Lower back pain

[Lurch the stalker]

I have a friend (yes, a real friend, not the "I'm asking for a 'friend'" type ) complaining about lower back pain and migraines (though I have my doubts about it being a migraine, but maybe I'm just insensitive .

They're not a cyclist, it's just a day to day thing.

I see a lot of comments about people saying it's a weak core, which I already told them.

They seem to prefer the option of painkillers/anti-inflamatories over the 'get off your ass and do something about it' approach.

I know that it's a lot like leading a horse to water and not being able to make it drink but I will give them the exercises listed here.

Assuming they can't be bothered to even do those little exercises, does anyone have healthier suggestions besides prescribed drugs? I'm sure it can't be healthy to be taking a cocktail of drugs every other day for what I imagine is  an over exaggeration of the situation (or they should be in a wheelchair by now by my thinking )

[AlanD]

The only thing the drugs will do is treat the symptom rather than the cause.

 

A chiropractor is the way to go for sure. I went as i had strianed my lower back and the pain went to my left hip and leg.

 

Got my spine re-alined (sound worse than it is but its just about pushing it into place again where it has gone skew), hips loosened and some acupuncture. I was given specific stretches to do which i did regularly and now lower back is all good.

[Rocket-Boy]

As others said before its core strength.

www.pinkbike.com/u/yoga15app/blog/15-minute-yoga-routine-to-build-core-strength.html

It took a long time to find some good core yoga exercises without all the earth hippy crap.

Been doing that for a week and the difference is amazing.

[RyanD]

Core training worked wonders for me. Look at TRX straps. Lower back pain is gone and I climb better on the bike. I also am able to stand faster in technical terrain when I am broken.

 

Seat hieght is also a problem and can cause issues with ones lower back

[V12man]

Some people like the attention they get from being unwilling to help themselves or even try to help themselves.

 

Best advice for lower back pain - loosen belt buckle 2 notches - it's there to hold your pants up, not hold your gut in...

[EmptyB]

I have the last 2 to do still.... 300 sec will for sure be tough...

Did you find this helpful?

 

Recently started suffering from rather severe lower back pain while riding and am basically getting pretty despondent.

 

Think I need to see an expert on this...do you suggest a physio or chiropractor?

 

Had a professional bike set up done exactly one year ago and haven't changed anything as far as the bike goes.

 

Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance.

[EmptyB]

Back on to the topic of planking, I will be starting a program tomorrow with a friend.

 

The 30 Day Plank Challenge will send your core strength through the roof! Yes, all you have to do is HOLD this position, nothing else! It looks pretty easy, but it isn't!

Day 1 - 20 seconds

Day 2 - 20 seconds

Day 3 - 30 seconds

Day 4 - 30 seconds

Day 5 - 40 seconds

Day 6 - REST

Day 7 - 45 seconds

Day 8 - 45 seconds

Day 9 - 60 seconds

Day 10 - 60 seconds

Day 11 - 60 seconds

Day 12 - 90 seconds

Day 13 - REST

Day 14 - 90 seconds

Day 15 - 90 seconds

Day 16 - 120 seconds

Day 17 - 120 seconds

Day 18 - 150 seconds

Day 19 - REST

Day 20 - 150 seconds

Day 21 - 150 seconds

Day 22 - 180 seconds

Day 23 - 180 seconds

Day 24 - 210 seconds

Day 25 - 210 seconds

Day 26 - REST

Day 27 - 240 seconds

Day 28 - 240 seconds

Day 29 - 270 seconds

Day 30 - PLANK FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!!

....and did this send your core strength through the roof?

[Thor Buttox]

Did you find this helpful?

 

Recently started suffering from rather severe lower back pain while riding and am basically getting pretty despondent.

 

Think I need to see an expert on this...do you suggest a physio or chiropractor?

 

Had a professional bike set up done exactly one year ago and haven't changed anything as far as the bike goes.

 

Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance.

Been right through the whole drill myself and unless it is a muscle spasm caused by an imbalance, or specific muscle weakness, I really suggest the following:

 

1. Get an Xray/s done. Our back starts degrading quite quickly at age 30 (from 18,actually...bit annoying) and all the bumps tend to start adding up. Had chronic pain and went through a whole host of treatments until I broke my pelvis at the end of last year. The xrays told me I had birth defects I had no clue about. Nothing terrible, but enlightening and directly aligned with the lower back stiffness.

 

2. My chiro is my mate, so I am lucky, but going to one without the root cause diagnosis does not work and unfortunately, in someone close to me, quite dangerous. Just like me, am X-ray showed bad degradation of the disks and vertebral fusion after two bad accidents she never had treatment for.

 

3. As others have said: a whole shed load of core rehab - probably assymmetric in nature. This helped me a lot. And luckily my condition requires a lot of exercise to keep things mobile.

 

4. Physios in my experience are great for alleviating pain, and some are far better than others at advising on specific relieving exercises. But to me it's more to treat and prevent the symptoms, than identify the underlying cause.

 

My 2c

[RyanD]

Physio does not work for me. Chiropractors to get my alignment sorted. Knee angle sets my seat hieght and then core work.

 

TRX strap atomic push-ups are killers but effective. 20x 3 sets at end of gym is where I am currently.

