The urologist and the bicycle...

cabin111
on 5/5/11 8:19 am
Saw my urologist this morning...check up from the bladder stones in January.  I told him I ride my bike quite a bit...wanted to get his thoughts.  He said I am putting a lot of pressure on my bladder and prostate and would recommend against it.  He said if I do ride, I need to get a well cushioned bike seat.  I asked him about bike pants and protection for that area...He said the pants don't work for my condition.  He recommended I take up swimming because of my bad back...Which I don't want to go back to (I sunk like a rock last time).  Just sharing what he said about bladder stones and the bike...
cabin111
on 5/5/11 8:28 am

I Googled this too..
Bike Riding & Bladder Irritation Add to my favorites    

Bike Riding & Bladder Irritation Bike Riding & Bladder Irritation

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Bike Riding & Bladder Irritation

 

Overview

Bike riding is considered to be a healthful way to benefit from exercise that puts minimal strain on the joints of your body. In addition, biking outdoors will boost vitamin D production for healthy bones and a stable mood. However, bike riding is not without negative elements, and like any sport, it is important to understand how you might injure yourself while participating. One of the most common of negative impacts related to bike riding beside accidental falls is the possible occurrence of bladder infections. Should you develop a bladder infection from riding your bike, consult with your doctor to deal with the infection right away.

Bike Seats

Bike seats can place undue pressure upon the delicate urethra, especially in women. This pressure can promote irritation, inflammation and infection, which can lead to painful and frequent urination. Unchecked, this type of infection can travel to the kidneys, which can be quite dangerous. To reduce the pressure on your urethra while bike riding, it may be advisable to purchase a bike seat that boasts additional padding and a wider girth for additional support. A wider seat allows pressure to disperse throughout the muscles where you sit instead of focusing all weight between the legs and on the urethra. Memory foam seats can reduce pressure points and may be helpful in reducing pressure on the urethra as well.

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Duration

People who enjoy long bike rides spend more time in a position. which may compromise urethra health. After reducing risk for bladder infections with a more forgiving bike seat, the second factor you must consider is duration of biking time. For long bike rides, you may wish to shift position periodically to ensure you are resting primarily on your gluttious maximus muscles rather than leaning forward into the seat as you ride. Reducing pressure time is key to preventing irritation and infection.

Friction

Rough terrain is another factor in impacting the urethra tissue. When mountain biking or covering rough patches, elevate your body from the seat slightly to reduce jarring to delicate tissue.

Prevention

Drinking enough water when biking will help to keep fluids moving through the body, which will reduce bacterial buildup. In addition, if you are prone to bladder infections, it may be beneficial to drink at least 1 glass unsweetened cranberry juice daily. Cranberries contain a slippery alkaloid, which prevents bacteria from clinging to to walls of your urethra and bladder. This preventative technique can also be used while treating an infection to promote healing and fast recovery. Sweetened cranberry juice has significantly less benefit because sugar feeds bacterial growth, which may defeat the purpose when trying to prevent or heal infection. According to "The Essential Oil Desk Reference," 8 drops of Cyprus essential oil in 10 oz. of water taken two times a day may stall a threatened bladder infection in its tracks. Do not consume for more than three days and be sure to keep essential oils away from children and animals to avoid toxic ingestion. Because bladder infections can develop serious complications in addition to being very uncomfortable, consult with your doctor at the first sign of discomfort, fever or pain.

MacMadame
on 5/5/11 9:56 am - Northern, CA
I sink like a stone since I lost weight too. But the swim coaches in my club say you can get around that and that not sinking is really about keeping moving.

So maybe some swim lessons?

Or, if you like to bike, just do more shorter trips. Or maybe a different kind of biking -- the geometry of a road bike vs TT bike vs commuter bike vs mountain bike vs recumbent bike are all slightly different so one might put less stress on the bladder than others.

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cabin111
on 5/5/11 4:19 pm
Yeah, I think I'll look into swimming again.  The thing is I'm like you...I LOVE biking.  It's the closest thing to an idol I have here on earth.  Was looking into maybe getting a foam seat or one that has a hole in the middle of the seat...Made just for that issue (urologic).
Kim S.
on 5/5/11 11:35 pm - Helena, AL
There has GOT to be a solution out there, and if not..........time for you to become an inventor!!  Find a way to make this work--don't give up something you love!  Wishing you the best!

Kim
             
     
InkdSpEdTchr
on 5/6/11 6:12 am, edited 5/6/11 6:12 am
I've got a seat with a hole in the middle and I love it, but maybe you should look into a recumbent? There are lots of different kinds and I see them out on the road all the time. Plus, you have such lower resistance! They may go slowly up hill climbs, but man if they fly on those downhills!!!

:Danni  >>>AIDS/LifeCycle 10 & 11 Finisher: 545miles on the bike in 7 days <<<
HW390/SW340/CW 208/GW170
                   
  

             
  

cabin111
on 5/6/11 8:53 am

Another grab from the internet...No endorsement...But I may get something like these...
Here's a list of manufacturers that are selling some of these ergonomic bike seats on the internet:

  1. Airbunz
  2. Specialized - Body Geometry Bike Saddles
  3. Spongy Wonder


Specialized™ Bike Seat

Designed by Roger Minkow, M.D.


Relevant Anatomy


Spongy Wonder™ Bike Seat


AeroSaddle™


AirBunz™
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