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Low Back Pain


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your bike may be too small for you, or your saddle position is incorrect.

Bike fit is usually the biggest problem that causes lower back pain.

Also you should do as much stretching as possible, and spend at least 4 days a week doing core body strengthening exercises - stomach and back - the muscles that dont get worked when you cycle.
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First check that your bike is set up correctly, then hit the gym for some squats and abs. Dont kill yourself though, otherwise you will be too sore to ride.

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Fit can be an issue, but lower back pain can have very serious underlying issues like mechanical damage, spinal misalignment etc. Before fiddleinig on fit etc visit a doc and ask him to check for mechanical issues which may need to be addressed.

 

If all is well, MOST back pain is not fitment issues (this is commonly thrown around for every bicycle problem) but mostly caused by pushing too big a gear for too long for your current lower back strength level.

 

Runners get exactly the same problem when running too far and overworking the lower back which is a stabilising muscle and easily overworked.

 

..............and runners have no fitment issues.!

 

Anyway, its basically just overworked muscles like any other. Except the lower back gos easily into spasm takes much longer to recover from the inflamatory process than other muscles and when you continue working it hard it just gets worse.

 

The only remedy is rest and anti inflamatory medication, and building up the strength level of these muscles.

 
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I recently acquired a new bike and have also had some intense lower back pain. I never had such issues on my old bike, which was a M in size. My new bike is a L. I sorted out my back issues with a shorter stem. If the bike feels a bit long, maybe a stem could help you as well

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Fit can be an issue' date=' but lower back pain can have very serious underlying issues like mechanical damage, spinal misalignment etc. Before fiddleinig on fit etc visit a doc and ask him to check for mechanical issues which may need to be addressed.

 

If all is well, MOST back pain is not fitment issues (this is commonly thrown around for every bicycle problem) but mostly caused by pushing too big a gear for too long for your current lower back strength level.

 

Runners get exactly the same problem when running too far and overworking the lower back which is a stabilising muscle and easily overworked.

 

..............and runners have no fitment issues.!

 

Anyway, its basically just overworked muscles like any other. Except the lower back gos easily into spasm takes much longer to recover from the inflamatory process than other muscles and when you continue working it hard it just gets worse.

 

The only remedy is rest and anti inflamatory medication, and building up the strength level of these muscles.

 
[/quote']

 

Widget, got a friend that took her bike to a few different bike shops to setup as her back would really start hurting after 40 mins on the road....turns out it was something like you mentioned, had nothing to do with the setup at all.

 
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Get to the gym and work on your core, do a lot of lower abdominal and lower back back work using the swiss and bosu ball, and of course increase your stretching!!

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Anyone know why I get Low Back Pain when riding on my bike??

 

Have you been doing a lot of hill climbing? How low are your bars compared to your saddle??

 

You need to be more specific "lower back pain" covers lots of possible scenarios.

 

Is this a new pain, how long have you had it, where exactly is the pain (left lower, right lower, centre), when does it happen, after a certain time on the bike, climbing or any time,  does it worry you also after riding, or during any other activity (sleeping, sitting, standing).

 

So many questions....

 

 

 

 

 
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Aaaah, Yes, "FIT" the common cycling myth.

 

Some shops will tell you its the cure for everything from a sore back to a snotty nose as they overuse it as another sales gimmick, when in fact most of us are savvy enough to know when we are comfortable or not.

 

The body is an amazingly agile machine, if you are comfortable and have no reason to suspect back injury, like others have said, you have just overworked your back muscles.

 

Your legs and glutes are big strong muscles, your back is not, so whenever you increase a workload usually your back will tire and spasm long before your legs - hense pain.!

 

Nothing but a muscle imbalance mate, you can live on anti inflamatory medication for the next two years or rest the muscles now, reduce the inflamation and then increase their strength by specific training - in other words eliminate the imbalance.

 

Your call.!

      
porky2009-02-07 05:15:25
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I am no doctor, but i had the same, and it reccurs when pushing my self hard on rides. Its gear selection for me, select an easier gear and the pain subsides

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Regular stretching of the hamstrings, buttocks, hip flexors and quads works for me. But it can be a result of many other factors as well. I suggest you make a list of possibile remedies, pick one and stick with it for 2 weeks, if things do not get better move on to the next one.

