Back problems at the World

[popsicletrees]

Last year my dad had two surgeries on his lower spine within a month of each other. His back will never feel the same again, but he is still able to function normally. We are visiting WDW in September, and the whole family wants him to be able to enjoy himself. There isn't a huge concern that he could strain his back and break another disc. The concern is that he will get really sore and not want to do anything.
No one in our party has been on EE yet, and I was wondering how rough or how smooth of a ride it is. The rides that he enjoys at the parks are the rides that have warnings for people with back problems. So, if anyone has had back problems, what rides do you avoid and what rides can you go on? I don't think he should ride BTMR or SM because it will probably make him sore, but RnR doesn't cause your body to move around too much because of how tightly you are strapped in. He is the only person that can determine if he thinks he can handle the more thrilling rides, but I was hoping to get some suggestions and opinions.

 

[ilovepluto23]

Last year my dad had two surgeries on his lower spine within a month of each other. His back will never feel the same again, but he is still able to function normally. We are visiting WDW in September, and the whole family wants him to be able to enjoy himself. There isn't a huge concern that he could strain his back and break another disc. The concern is that he will get really sore and not want to do anything.
No one in our party has been on EE yet, and I was wondering how rough or how smooth of a ride it is. The rides that he enjoys at the parks are the rides that have warnings for people with back problems. So, if anyone has had back problems, what rides do you avoid and what rides can you go on? I don't think he should ride BTMR or SM because it will probably make him sore, but RnR doesn't cause your body to move around too much because of how tightly you are strapped in. He is the only person that can determine if he thinks he can handle the more thrilling rides, but I was hoping to get some suggestions and opinions.

RnRc really bothers my mom's back although she does not have back problems like your dad. She doesn't go on RnRc or Space Mountain anymore b/c they're too rough on her.

Everyone's different though.

 

[Timothy Q Mouse]

These two lists might help him decide:
http://allearsnet.com/tp/rr.htm and http://allearsnet.com/pl/motion.htm

The first is a comprehensive list of all the ride restriction warnings. The second, although it deals with motion sickness, lists how rough a lot of the rides are. Together they might give your dad a better gauge of how his back might react to a ride. Hope this helps and you have a great trip!

 

[disney4me4ever]

Two back surgeries here......I did find EE a little rough, but I went on it twice. However I tried RnRC and when I got off, thought "bad idea" and have never been on again. Same with Space Mtn. I do love Big Thunder Mtn, though and don't have any problems on that. It's a very subjective thing. Good luck.

 

[Nemo14]

DH has never had surgery, but he does have back problems occasionally. The only ride he has ever had a problem with was Space Mountain.

 

[Skippy2000]

I've had 3 back surgeries, the most recent a little more than a year before my last trip to WDW. I'm not a coaster person, but did try Everest; it is pretty smooth, but I can see how some backs might react to the lateral g-forces. I think one to really avoid would be Tower of Terror and its vertical stresses; that was a "just once" for me. Test Track has never bothered me, nor has Dinosaur, but again, different kinds of back ailments and surgical histories likely react differently. Mission:Space "green" (the "lite" version") was great. A suggestion: we bought a number of those ThermaCare self-actuating heat wraps for our trip 8 weeks ago; they have them for backs, knees, and wrists I think. They're disposable, heat up on contact to air, and can easily be worn under clothes. I found them very effective for 8 - 10 hours of soothing heat. Seen them at Costco and various drug stores. Of course, wearing them in the Summer Florida heat might not be too appealing.......Good luck.

 

[KevinPage]

If you even have ANY doubt and he has had recent surgery I would avoid EE.

Not that it is a rough ride, but there are plenty of lateral G forces, a double helix and multiple changes in direction, which could cause some havoc to someone with back problems.

 

[One Lil Spark]

My 49 year old dad has herniated 4 discs total in his back since '89.

He cannot under any circumstances (even on a good day) handle:
ToT
Star Tours
RnRC
BTMRR
Body Wars (not that it matters anymore)
Space Mountain
Teacups
Dinosaur

He can handle with "proper prepping":
Test Track (only the rough parts will bother him on a bad day)
Primevil Whirl
Splash Mountain (it turns out that he timed the drop one day from watching the decent over and over. It goes "one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand SPLASH!" and since he knows that's how long it takes for impact, he can prepare himself accordingly.)

