Lower Back Pain

[PeteStatic]

I took up cycling and joined this forum about a year ago. For six months I commuted to work regularly and even did a 100 mile cycle ride over two days one weekend. Then early last summer I hurt my back running to pick up a cricket ball and my back has never fully recovered.

I've seen a physio who told me I damaged my back but it was not a ruptured a disk. I did some damage and that it can take a long time to heal. She doesn't believe the injury was cycling related but I have noticed that my back gets worse every time I cycle.

I have read a number of articles on the internet which seem to say that cycling does not build up core strength and that your lower back muscles act like a shock absorber and that is why they can get damaged.

I do regular core strength excercises and they help a lot but once I get on the bike for any length of time the soreness returns. Should I forget about my bike altogether? I'm in my forties. Has anyone else had a similar injury and been able to recover to cycle regularly?

 

[snailracer]

Raise the bars and/or reduce the reach so you sit more upright - this reduces the tension in your lower back, at the cost of more compression when you hit bumps. Fit a sprung saddle, if you find the bumps jar your back by compression.

As your back (hopefully) recovers, you can gradually lower the bars and increase the reach to regain a more aero position.

 

[BentMikey]

I'd be very tempted to try a different physio. I'd also have a suspicion about tight hamstrings causing lower back problems, and cycling is known to tighten your hamstrings.

Worst comes to the worst, you could always get a recumbent. I ride one out of choice, but one member on here has significant back problems that leaves him with no option.

 

[riggsbie]

Recumbents are awesome........

I discovered them 1 year ago after having had back surgery, but now I think I would prefer my recumbent over an upright bike just due to the comfort factor !

3 wheeler recumbents are just such a hoot and bring out the child in you, cornering is awesome, try and get a ride on an ICE full suspension trike......

2 wheeled recumbents take a bit to re-learn how to ride but their speed is amazing.....

I now own 3 recumbents (GT5, Musashi, Vortex FS), the mountain bike was sold......

Paul


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[BlackPanther]

+1 for the recumbent. Here's me on mine!






Forgiveness please, it's my 1st you tuber.


I went 'bent for the speed rather than the comfort, but in my younger years I did suffer from a bad back caused by heavy lifting in my late teens. I found that doing a few press ups strengthened me up nicely and stopped further bouts, and I've been injury free for around 10 years.

 

[snorri]

Forgiveness please, it's my 1st you tuber.

Errr..... yes, but I think rear facing cameras are usually mounted behind the rider.

 

[BlackPanther]

Errr..... yes, but I think rear facing cameras are usually mounted behind the rider.

Doesn't apply on recumbents. You need to show that you are riding one, and not embarrassed whatsoever.

 

[ferret fur]

You need to stretch/build up core. Pilates/yoga/Alexander technique will be good for you. You may think that you are doing core work but it is quite easy to cheat & not do the stuff correctly. When I turned 40 my back was dreadfully stiff & really incapacitating.. Pilates has worked for me.

 

[Paul_L]

I think i can speak with some confidence on this one.

I'm 42 yo and have been cycling for 4 years. Previous to that i was a runner. I packed in running due to constant back problems. Back problems that were never really got to the bottom of. When i started cycling the back pain improved.

Then 2 years ago i suffered from sciatica for several months before..... BOOM a grade 3 slipped disc. I was confined to the floor for 3 weeks. Off work for 6 weeks, and off my bike for nearly 6 months.

Everything has a root cause. Mine was the fact that my right leg is about half an inch shorter than my left leg. This led to pelvic instability over many years. Other root causes may be easier to cure, eg. better positioning on your bike.

There are now two things that help my back. Core strengthening exercises such as ferret fur suggests. I do pilates and cannot recommend it highly enough. Cycling does little for core strength as you say. But any exercise which keeps your back loose helps. Swimming and cycling are both good for that. Now i've addressed the root cause, cycling helps my back pain. I know if i go for a week without cycling i start to feel soreness in my back.

Hope this helps. There's no need to pack in cycling (for me it's quite the opposite) but there is a need to address the root cause of your back pain. It might just be your back hasn't recovered from the cricketing injury yet?