About 14 years ago, I had a spinal fusion/nerve decompression operation to treat degenerative disc disease. I was 21 at the time & was told by the surgeon I had the back of a 70 year old. After a long recovery period and exercise program the surgery generally relieved my previous condition of severe lower lumbar pain & pins & needles & pain that radiated into my legs and arms. Since my surgery, I've had episodes where the pain returned, including the radiating kind, but generally it was because I was lifting something heavier than I should have, sitting too long, etc. and it's always gone away after a few days.

Five days ago, I was working out on a new stationary recumbent bike. I purchased it to add to my fitness program which includes walking 2 miles every evening, part of an effort to lose weight and lose some of the belly I'm getting that obviously puts strain on the back. On the bike, I increased the level of resistance from the lowest ("ride throught the park") to the next level ("rolling hills") I stayed on this level for the same 25 minutes I spent on the lowest level the previous few days.

Within 30 minutes or so after I stopped exercising I began having pretty sharp pains near the site of my surgery, radiating into my legs & with pins & needles. It's seemed to get slowly better but I can't sit nearly as long as I could before without pain & pins & needles occurring. I've treated the pain when it's the worst with half a Vicodin and during the day with Tramadol, a non-narcotic. Just tonight when I walked about half a mile it seemed to make it worse. Is there any way overdoing it on a recumbent exercise bike could have done any real damage to my spine?!