I am pretty sure that those are all the attractions that bother his back. He will usually bring enough meds - OTC and such - and take them as a preemptive measure rather than on a needed basis. I hope this helps you! :wave:

 

[thecompman]

On my first trip to Disney 3 years ago, I had herniated a disc in my back about 3 weeks prior to my trip. I was in a lot of pain, but I was determined to go as I was way too excited to call off the trip. I took a lot of Advil, and I wore those Thermacare heat wraps the whole time. Boy were those great, it was just like having a full time heating pad on my back. None of the rides seemed to aggravate the condition, maybe I was just so excited to be on the ride that I didn't notice. I also found that walking helped the condition, and there is no lack of walking around those theme parks.

 

[Jekyll Baker]

A couple years ago, went with my parents. Dad hasn't had back surgery, but his back just isn't what it used to be. He was OK on most everything he rode (he did avoid SM and RNRC - he's not a big fan of rollercoasters). However Dinosaur did put him out of commission for the rest of that day. But Star Tours didn't bother him at all the day before - go figure.

On a slight aside, I know when my back starts getting tired/achey/bothersome, I find that a ride or two on SSE usually helps it - I guess it's the sitting in the hard seat at an incline. I also find a ride on M:S kinda relaxing too, but that's just me.

 

[Spine_DR]

My Mom has a herniated L5(lower back), she hasnt had any surgery for this because regular Chiropractic adjustments from me keep her asymptomatic. She loves the ToT and usually goes on the rnrc also and both really light her up but she has her own chiropractor with her. People with back problems usually can't have the most trouble with compressive forces( pushing straight down). The rnrc with its loop at 60mph produces the most of these forces out of any WDW ride evan ToT. Every one is different in both condition and pain tolerences but to make sure the trip is enjoyable as possible He might want to stay away from rnrc and ToT.

 

[barnum42]

It will depend on the nature of the surgery and I'd say that his surgeon would be the best person to give advice on this.

My Mother has had spinal problems and will avoid all the back problem rides bar Splash Moutain and the Safari.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I'm currently suffering from lower back pain. Its an old injury from 3 years ago which flairs up every once in a while and I have undergone periods of intense physiotherapy. I'm taking pain killers with me and will incorporate how the back felt on the various rides when I do the trip report. (Somebody remind me if I forget)

 

[kachow]

Only your dad is going to really know what types of forces most bother him. I know for me, it's the older rides that bother me more, but that's because my back reacts mostly to vertical forces, and the older rides like Space and Big Thunder Mountain have rougher tracks with alot more jarring. I find RnR to be a smooth ride, really, with the exhileration coming more from the speed and the effect on my equilibrium than from quick jarring.

I'd also say definitely plan a break during the day. For me, the worst thing on my back is standing for an extended period of time (i.e. waiting in line), so just getting off my feet is a good thing. A mid-day rest at the pool can be very helpful.

 

[Scooter]

Avoid the following if you have middle or lower back pain:

1) Space Mountain
2) Rock N Roller Coaster
3) Expedition Everest
4) Primeviel Whirl

Be careful when riding Pirates of The Carribean...the boats sometimes smack into each other during unloading and the sudden jolt can result in a painful situation so brace yourself. Also...the Splash mountain logs jerk suddenly when they climb before the last drop. This hurts like heck if you aren't braced for it and have back problems.

Note: These are the attractions that brought ME pain when I had back problems.
Everyones situations are differant.

 

[popsicletrees]

I wanted to thank everyone for their advice. I think we will definitely be investing in some of the ThermaCare wraps. My dad plans on taking plenty of down-time to rest, and walking really helps his back. He seems to be in the worst pain when he is immobile for awhile. However, he had to go on a business trip to Slough in the UK last week and he said the long plane trip didn't cause him much discomfort. So here's hoping to no pain at the World.

 

[barnum42]

However, he had to go on a business trip to Slough in the UK last week and he said the long plane trip didn't cause him much discomfort.

If he can stand Slough then Disney should be easy

Did he know how to pronounce "Slough"? :lol:

 

[popsicletrees]

If he can stand Slough then Disney should be easy

Did he know how to pronounce "Slough"? :lol:

When he first told us he was going across the pond he pronounced it "slaw". Then he started pronouncing it "slough". He hasn't said it any differently since he came back, so I guess he was pronouncing it correctly.

 

[barnum42]

The pronunciation is Sl-ou (The "ou" as in ouch). The jokey way is "sluff"

 

[popsicletrees]

Good. We ended up saying it the right way. The jokey way is too funny. He said he could see Windsor Castle from his hotel room, but he wasn't too happy being there in the middle of a heatwave with no airconditioning.