Concept2 Forum

I have been using my new Concept 2 D for about 8 weeks as a means of weight loss exercise. This, along with diet care has resulted in a weight loss over 5 months of 28 pounds.

I have typically been rowing 2 workouts of 5k each day plus floor and weights (dumbbell moderate use) and use a drag factor of 110. Each 5k takes around 30 minutes. I am 76 year old male.

A couple of weeks ago I experienced a sharp pain in the outside of my right knee whilst on the Erg. I thought nothing of it at the time as it was so transitory and there was no further pain. Now I have been suffering from terrible sciatica pain in the right leg. There is stretch pain behind the right knee, pain at the right side of the knee and shooting nerve pain down leg from knee to ankle. The pain goes with codeine/paracetamol in high dosage and ibuprofen also gives relief.

I have suspended rowing now for a week but must say that if I do use the Erg I don't actually experience pain when on it. The leg does not seem to be getting any better with no rowing

I suspect I have a trapped perineal nerve but would welcome any sympathy and advice on how to proceed. I enjoy indoor rowing and it was helping me achieve my weight loss ambitions - I am now quite depressed at the thought that my enthusiasm may have resulted in an end to this. I could go to Dr and wait weeks and weeks for a referral or go private and sell Erg to pay for it

Sorry to hear this Jirams, unfortunately there's no substitute for medical advice on this. Physio and / or Doctor will need to give you a proper opinion. Possibly a chiropractor might help too as it might be a misaligned spine; something I used to get quite a lot due to one really tight hip flexor.

You might be lucky and rest / gentle exercise might do the trick, but don't risk anything until you've got some proper medical advice

Dangerspouse suffered terribly from sciatica, but she had a degenerated disc and needed replacement surgery, so I can sympathise.

Sympathy you have Jirams as I had sciatica pain for a while, affected my whole right leg from arse to ankle at a time when I was driving a lot. The long sitting with small foot movements made it excruciating for me.

Advice - medical.

I was fortunate that my workplace has a medical centre and a Physio.
I had a few (equally painful) massage sessions where he got his thumbs right in my leg muscles and made me scream which did help.

Then he gave me some stretching excercises to do which focussed on my right side which, after a few weeks of doing morning and night actually worked.

I still do those excercises when I get stiff or a bit of a twinge.

All this was before I started erging and since I have been doing it there has been no recurrence of the sciatica pain.

So yeah, go to the Doc first - you might have some thing other than sciatica if you also have pain centralised aroung the knee.

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Hi Guys - thanks for the advice.

Have been to see Dr and examination indicates no serious injury other than possible nerve compression. Have activated Physio self referral service and await appointment.

Believe it or not but have been told that it's OK to use Erg.

Will try wearing a knee support whilst rowing.

Glad to get back to Erg.

About 23 years ago, when I was helping build the house we now live in, I badly injured my lower back.

The result was terrible lower back pain that went from a hip to my toes on that side of my body.

I suffered through it for days or a week or two, then finally saw a doctor about it.

I had lower disc damage, but not bad enough for surgery (thankfully).

The doctor "prescribed" a book written by a New Zealand medical professional named Robin McKenzie. The book is titled "Treat your own back". A brief, paperback book explaining lower back problem causes and including sketches showing perhaps 10 simple exercises. I read the book, did the exercises (probably half-heartedly), and the pain went away and stayed away for all these years.

I tell my story every time I learn of someone suffering from pain that might be lower back related.

I'm not a medical professional and recommend following the advice of someone who is.

Good news Jirams. It's really frustrating when you can't erg because of an injury