Riding with Lower Back Pain

[atr]

I have a messed up SI joint and some arthritis and bulging disks in the general area. I also have a problematic piriformis.The shooting pain down your leg is a very annoyed sciatic nerve.

I also spend far too long sitting at my desk at a stretch.

I’m much older that you, so I have injections in my SI and Piriformis about once a year to get it to shut up and leave me alone. They generally work pretty well, but I’d be a bit worried about doing them at your age unless you are in agony.

Be very careful about chairs, car seats and, a biggie, saddle fit.

(I have been miserably uncomfortable recently. My horse has been off work for 6 months and I am just starting him back under saddle. He’s lost a lot of top line and as a result my saddle was unlevel and I was fighting for my position. And all we have been doing is walking, which isn’t the best motion for my lower back. So I had my saddle refitted on Wednesday. Since then, I’ve slept through the night. Just a little tweak, but night and day difference.)

I also hand walk for at least 5 minutes before I get on, and 5 minutes after I get off, just to get everything moving.

[2horseowner]

I can not find who posted the link to the book 7 Steps to a Pain Free life by Robin McKenzie, but I could her hug her for that. The best book ever. I ended up in the e.r. last weekend for back pain so bad, I almost passed out. If I had been doing these exercises in the book, I don’t think that would have happened. A sneeze took me out this time. I am going with Pilates and these exercises now. My spine surgeon said I should find other exercises that gave me the same feeling as running did, he also said the horses were doing me no favors either. I almost died when I heard that. I am also treating my self like an old 4* horse-icing, some ibuprofen, and a lot of warm up and cool down, because I am old!

[csaper58]

I think a couple of us reco’d the book

If you can find water aerobics, or a pool you can ‘jog’ in that may [be] a fun addition to the yoga/Pilates.

The motion of a walking horse is used in hipootherapy to loosen stiff muscles so maybe concentrate on walking and following the walk with your hips and pelvis. Use your motion to cue your horse for anything from a big swinging free walk to a collected walk. When your back is ready add other gaits, but use a lot of walk for warm up and cool down.

Good luck!!!

[Magicboy]

I’ve mentioned acupuncture on other threads but since I can’t take any nsaids so I have to find other means of pain relief from a myriad of lower back problems. No side effects so if a few sessions don’t help no harm done.