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Lower Back Issues

2K views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  Dms1818 
#1 ·
So back in January of 2008 I set out on a fitness journey to conquer a 50 lb weight loss goal of mine. Over the course of my twenties I slowly put on weight from a sedentary job, from stress, and from eating like I was 18. :disgust1: In May of 2008 I conquered this goal, primarily thanks to MTB'n. You can read about what I did here to further detail this journey if you are interested in learning more. (www.JoshReam.info).

That being said, I'm posting today because I've noticed a developing issue with my lower back. Because I was mtn biking 3-4 times a week and weight training twice a week, I began to develop some pain in my lower back. I called my sister who's an occupational therapist (same thing as a PT, just works with job rehabilitation to get people back to work) and she informed me that my cycling muscles were probably becoming stronger than the counter balance of my core muscles. This supposively causes them to pull on my lower back muscles I guess.

I'm posting to see if there are any atheletes(pro or homebread alike) on this board that are familiar with this issue caused by cycling, and what you might suggest for either training these counter balance muscles, or, stretching in order to aleviate this pull. The pain got so bad after every ride that I've stopped riding to give my body some time to recoup. But, because of the holidays, and no cycling time, I've gained 5 lbs again. I don't want to start creeping back up, so any info would be much appreciated! :thumbsup:
 
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#2 ·
Colo.Josh said:
So back in January of 2008 I set out on a fitness journey to conquer a 50 lb weight loss goal of mine. Over the course of my twenties I slowly put on weight from a sedentary job, from stress, and from eating like I was 18. :disgust1: In May of 2008 I conquered this goal, primarily thanks to MTB'n. You can read about what I did here to further detail this journey if you are interested in learning more. (www.JoshReam.info).

That being said, I'm posting today because I've noticed a developing issue with my lower back. Because I was mtn biking 3-4 times a week and weight training twice a week, I began to develop some pain in my lower back. I called my sister who's an occupational therapist (same thing as a PT, just works with job rehabilitation to get people back to work) and she informed me that my cycling muscles were probably becoming stronger than the counter balance of my core muscles. This supposively causes them to pull on my lower back muscles I guess.

I'm posting to see if there are any atheletes(pro or homebread alike) on this board that are familiar with this issue caused by cycling, and what you might suggest for either training these counter balance muscles, or, stretching in order to aleviate this pull. The pain got so bad after every ride that I've stopped riding to give my body some time to recoup. But, because of the holidays, and no cycling time, I've gained 5 lbs again. I don't want to start creeping back up, so any info would be much appreciated! :thumbsup:
Unfortunately, I too have problems with my lower back... I'm not a doctor, but I can tell you what I've done that seems to help me.

I have an inversion table... this helps stretch the lower back muscles and decompresses the discs... I spend about 10min at the very most per day on my inversion table.

I ride a lot wearing a motocross kidney belt(it has lower back support) and it sure seems to help me and may help you.

Of course, consult your doctor about anything you try.
 
#3 ·
Josh,

Many have back pain from riding including my self. I'm middle aged and ride like I'm in my 20's so I figure I will have some pain. Some have it in their back, some in their knees, some in their shoulders, etc. I guess you could avoid all pain by buying a Barco Lounger. Anyway, the best thing is stretching before and after a ride.

One more thing, do a search here and you will find a wealth of information, or just skroll down and look for back pain headings.

David
 
#5 ·
Lower back pain sucks

Yo,
I can speak with some experience here not to mention some serious compassion. Humans weren;t designed to ride bikes. it does not mean we can't but there are some challenges.
lower back pain is usually the result of either/and tight muscles/lack of flexibility, some sort of some congenital discrepancy (like one leg longer, rotated pelvis) and some muscle degeneration due to a lack of other types of exercise/lifestyle. specifically the current modern mtb lifestyle which is ride ride ride, sit in office chair, sit in bar stool, ride ride ride, repeat.

So whatever, right? here is the basic rehab advice from some years of experience.

1) walk every morning for 15 mins. this will align your back and joints after sleeping and warm you up.

2) do not stretch when cold especially first thing in the morning. the discs in your back need an hour after waking minimum to become flexible again as during the night your back stiffens--discs fill with fluid to become less flexible. this is a hormonal thing that happens at night to protect your back. stretching when early in the morning will do harm,

2.5) look into getting a tempurpedic bed. dude these are so rad!

3) start a routine 4 times a week which involves stretching quads and hamstrings as well as hip flexors and abductors--this should take 15-20 mins. breathe deeply when stretching!
after warm do crunches, back extensions, swiss ball core exercises etc. you can do almost all of this on the floor. generally those exercises you see in outside, men's health and so forth, though gayer than liberace's dig, are pretty legit for building strength.

floor pilates class is really a good idea to do for a few weeks if anything to learn some good small range of motion strengthening exercises.

in the end you can make your back feel like new but it takes a little bit of time everyday. if you hit the gym, start light with high reps to build strength and flexibility before trying to be the hero..
and good luck!
 
#6 ·
All the above. Focus on hams, quads, IT band, lower back and glut stretching. Make sure your saddle isn't even 1/2" too low. I occasionally use CycloCore DVD's.....they really hurt if you do them as prescribed and you will be sore from that as well! As long as it is good pain, right?
 
#9 ·
Some good advice above. I've had low-back problems for years. The most valuable for me have been:
Inversion - I have a Teeter Hangup of infomercial fame. It is a very solid and well designed piece of equipment. Almost every time I use it, I can feel/hear the disks re-align and decompress. I've also (re)gained about 1/4" in height since using it. When my low-back is bothering me, that's my first stop.

Core ball - laying on you back over the ball (gently) and rolling back and forth will often result in an adjustment as well as good stretch as you relax into the curve of the ball.