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i have to agree with the guys who are saying core muscles - both their strength and their flexibility - are the most likely cause. Anti-inflamatories to resolve the current situation and then gym work - both stretches and strength.

 

when i was comfortable doing 160km or more per ride i was also more than happy doing 3 sets of 20 hyperextensions holding a 10kg bar-bell weight to increase the resistance! not a day's problems. now i've been off gym for 2 years and mostly off the bike as well (much more off than on for the past year) and i have been feeeling it - so it's back to gym for me cos i know that will resolve the issue.
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i have to agree with the guys who are saying core muscles - both their strength and their flexibility - are the most likely cause. Anti-inflamatories to resolve the current situation and then gym work - both stretches and strength.

 

when i was comfortable doing 160km or more per ride i was also more than happy doing 3 sets of 20 hyperextensions holding a 10kg bar-bell weight to increase the resistance! not a day's problems. now i've been off gym for 2 years and mostly off the bike as well (much more off than on for the past year) and i have been feeeling it - so it's back to gym for me cos i know that will resolve the issue.

 

Thats a common problem (muscle imbalances or weak core muscles) amongest older more mature riders Embarrassed speaking from experience...

 

Sometimes the problem can be of a structural nature i.e. pelvis asymmetry, excessive leg length differences, etc... which no amount of regular exercise will cure.

 

I have always suffered from lower back pain cycling, exercising core muscles/ stretching in my case helps but does not cure the problem. After many years I found that it is due to a stiff joint in my lower back (which no amount of chiropratic manipulation could cure) and a slightly twisted pelvis (which could be due to a slightly excessive leg length difference or the stiff joint).

 

If the problem persists save yourself further hassle and see a sports Doctor or someone similar who can make an accurate assessment of your body symmetry and depending on the outcome advise the correct course of action.

A good reference for similar kind of problems is a chap down in <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Australiaon> called Steve Hogg, he has posted articles on cycling news.com and you can also e mail him questions (see cycling news link below).

.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Reference:

http://www.cyclefitcentre.com/further%20reading.htm

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=default#qa

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when i was comfortable doing 160km ...

 

but doing it in 1 hr on a motorcycle doesn't count...Wink

 

seriously, lowerback pain is regullarly the result of hamstring problems.(stiff)

and , be carefull of overstretching.
cervelo2009-02-09 04:10:20
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i have to agree with the guys who are saying core muscles - both their strength and their flexibility - are the most likely cause. Anti-inflamatories to resolve the current situation and then gym work - both stretches and strength.

 

when i was comfortable doing 160km or more per ride i was also more than happy doing 3 sets of 20 hyperextensions holding a 10kg bar-bell weight to increase the resistance! not a day's problems. now i've been off gym for 2 years and mostly off the bike as well (much more off than on for the past year) and i have been feeeling it - so it's back to gym for me cos i know that will resolve the issue.

 

Thats a common problem (muscle imbalances or weak core muscles) amongest older more mature riders Embarrassed speaking from experience...

 

Sometimes the problem can be of a structural nature i.e. pelvis asymmetry' date=' excessive leg length differences, etc... which no amount of regular exercise will cure.

 

I have always suffered from lower back pain cycling, exercising core muscles/ stretching in my case helps but does not cure the problem. After many years I found that it is due to a stiff joint in my lower back (which no amount of chiropratic manipulation could cure) and a slightly twisted pelvis (which could be due to a slightly excessive leg length difference or the stiff joint).

 

If the problem persists save yourself further hassle and see a sports Doctor or someone similar who can make an accurate assessment of your body symmetry and depending on the outcome advise the correct course of action.

A good reference for similar kind of problems is a chap down in <?: prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Australiaon> called Steve Hogg, he has posted articles on cycling news.com and you can also e mail him questions (see cycling news link below).

.<?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Reference:

http://www.cyclefitcentre.com/further%20reading.htm

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/fitness/?id=default#qa

[/quote']

 

so glad you corrected yourself there! Wink
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You mean the word "us" which I edited out of my original thought...

 

Thats a common problem (muscle imbalances or weak core muscles) amongest older us more mature riders Embarrassed speaking from experience...

 

Call it my survival instinct.

 

 
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