The Chainlink

Back pain and bicycling?

I have for the first time in my life felt real sore back pain. Two people have mentioned to me that it might be because of all those many years of cycling.

I am hoping this is not the case, I cannot see any other way to get around the way I want, to without being subject to too much crap with all the other transportation alternatives.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 4, 2011 at 12:07pm

My seat angle on the recumbent is fairly relaxed.  Also, I'm not pushing big gears unless I've worked up a lot of speed by starting from lower gears.

 

I'm not speaking from the perspective of a medical professional but from personal experience.  I've had back problems for years from an injury that happened when I was fairly young.  By doing recumbent riding in easier gears, not aggressive ones, spinning more than forcefully pushing, I've had very little back pain during and after my rides.  The only exception was last week's ride, when my quads weren't up to their share of the work.

 

Several friends whose riding technique is similar have reported similar results.  Again, the key is not pushing too hard.


H3N3 said:

Locking your lower back in flexion and then loading it forcefully via pedaling, as you do on a recumbent unless your position is so relaxed you're looking up into the trees, is a recipe for disaster.

You might think it "feels better" initially but it's the wrong thing.

Anne Alt said:

When your quads are in good shape and you don't push too aggressively beyond what you're in shape for, riding a recumbent can make your back feel better.  If I've been gardening or doing other work where I'm bent over, riding the recumbent without pushing too hard can relax the back.  "Without pushing too hard" is the important part to remember.

 

However, as I discovered recently, if you're getting back to riding after some time off and your quads are NOT up to speed (or if you're just asking your body to do more than it can deliver), your lower back may end up compensating for what your quads can't do, and you may injure your lower back in the process.

 

Recumbent riding works quads, glutes and lower back in a very different way than riding an upright bike.  It's much more like working out with a leg press machine.  If you try a recumbent, keep this in mind and allow your body time to get used to how different this workout really is.  Your back will thank you.


H3N3 said:

Hey, sorry, I know the recumbent folks mean well but it's absolutely not the solution for most back problems, and is likely to make them worse.

There's no way to answer this in any sort of useful way without knowing more than you'd probably want to post publicly, Juan.

Permalink Reply by tmacz on March 4, 2011 at 1:25pm

wow, so much good information!

 

As a chiropractor, "competitive" cyclist and daily commuter myself; the best advice is to first analyze what the root cause of the back pain.  There are two main types of causes which many times overlap; stuctural and functional types of back pain. 

For the sake of this reply I am excluding the neuro-emotional and psycho-somatic pain types (grouped together) as well as the pathological (cancer, tumor...) 

 

Structural = muscular imbalances, hypertonicity, inflexibility, misalignment(s)...

Functional = improper position (many apsects), joint/tendon tension relationship issues as it relates to certain positions on or off the bike (including sleeping), joint restriction

 

If it hurts after exercise it is most likely structural

If it hurts when you are moving, it is most likely functional

 

Long term wellness for every-cyclists-body; get bike -fitted, do core exercise, do yoga, foam roll your legs, get adjustments to the spine and pelvis, have massage therapy. Find someone you can trust, comes recommended, and is a cyclist!...to help assist you in your healing process.  Just because none of us are "pro" cyclists, doesn't mean we dont need "pro" therapy.  I hope that helps.  Tom

 

 

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 4, 2011 at 2:37pm
Thanks for summarizing this so well.

tmacz said:

wow, so much good information!

 

As a chiropractor, "competitive" cyclist and daily commuter myself; the best advice is to first analyze what the root cause of the back pain.  There are two main types of causes which many times overlap; stuctural and functional types of back pain. 

For the sake of this reply I am excluding the neuro-emotional and psycho-somatic pain types (grouped together) as well as the pathological (cancer, tumor...) 

 

Structural = muscular imbalances, hypertonicity, inflexibility, misalignment(s)...