I have a pull-up bar at home and do a x fit excercise called knee ups. Start at a dead hang and bring knees to elbows. No momentum.

Several hundred crunches a week on the Swiss ball is another variation.

Sit on a bosu ball and move a medicine ball side to side with arms extended.

I am a farmer so have all the kit at home. That plus Google and there are many ways to work your core.

 

I find planks tedious. Not saying they are not effective.

 

Check your seat is straight and level, observe your knees when riding, look for differences between the paths your knees are traveling.

[EmptyB]

Been right through the whole drill myself and unless it is a muscle spasm caused by an imbalance, or specific muscle weakness, I really suggest the following:

 

1. Get an Xray/s done. Our back starts degrading at quickly at age 30 (from 18,actually...bit annoyng) and all the bumps tend to start adding up. Had chronic pain and went through a whole host of treatments until I broke my pelvis at the end of last year. The xrays told me I had birth defects I had no clue about. Nothing terrible, but enlightening and directly aligned with the lower back stiffness.

 

2. My chiro is my mate, so I am lucky, but going to one without the root cause diagnosis does not work and unfortunately, in someone close to me, quite dangerous. Just like me, am X-ray showed bad degradation of the disks and vertebral fusion after two bad accidents she never had treatment for.

 

3. As others have said: a whole shed load of core rehab - probably assymmetric in nature. This helped me a lot. And luckily my condition requires a lot of exercise to keep things mobile.

 

4. Physios in my experience are great for alleviating pain, and some are far better than others at advising on specific relieving exercises. But to me it's more treat and prevent the symptoms, than identify the underlying cause.

 

My 2c

Thanks, I really appreciate your input.

 

I think you may have hit the nail on the head with the "underlying cause". I need to figure this out because the onset of the pain has been over a short period of time. Last 2 months or so. Prior to this I can't ever recall having back pain like this.

 

Maybe I have injured myself somehow??

 

Also, I am the first to admit my core is weak and at age 44 I better start addressing that properly.

[V12man]

Did you find this helpful?

 

Recently started suffering from rather severe lower back pain while riding and am basically getting pretty despondent.

 

Think I need to see an expert on this...do you suggest a physio or chiropractor?

 

Had a professional bike set up done exactly one year ago and haven't changed anything as far as the bike goes.

 

Any advice is welcome, thanks in advance.

I have been more focused on core and strength work this year than I have been in the last 15 years, and it has paid dividends - especially in managing back pain - I have a lot less trouble than I used to, both on the bike and much more importantly off it.

 

I think you need to eliminate anything clinical first, (ortho) then get yourself in a position to excercise relatively pain free, (physio) then focus on building core strength (biokineticist) and some flexibility.

[Thor Buttox]

Thanks, I really appreciate your input.

 

I think you may have hit the nail on the head with the "underlying cause". I need to figure this out because the onset of the pain has been over a short period of time. Last 2 months or so. Prior to this I can't ever recall having back pain like this.

 

Maybe I have injured myself somehow??

 

Also, I am the first to admit my core is weak and at age 44 I better start addressing that properly.

It can quite easily be one degraded disk causing everything, as an example. In my case, it was decades of favouring a very weak lower back I knew nothing about. The more I trained the worse it got. Just becoming aware is the best plan... And if it prevents a full back seizure, it will all be worth it. I cannot tell you how painful that is.

[EmptyB]

I have been more focused on core and strength work this year than I have been in the last 15 years, and it has paid dividends - especially in managing back pain - I have a lot less trouble than I used to, both on the bike and much more importantly off it.

 

I think you need to eliminate anything clinical first, (ortho) then get yourself in a position to excercise relatively pain free, (physio) then focus on building core strength (biokineticist) and some flexibility.

Much appreciated, this is the route I'm going to go. Don't want to just launch into heavy core work and possibly do more harm than good until I know what has caused this.

[EmptyB]

It can quite easily be one degraded disk causing everything, as an example. In my case, it was decades of favouring a very weak lower back I knew nothing about. The more I trained the worse it got. Just becoming aware is the best plan... And if it prevents a full back seizure, it will all be worth it. I cannot tell you how painful that is.

That's exactly my thinking...I need to know what the problem is then go from there.

 

Someone I know had similar to what you describe and they said it was an absolute nightmare!

 

Glad you are on the right track and thanks again...

[V12man]

Much appreciated, this is the route I'm going to go. Don't want to just launch into heavy core work and possibly do more harm than good until I know what has caused this.

as long as you are not feeling any sensation changes in your legs, you should be ok to start core work slowly - ease into it rather than go big quickly- takes a while to undo 15 years of no core work

[SlowManiac]

There are lots of causes of lower back pain. I'm not really a follower of core work but I guess it might work for some.

 

What has worked for me is stretching and one stretch in particular.

 

If you sit at a desk all day (like I do) then your hip flexors will tend to shorten. This in turn causes the hips to tilt forward (excessive curve in the lower back). Stretching the hip flexors every couple of days pretty much solved my problem.

 

Stretch I do is the half kneeling one, trick is to activate your glutes to tilt your hips backward. Should feel the stretch in your hip flexors.