chiro appointments really does help stops it seizing up and Ibuprofen, deep heat etc.

 

[AntiPuck]

I Damaged my back in 1978 and damage L£ $ % it goes into Facet lock and spasm - zoom onto the hear and now after many backs out and spasm, I now have sciatica mainly in the left leg which is weakened my leg for gripping and giving aids, and also get pins an needles in my left thigh all to do with the back injury. No less painful just have to deal with it bu regular Chiro appointments really does help stops it seizing up and Ibuprofen, deep heat etc.

That is a long time to have put up with those symptoms for, ILuvCowParsely! I have similar symptoms to what you've described, with the weak left leg, pins and needles etc. I'm sorry to hear that you still have it, but at the same time it's good to hear that you're able to manage it with the chiro etc. and keep going.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Thank you, Happy - and sorry to hear that you're still in pain with it.

These recommendations are really useful.

Out of interest, what kind of back lady do you see? I saw an Osteo for 7 months, and they managed to reduce the pain but never get rid of it. I've found that the only lasting difference has been made by stretches and strength training, so far, but it's still not completely gone, 2 years on.

My treatment consists of deep tissue massage rather than an osteopath or a chiropractor. I cannot stand being clicked into place and my muscles were so tight in all the wrong places it needed a lot of manipulation to release everything which straightened me out. My pelvis was so lopsided one leg was longer than the other and until that was sorted out the disc was never going to recover. The absence of pain after a treatment was pure bliss and it made me realise just how much pain I had been in and was tolerating. I had an MRI in August which confirmed the disc was no longer bulging but showed that I have an arthritic spine so I have to be very careful and really need to start Pilates again.

 

[palterwell]

I’m following because I’m unable to ride at the moment,the pain is horrendous. I‘m having physio and I will be having an MRI in January. I had a slipped disc last year and I realised when I started riding again that I was making my saddle slip to the right. I haven’t ridden now for 5 weeks but I’m starting to think about how I’m going to manage .

 

[AntiPuck]

I’m following because I’m unable to ride at the moment,the pain is horrendous. I‘m having physio and I will be having an MRI in January. I had a slipped disc last year and I realised when I started riding again that I was making my saddle slip to the right. I haven’t ridden now for 5 weeks but I’m starting to think about how I’m going to manage .

I hope that the physio sees you right, Palterwell!

 

[Follysmum]

Can recommend the arc4equine human version ( arc4health) for sciatica and back pain

 

[Sossigpoker]

Starting Pilates has helped me get my lower back both more mobile and stronger, which has all but minimised the lower back pain I used to get when riding.
Using an air jacket is a fantastic idea - I don't ride without mine, ever (I fractured my L2 two years ago).

 

[splashgirl45]

i got sciatica after my last hip operation and i take amitriptyline at night and that keeps the nerve pain under control most of the time. i have recently got back into riding and am managing ok. when i was riding every day i used flexi stirrup irons and they seemed to help with my lower back pain..

 

[ArklePig]

Following this thread as I was about to start one about stirrups to help with hip/back pain. I had a fall in March which resulted in two bulging discs. I never felt right in the saddle since, especially in a canter, and on the corner. It flared up again recently and it turns out my pelvis is tilted too and the hip pain is unbelievable. I also get a bit of sciatica but nothing like what you describe. Hopefully we get some good ideas here.

 

[Antw23uk]

Exercise and stretching is the only way to manage my back pain and sciatica. Peloton, Pilates, yoga and stretches. Sadly i can no longer do much weight lifting because it causes too much pressure in my lower spine which is essentially a bit knackered now!

 

[ihatework]

Significant weight loss and reformer Pilates has revolutionised my back pain off horse.

The key things that seem to impact if I start to feel a twinge when riding are the saddle and the movement of the horse (to big a movement hurts, jolty movement hurts, and the biggest thing is a subtly lame/wonky horse).

 

[Birker2020]

If you suffer with sciatica in the legs and/or low back pain, and have continued or returned to riding - are there any adjustments, either to equipment, type/style/duration of riding, etc. - anything - that you have made, to make it manageable and less painful?

I have chronic sciatica, which I manage reasonably well outside of horses - and want to return to riding in a few months. I plan to wear a BP and an air jacket to try and reduce the impact of falls, but wondering mostly how to make normal riding more comfortable.

I had a slipped disc and previous horse was very active behind and it really used to hurt in canter. I bought one of those acavallo gel saddle seat savers and it helped quite a lot as did the stirrup irons that I bought, which were a Sprenger type.

I also rode in an air jacket as I have a damaged SI joint and arthritis and i wanted to minimise any pain if I fell off.

 

[L&M]

i recently posted about hip and lower back pain - on advice bought a Heather Moffat seat saver, (2nd hand off ebay), and has been a god send.

I am sure it is not a miracle cure, espescially for more serious issues, but has certainly helped my situation.

 

[Pippity]

I have hip bursitis, rather than sciatica, but the most important thing for me is the saddle fitting me. I spend years in an uncomfortable saddle, on the grounds that it fitted the horse, but getting a saddle to fit me as well made all the difference.

Another thing that helped was spending a month or so riding in a sheepskin bareback pad without stirrups. It improved my seat and my core strength, which seemed to take a lot of strain off my hips.

 

[saddlesore]

I had a bulged disk the pain was indescribable. Luckily I got surgery- is that an option for you? I can’t over exaggerate the difference it has made to my life.