Hey

I've just come out of hospital as I had surgery on my lower back - a herniated disk.
Not so much fun... so excited about kiting in europe this winter (European summer). Unfortunately the doc told me that I should forget about the sport which sh**ts me.

Does anyone have experience with kiting and an injured lower back?

Was thinking it might be better with a seat harness and forget about the waist harness?? No jumping just cruising??

Thanks for some feedback.
Jules

Ta

I've been reading some forums and peoples backpain generally seems to improve from kiting.. SMILE


i guess strong chore muscles and no waves to start out with should be okay
might give it a shot with those supplements

Your doctor is the professional so I'm not posting to second guess him (or dis him)-BUT I ahve 2 herniated discs in my back L5/S1 and have been kiting for about 8 years-in periods when I DON'T kite (when there's no wind) I find my back gets sore-when I kiteheaps my back feels solid and NO pain at all-from that I have surmised that for me kiting HELPS my back-I think it really works your abs, abductors, psoas etc and this then strengthens your trunk and therefore provides support and strength for your lower back (all layperson's deductions from personal experience) and 'magically' no pai.

So, I reckon give the area time to heal-do as much physical activity as you can and work on strengthening your trunk and then go for it-let pain be your guide.

2 cents worth.....

Ahh, ja ja. Same for me as loco4olas. Same 2 discs smashed and loads and loads of strife and pain at times, but consistent exercise, (work on those abs!) physio and when necessary some "V-squared" (Voltaren and Valium) will usually calm things down and get you back into action after a while.

Key thing I've learned is that if you have inflammation (e.g., sore back and extreme tenderness at the site), get on the anti-inflamatories for a week or so--if you are stiff and have trouble moving and back's not tender then get to the physio straight away and get em to loosen ya up.

Have also noticed that the higher your spreader bar sits, the more likely you are to get back pain. A seat harness will obviously fix that but then riding toeside is almost impossible. Just make sure your spreader bar stays low.

With the right balance of all those you'll be able to keep kiting (and jumping and surfing) nearly forever!

Kiting relieves my back pain, prolapsed disc 9 years ago, plays up regulary, the stretch effect from kiting helps, pumping up kite not so good.

Both my GP and Physio agree that if it relieves pain ( may be just the placebo adrenaline effect ! ) do it.

Current treatment is traction once a week with physio and I've started pilates as well which is making a big positive effect on my core strength.

Voltaren 50 used sparingly for the bad days.

Stay active

jhummelt said...

Hey

I've just come out of hospital as I had surgery on my lower back - a herniated disk.
Not so much fun... so excited about kiting in europe this winter (European summer). Unfortunately the doc told me that I should forget about the sport which sh**ts me.

Does anyone have experience with kiting and an injured lower back?

Was thinking it might be better with a seat harness and forget about the waist harness?? No jumping just cruising??

Thanks for some feedback.
Jules

Hey Jhummelt,

Please stay positive and if you are not happy with the advice and support from your doctor / surgeon then maybe seek a second opinion.

I had a sudden prolapsed disc L4/L5 that partially paralysed my leg, I had a dicectomy to remove the disc. The recovery was very slow, I was given a programme from my physio from day one and stuck to it religiously. I was back kiting maybe 3 to 6 months after (it was 5 years ago so forget a little!!).

I now kite as much as I can (wind & work permitting), cycle, run, do body pump and body balance (for core stability). I use a waist harness. I am not a sh**t hot kiter but my back is happy doing front, back rolls & jumps (that appear really high to me !

Funnily enough the only time I get pain is when I drive for long distances and don't excersise ie sitting on my butt is very bad for MY back

Everyones case is different but my surgeon in the UK was really positive and just hinted that maybe I shouldnt jump out of a plan which is cool with me as I now have any excuse!!

I think if you can get a rehab programme from your physio you should hopefully get the green light to be back on the water soon.

Take care of your core

Thanks heaps - HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

might just have to find nice guys who will pump up my kite, helps being a girl

J K

Don't worry about what doctors say , they don't really live in the real world . You will be kiteing before you know it .. Don;t believe anyone that says carn't .. No such word ... Go for it

I'm going to open a can of worms here, but here goes...

www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227101-100-what-you-should-know-about-chiropractic/?ignored=irrelevant

For the record, physios are are the go if you want your back problems resolved. If you like continuously paying money out for the rest of your life, then by all means, chiropractors.

Yeah, I know, now we're gonna see a whole string of posts in defense of chiropractors, but for my 2 cents worth, they are in the business of keeping you on their books, not resolving your back problems...

lostinlondon said...

Robbo, an ex of mine is a physio and she used to be very disparaging of Chiros. A Chiro makes you feel better straight away, whereas a physio can put you through a lot of pain to correct your physical problem, and the results are not always immediate.

Physios tend to give you exercises which you need to do in your own time, and the course of treatment requires some self discipline!

My experience with a chiro,

1st appointment I tell him GP diagnosed a prolapsed disc, he sits me down to a 45 min video (of an american talking **** about his treatment and that this well informed chiro has permission to use his special processes) chiro leaves room, comes back 15 mins after video finished and asks me to make another appointment, no examination.