Hyperextensions - I have a piece of equipment, but you can also do this by laying on your stomach on the floor and raising up. Do this in conjunction with abs, or don't do it at all. Muscle balance is a key as others have said.

Myofascial release - a bodywork therapist such as a Rolfer can be almost like Oral Roberts - a good one can lay their hands on you and you are healed (for a while anyway). I am lucky enough to have this guy http://www.ericdalton.com/ just a few miles away and see him monthly.

Good Luck
 
#11 ·
Honestly, backs are like magic. You need to experiment and find what works best for you.

I've had minor back pain from a torn muscle in my lower back I got in HS. Doing core work and stretching pretty much kept that pain in bay.

About 5 years ago I was in a car accident and my back has never been the same. What I've learned is the medical profession doesn't really know. For example blind populations studies have shown 1 in 3 people over 18yrs old have a bulging or herniated disk under MRI. Something like 1 in 10 of those people ever experience pain. Which is about the same number of people who don't have a bulging or herniated disk that have back pain.

After my accident I went through physiatrists and anesthesiologists (pain clinics). This actually really helped lower/mid-back pain I had, but not my lo-back pain. I also tried massage and physical therapists and chiropractors (back pain clinic). These made no difference at all. The chiro was great for taking out everyday kinks though.

One day while getting a refill of Celebrex (it sucks Bextra was pulled) my family doc told me to try an acupuncturist. At this point I was willing to try anything out. Unbelievably to me, this worked the best. I've been the most pain free in 5 years. Enough that I'm not taking any pain meds:thumbsup: Now as soon as my back feels "odd" I schedule an appt.

Now I'm not saying for you that acupuncture is the magic bullet. I'm just saying you need to try everything, and not to write anything off like I did.

Good luck!
 
#12 ·
nm_gunslinger said:
Honestly, backs are like magic. You need to experiment and find what works best for you.

I've had minor back pain from a torn muscle in my lower back I got in HS. Doing core work and stretching pretty much kept that pain in bay.

About 5 years ago I was in a car accident and my back has never been the same. What I've learned is the medical profession doesn't really know. For example blind populations studies have shown 1 in 3 people over 18yrs old have a bulging or herniated disk under MRI. Something like 1 in 10 of those people ever experience pain. Which is about the same number of people who don't have a bulging or herniated disk that have back pain.

After my accident I went through physiatrists and anesthesiologists (pain clinics). This actually really helped lower/mid-back pain I had, but not my lo-back pain. I also tried massage and physical therapists and chiropractors (back pain clinic). These made no difference at all. The chiro was great for taking out everyday kinks though.

One day while getting a refill of Celebrex (it sucks Bextra was pulled) my family doc told me to try an acupuncturist. At this point I was willing to try anything out. Unbelievably to me, this worked the best. I've been the most pain free in 5 years. Enough that I'm not taking any pain meds:thumbsup: Now as soon as my back feels "odd" I schedule an appt.

Now I'm not saying for you that acupuncture is the magic bullet. I'm just saying you need to try everything, and not to write anything off like I did.

Good luck!
Can you elaborate on the amount of intial visits it took too become pain free? I've used it on my shoulder with great results and may try it on my lower back as soon as my daily core routine proves ineffective

David
 
#13 ·
KevinJ said:
I've had lower back pain since I was 17 and the thing that helped me the most was strengthening my back/core with stretches my physiotherapy guy gave me.

Stretching once a day can make a world of difference.

Oh, and a good mattress is definitely key.
Keven,

Can you elaborate on your daily routine? I'm always looking to modify mine and have been doning so for almost a year.

David
 
#14 ·
Mojo Man said:
Can you elaborate on the amount of intial visits it took too become pain free? I've used it on my shoulder with great results and may try it on my lower back as soon as my daily core routine proves ineffective

David
I assume you're asking about the acupuncture? If I recall correctly, initially I was set up for something like 2 visits a weeks for 4-6 weeks. By the second or third visit I started noticing an improvement.

I find for me there's kind of a latent effect after the treatment. It seems that it takes a couple of days for the full effect of the visit to work. IOW, I don't walk out of the office going wow.
 
#15 ·
Man, seems like a ton of us have lower back issues. I've had lower back issues for about 10 years (I'm 26 now). The key is to visit a good physical therapist. They'll identify the cause of your problems and the best stretches/strengthening exercises to do. The PT laid me on my back, twisted my hips and legs to identify the points of pain, and prescribed me a list of stretches and body mechanic changes.

Are your pains intermittent? Onset by certain leg/back motions? Is it a numbing pain, pulling pain, or aching pain? Are there any points of your leg/foot that seem tight/pained/numb?

Also, I lost about 35 lbs in 8 weeks in 2006. This seemed to exacerbate my back problems. It's possibly because the significant drop in weight caused my body to shift center of gravity and all my exercising was over-extending my normal range of motion. I am double jointed/flexible for a clyde. Without the fat in the way, I was bending and twisting my back beyond what my muscles and nerves could handle. Insta-compression and inflammation...

The best advice I can give is to visit a professional and zone in on your problems. You'll have to be more conscious about your everyday body mechanics, posture, stretches, and perhaps a change to your riding position.
 
#16 ·
At 49 my lower back is shot from a lifetime of doing stupid sh#t. I have found that a dedicated core routine helps keep my back pain under control. I train at the gym 4 days/week, but I do a different core routine every day, Cycling really helps stretch my back so have minor back discomfort only in the winter. If a weak core can't support you you will be it agony. A strong core is very important. Go to YouTube for your core routines and buy an exercise ball, it's the best 20.00 you can spend. Good luck
 
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