Have been dealing with never pain and numbness/tingling in my left arm for better part of five months due to a herniated disc at C5/C6. PT over the past three months has helped (Chin tucks, scap squeezes and posture strengthening). Have been able to ride intermittently, normally don’t experience issues while riding (gravel and Mtn) but it’s 5-6 hrs post ride when symptoms flair. Met with spine surgeon two weeks ago and he is recommending artificial disc replacement after first trying epidural treatment. Had an epidural six days ago, symptoms have not improved so far with epidural.
Has anyone else dealt with long term cervical radiculopathy? Anyone have disc replacement and successfully returned to Mtn Biking and endurance events. I’ve done Leadville and Marji Gesick (both on the schedule for this year as well but not looking good). Would like to do Breck Epic and possibly Tour Divide in the future. Wondering if those are possibilities or if I need to adjust my outlook. Thanks for any insights anyone has.
It will sound a little crazy, but add accupuncture to your portfolio of treatments. I had similar issues and was told I would need surgery. I tried a few sessions of accupuncture out of desperation, not expecting it to work. That was 15 years ago, I am still riding and have not required the serious interventions proposed. I am a science-trained professional, I was profoundly skeptical, but I am a believer now. Whatever it is doing, it is working for me.
Returning to endurance events is completely possible, but the choice of procedure determines how your neck handles trail vibrations. For an active mountain biker, preserving structural stability is the main priority to withstand rough descents. When my own C5/C6 disc herniation started causing severe muscle weakness in my shoulder, I needed a solution that would fix the nerve compression without a long recovery. So, I chose DTRAX in Houston by Dr. Saqib Siddiqui because it decompresses the nerve from the back rather than cutting through front neck tissue. The recovery timeline is short enough to protect your season while keeping full mobility.