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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 4, 2011 at 9:37am

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

 

 

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Permalink Reply by MagMileMarauder on March 4, 2011 at 10:01am

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!

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Permalink Reply by Mark Kenseth on March 4, 2011 at 10:10am

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.

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 5, 2011 at 5:41am

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.

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on March 5, 2011 at 7:24am

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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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on March 5, 2011 at 8:22am

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.  ;)

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on July 14, 2011 at 11:53am

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!

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Permalink Reply by in it to win it 8.0 mi on July 15, 2011 at 2:27am

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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