galloping…
i am 25 and dealing with the same thing. in college i competed on the NCAA equestrian team. when i was 19, they put me on the rearing horse in the barn who proceeded to flip over on top of me in practice. could not move my legs, or body for that matter and was ambulanced to local hospital. after literally a month in a pill coma and laid up in bed, i slowly started walking on crutches. ever since then my back has not been the same.
i started in intense physical therapy for degenerative disk disease along with bulging L4, L5 and SI degeneration, sciatica, etc. there would be mornings when i could not feel my legs and could not go to class. after a few hours sensation would return. I did PT for nearly 4 years, 2-3 days a week, along with at home exercises and stretches. But always, and to this day (though less so) needing to be careful how i bent over to pick something up, using legs to lift, etc…they suggested fusing my back. i told them to eff off…
It appears i have mild nerve damage from the ‘rubbing’ of bulged disks, but is not really noticeable until i do side strength comparisons.
What my physical therapist said is that most horseback riders have extremely tight and underdeveloped hamstrings and our quads are overdeveloped- have you ever been able to bend down and touch your toes comfortably? i have not, and this tightness throws the lower back alignment off. Also, a weak core puts undue stress on the back. You should be able to get from your therapist or even online a booklet of back, hamstring, and core stretches and strengthening exercises. do them religiously.
what my PT also told me is that there are tiny joints in your SI area on either side of your spine that, when a trauma is incurred, the lubricant within the joints ceases production and the joint becomes immobile. She did an exercise that was the most painful, but incredible feeling at the same time. standing up, she finds the joint with her thumb and presses in. as i lean forward bending from the waist, then away from the side she is on, she digs her thumb into the joint to release the stickiness. once the joint is moved over and over, the lubricant returns, and your back no long feels like a brick wall. over a period of time doing this, the joint stops losing the lubricant and moves properly. i too got an inversion table but found it to be minimally helpful.
i wish i could tell you the cure all for the problem. i do have recurring ‘flare ups’ but they are no where near as bad as they used to be, or as frequent. i do my stretches and strength exercises every day. I do wear a back brace when i ride (most of the time), and have noticed that i do not have the same strength in my back i used to before the fall and subsequent diagnosis. but i do ride, i still win equitation classes, break babies, etc. with minimum pain. i have never been a fan of taking pills and try to avoid them as much as possible.
the best i can offer is stretch your hamstrings daily and build up your ab and lateral muscles, and find a new physical therapy regimen you can deal with. its not going to be magically fixed in 2 months, but after a year or so of steady treatments and at home exercises you should be able to manage the pain as i do.
good luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any questions
She’s my kind of personality.