2nd appointment first question is, I forgot to ask you is it TAC or workcover ? Workcover, ( his eyes lit up like spotlights ) ok you will need 6mths of treatment and 1 year of maintenance (still yet to diagnose degree of problem) runs a wand connected to a laptop ( as per video ) over my back and prints out a glossy graphs which he interprets whilst frowning and says its worse than he thought (note he still hasnt physically examined me or asked symptoms) asked me to bring any xrays etc to next visit.

3rd visit looks at xrays, says he cant make out injury so he will have to have more taken by his clinic, still no treatment and asks me to make 4th appointment for xrays, asks me to bring in documents confirming workcover claim.

4th appointment dont even speak to him, xrays done

5th appointment, yes his xrays confirm what his laptop tells him (of course) much worse than he thought, will need twice weekly treatment, asks for workcover claim again. This is now three weeks of ongoing pain and still no actual treatment, made 6th appointment.

6th appointment, no show, I'm not that dumb!

What a total tosser, couldnt see past the cash cow ie workcover.

Went to physio, immediate professional treatment and recovery over time.

Go to a Chiro again? no farkn way.

what lostinlondon said

I also had a bad experience with Chiro...

I saw one after taken advise from a friend! (I'd never used Physio or Chiro so really had no idea who would be best for my back pain?)

I had a accident that resulted in back pain, this was 10 months before my back operation for a sudden prolapsed disc.

Chiro swore I had no buldge disc and insisted I work through the pain weight training and keep coming back to see him every second week. There was very little improvement and I started to get pain in the top of my leg, still no mention of scan or potential disc prob?? After months or trusting him I decided to seek a second opinion from a Physio, that was the day my foot dropped and my disc prolapsed

I am now very wary of Chiro's and will only see a Physio's. Luckily I only need to see one maybe once a year for my back now!

I think that as with all professions there is a wide range of competencies, and chiropractic in particular seems to come under serious scrutiny. As a 4th year Chiro student (5 year course) I don't think many people appreciate the amount of knowledge a good chiro has, unfortunately there are those within the profession who are interested in things other than peoples well being (as with all professions), giving a bad rep.

As for Robbo's post, that link you provide is a very biased article not based on current evidence. Starting off with a comment about the audacity for chiropractors to call themselves doctors (when they do a 5 year course- as much if not more than other health professions other than medicine). A recent study (last year) compared the risk of having a stroke after visiting a chiropractor and other health professions. The results were that you were just as likely to have a stroke (and in some instances more so) going to see a general practitioner than a chiropractor. The reason for this is that some of the early symptoms of a stroke may be the reason for seeking help from a health care professional rather than the fact that they themselves caused it. Stroke has been shown to be a very very rare occurrence in any fact.
See: http://www.springerlink.com/content/vw8q5187g3j4118t/

As for evidence relating to the topic:
linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1529943003001773
linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0161475403002458
jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/296/20/2441
...and there is many more and I could talk about this stuff on and on but you get the picture. Just outlining the serious flaws and bias with that article.

As for my views on the subject:

The goal should be to treat in the acute stages to get the patient out of pain and return to function and then make the transition via rehabilitation and home exercises to care the patient can do all by themselves leading to discharge from care (and continuation of self care). Patients with long standing low back pain are often deconditioned with several studies showing atrophy (loss of muscle mass) from certain back muscles and loss of endurance. Most people with disc ruptures would fit into this category. It's not all about strength but endurance, loss of endurance can lead to abnormal loading of parts of your spine predisposing them to injury or further injury. The muscles as well as the bones are very important to treat together. This is where rehab is key, to provide one self with ideal support to prevent further injury. Educating the patient on how to listen to their body, what to do if it comes back (maybe been a bit lax on the exercises, resume, or perhaps come back for a few treatments).

Some practitioners may be missing part of the picture and ignoring the rehab and the patients long-term goals, only incorporating what they do in the office (passive care) in their treatment, generally these are the people you want to avoid. Obviously every person is different and this is the role of the doctor (of whatever kind) to tailor a care plan to.

In any case this has been discussed previously here:
www.seabreeze.com.au/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=48068&whichpage=1&SearchTerms=disc%2Cinjury

doc jans said...

Goddam chiros are quacks asking you to come back for check ups, just like those damn dentist, oh yeah and those friggin mechanics... sheesh! :)

not to mention frustrated doctors. why else would someone call themselves a doc when they're not?

Doc myusernam (doctorate in masturbation)


pick the odd one out: chiro, pharmacist, massuese (spelling?), natureopath, homeopath, astrologist, avon lady

myusernam said...

doc jans said...

Goddam chiros are quacks asking you to come back for check ups, just like those damn dentist, oh yeah and those friggin mechanics... sheesh! :)

not to mention frustrated doctors. why else would someone call themselves a doc when they're not?

Heh, well the government of Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, US of A among others all recognise chiropractors as doctors of chiropractic. It is a title earnt and not given away freely. Unfortunately there are some unscrupulous chiropractors out there, and a lot of miscommunication.

If chiropractic didn't work, then it would not be growing by the year and helping many thousands of people every day around the world.

I am saddened by some of the stories I have read here about peoples experiences with some chiropractors. I just hope people have enough awareness to realise that one bad experience does not mean that all are bad.

Everyone would seek a second opinion of a GP or other health professional if they had a bad experience wouldn't they?

Oh and there is a registration board where you can make complaints about chiropractors if you feel they acted unprofessionally and those complaints are taken VERY seriously.