Sciatica and rowing

Dear Sirs,

I bought a Concept 2 rower about 2 years ago and have highly prized its
value as a indoor exercise device with all the merits you proclaim it to
have - plus....I rowed on the UCLA Crew in the mid 60's and there is a
degree of a sort of sweet nostalgia whenever I hop aboard as well (not
mentioned in your list of benefits).

I am now a 54 year old physician living in NW Montana, and along with
almost daily (indoor) rowing as well as weight lifting, hiking and
running, felt I was in pretty good shape (rowed almost 14000 meters in
one hour and am listed in my (heavyweight) division in your April 1998
lisings).

Until......

Several months ago - while racing my kids back to our car - they weren't
going to beat ME - (unfortunately wearing only sandles and running on
hard concrete), I injured my back and developed either a bulging or
herniated disk with sciatica pain (severe) down my left leg - no prior
history of back injury - so at the advice of a highly reccomended
physical therapist, I gave up running, rowing and cycling - any exercise
that involved back flexion (rowing, cycling) or jarring of the back
(running/jogging), and got into a regimen of back stretching exercises
and light walking as I recovered. As my sciatic pain faded, I also
started up again with weights, being careful not to do exercises that
involved back flexion, eg stiff leg dead lifts. I am now fortunately
totally asymptomatic

In the PT's view, indoor rowing somehow had a lot to do with the
development of this problem-maybe by weakening a link in the chain. Not
one really knowledgeable about such matters (I'm a psychiatrist - not an
orthopod or physiatrist) - and really miserable with the back pain for a
long time (a day with sciatica is like a day with 3 full time jobs just
trying to maintain - Lortab and ibuprofen notwithstanding) I didn't
really challenge him - but I spoke to a colleague just recently who
wondered when I was going to get back to rowing and running, a fellow
who I believe is quite knowledgeable in matters involving back pain.

So I have been experimenting with jogging and in the past 2 days rowing
again. Pain has not recurred!! I have today the wonderful full body
feeling I had before this all started, after rowing yesterday for 30
minutes and today for 45 minutes - about 10000 meters. Obviously I'm
hooked still. I'm not asking for medical advice or a medical opinion
here - I'm well aware of liability issues - but I wonder if you can tell
me what your company's experience has been with individuals like me with
"back problems" in this case radiating sciatic pain, which is now in
full remission - in terms of the wisdom of continuing to row. Or if you
know if info like this is archived somewhere. I've done a Medline
search for such info and there are no published studies, altho, in the
book my PT gave me outlining for the layman a recovery program for
sciatica, they mention jogging as a way to strengthen the back -
contradicting his previous advice!! Overall this all seems like a grey
area in which the right way to proceed might wind up being anyone's
guess, since there are no (apparent) scientifically conducted studies
(no drug company's interested in funding a study?). Listening to my
body has always worked for me in the past with various minor injuries.

Thanks for reading through this somewhat windblown epistle - I'd
appreciate any suggestions.

Sincerely Noel Drury

I actually developed the beginnings of sciatica while rowing on a CII B, and
appealed to the newsgroup for help. Someone suggested upgrading my Mobel B
soft seat to a Model C hard seat, and the problem went away!

Join the crowd, most of us old farts have had or do
have back probs. I highly recommend adding an
abdominal exercise program to whatever you are doing
now. This combined with the stretching will do
wonders for strengthening the various muscles in
front and the tendons wrapped in back, taking stress
off the lower lumbar when you exercise. Do
different kinds of crunchies - lots of the stuff
the aerobics people are doing with ab work seem
sound.

Be very careful of back exercises, you can often
do as much harm as good - avoid them at our age,
but lots and lots of ab work.

Mike

There are some keys to returning to rowing.
1) Being sure all symptoms are gone- if you still have symptoms, then there is
still a physiologic weakness ocurring in your disc wall and you should be
getting treatment-
2) Be sure you are aware of proper body mechanics during all other activities,
sitting, driving, lifting, etc. If you can't do these properly you are at risk
for further injuries even without rowing again
3) Be sure you have sufficient abdominal strength- hopefully, your therapist
either pushed you pretty hard on these or at least find someone with a good
knowledge in these, especially your lower abdominals who can give you some
tips....(isometrics are my favoriite)
4) Also, a good program of trunk exercises that get the glutes, quads and upper
trunk to help support your spine
5) Stretching is also very important- back, hip flexors, hamstrings (I think
most important for rowing- if these are short, your body will compensate at the
catch and therfore force your lumbar spine into flexion-yikes!)
6) also it can help to stand and put your hands in the small of your back and
gently extend your spine after any forward flexion activity- prolonged sitting,
rowing, etc....

If you can manage all these then you should be able to enjoy the good ol' erg
again- Just be sure to be cautious and if you feel you haven't recieved enough
strenghtening in the trunk and _all_ the abdominals try asking around for
another therapist- maybe one who is knowledgable in trunk and ab exercises with
the physioball- my favorite, especially for rowers...

Sorry for the length here but I hate seeing rowers injured and hate even more
when they feel they are unable to row!!!