Spinal Stenosis and deteriorating disc disorder, along with bad posture, lots of air travel, sleeping in bad positions, smoking, drinking and all the various things I did up until I could no longer do them without pain (physical or emotional) are responsible.
I’ve been spinning for years, both in classes and at home. My first job was repairing bicycles and I used to road ride competitively. I am pretty sure my form and set up pass muster. Riding while actively in spasm or with a recent injury is generally not good/must be done very carefully.
I would not have wound up in pain again had I not had to sleep on the floor next to my recovering from Tibial Plateau Leveling for three weeks dog. He started licking the sore knee area 2 weeks before surgery, during our Xmas holiday, and I had to keep him from getting the skin infected and the surgery cancelled. Post-op he was a big baby and wouldn’t let me sleep in a bed for 3 weeks. He is finally letting me sleep without one arm out of the bed on him. 99% of the the time he is SO SNUGGLES but 1% of the time he goes into EXTERMINATE mode.
Also – two spine specialists have told me not to do yoga unless I can find a yoga instructor who is also certified/licensed at physical therapy and has reviewed my MRIs. Pilates with an instructor and a reformer is great – but I prefer the exercises given to me by my last set of Physical Therapists (as referenced in the post and above.) I get PT prescribed and insurance helps pay for it, which makes pilates with an instructor accessible if I am willing to go see my doctor for the write-up. I prefer to do what I am doing at home and feel better than I did when I had regular PT.
Another favorite: traction. Traction does not work for me, but gravity based traction does… Hanging upside down like a bat is fun. GO FIGURE???
I try to write in a manner that explains what works for me, but does not insist it will work for everyone.