Functional = improper position (many apsects), joint/tendon tension relationship issues as it relates to certain positions on or off the bike (including sleeping), joint restriction

 

If it hurts after exercise it is most likely structural

If it hurts when you are moving, it is most likely functional

 

Long term wellness for every-cyclists-body; get bike -fitted, do core exercise, do yoga, foam roll your legs, get adjustments to the spine and pelvis, have massage therapy. Find someone you can trust, comes recommended, and is a cyclist!...to help assist you in your healing process.  Just because none of us are "pro" cyclists, doesn't mean we dont need "pro" therapy.  I hope that helps.  Tom

 

 

Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on March 4, 2011 at 3:01pm
If you can sit on a chair without back pain, you should be able to sit upright on a bike without pain as well.  The cheapest way to do this on your current (or spare) bike is to replace the handlebars. There's a bit of labor involved, but nothing too difficult. I bought some cruiser style handlebars  and installed them on a 80s Schwinn 10 speed and it's very comfortable. In my experience, as somebody who has felt back pain on a bike, this solution worked well!
Permalink Reply by Mark Kenseth on March 4, 2011 at 3:10pm
I really like walking.  I feel like it stretches out my neck/shoulders and back, while working all other muscles and my brain.  An brisk hour walk is amazing for me.  Sometimes I elect to walk to school rather than ride my bike, and it really helps my entire body.
Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 5, 2011 at 10:41am
I like to maintain a balance between walking time and riding time.  It really makes a difference in terms of keeping various body parts happy and minimizing pain.  Relying too much on any one form of exercise favors certain muscles at the expense of others.
Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on March 5, 2011 at 12:24pm

THANK YOU ALL. I am so blessed to have come upon a great group of fellow cyclists. I have also been talking with my other cycling friends who are older. They all have thrown their back out as well. It is old age and previous years of abuse catching up with me. Getting old hits the high mark on the suckage meter ;(

I will make plans to go see my doctor, watch my posture on and off the bike, continue to work hard fine tuning my poses in yoga class, and reignite my love for long walks.

Last Friday I was fine until I downed a can of Four Loko (lemonade) and went on the Critical Mass ride. I was so excited to be part of the Bike winter art show, I was jumping like a mad man on the cold granite at the plaza. Watching out for cars and fellow massers, during the ride, I failed to lift up from my seat as I rolled over a deep crack in the road. The next day I was crawling out of bed on all fours from so much unfamiliar pain. 

Lessons learned...

Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 5, 2011 at 1:22pm
Yep, getting old sucks.  We gotta listen to our bodies and give 'em what they need, otherwise they may speak up later in bad ways.  ;)
Permalink Reply by h' Zerocats on March 5, 2011 at 3:12pm

Absolutely not trying to suggest that walking is not good for you but if you have back problems it's likely to result in increased pain and tightness without attention to proper stretching.

 

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade but I have a little expertise on this topic and without knowing anything but what Juan has posted here there's no way to know that any of this advice could apply to his situation. The best advice here is to seek out someone who knows what questions to ask, and run like hell from anyone who offers "one-size-fits-all" advice of any sort.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on July 14, 2011 at 5:53pm

Just a follow up; MRI revealed two bulging disks and some stenosis.

 

Instead of just cycling, I have started mixing my commute with long walks and some longboarding. My hot yoga practice (which was also recommended by my doctor) has helped to stretch and ease the lower back pain.

 

Howard, If you are going to Tour De Fat this Saturday, I would like to buy you a beer!

Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on July 15, 2011 at 8:27am

Welcome to the (OLD) club.  Next, you'll notice you have to hold your wrist about 18 inches from your face in order to tell what time it is...



Juan said:

THANK YOU ALL. I am so blessed to have come upon a great group of fellow cyclists. I have also been talking with my other cycling friends who are older. They all have thrown their back out as well. It is old age and previous years of abuse catching up with me. Getting old hits the high mark on the suckage meter ;(

I will make plans to go see my doctor, watch my posture on and off the bike, continue to work hard fine tuning my poses in yoga class, and reignite my love for long walks.

Last Friday I was fine until I downed a can of Four Loko (lemonade) and went on the Critical Mass ride. I was so excited to be part of the Bike winter art show, I was jumping like a mad man on the cold granite at the plaza. Watching out for cars and fellow massers, during the ride, I failed to lift up from my seat as I rolled over a deep crack in the road. The next day I was crawling out of bed on all fours from so much unfamiliar pain. 

Lessons learned...

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