I had my ACL redone about 2 years ago. I am 33 now and have 3 young children. Being the provider of the family I had a hard time going easy and took less than a week from work.

Two years later my surgically repaired leg is still only 60-70% as strong as my good leg. My job has me lifting, driving, walking, bending over all day long.

I have since developed sciatic pain and bad back. I never had these problems before. MRI showed a degenerative spine with minor problems from L1 to S1 the major problem being at L5-S1.

Would bad body mechanics, the weaker leg, and improper PT following the surgery lead to this back problem? Is back pain/problems common with ACL patients????

Would cycling be a good method of restrengthening this weaker leg? Do I need to lift weights also?

Any good suggestion?