Lower back strain

[mlodewyks]

Hi guys,

 

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.  I've been doing MTB races for about 3 years now.  I have a Raleigh RM5 17" (small), and I'm 1.68m tall (or short).  Anyway, I still get lower back pain after long times in the saddle.  Is this incorrect bike setup, or just a normal thing that everybody experience?

 

Is there anything I can do?  Please help me with some hints or advise.

 

Regards,

Martin

 

[porky]

I think its quite common, but its not always set-up as everyone likes to promote (although, of course it can be) - usually its got to do with pushing a too big a gear for too long for your current lower back strength.

 

Its also common in running (I get it immediately I up my distance before a long marathon and I have been running for 20 odd years) - your lower back is a much smaller and weaker muscle than your leg and glute muscles, so pushing a big gear - doing longer distances etc may not be difficult leg wise, it always takes a huge toll on the lower back.

 

Once the muscles go into spasm, it can pull the spine out of alignement or at the very least cause spinal pain and difficulty in bending etc. Hense the continous lower back pain.

 

What to do - well, it depends, strengtheing your back is the obvious one, but its a long process, it wont happen overnight, right now I would just suggest you take a few days off (at least a week) and take some anti -inflammatory medication (Panamor -50 is good and available over the counter at most pharmacys for about R12.00 per 14 tabs) to allow the inflamation to subside a bit, and then ride slightly easier gears than you usually do and build up slowly.

 

If you dont give the inflamation time to subside before you continue, the muscles will remain in spasm and you will never get rid of the pain, it will always be there as a dull ache.

 

Because the the lower back is so complex in its actions, its a very slow muscle to respond to treatment and inflamation can take two or three weeks to go down.

 

Good luck.

 

[AuctionLamb]

make your boobs smaller?

[mlodewyks]

Thanks for the replies.  The pain is not constant, it usually subsides within a day after a long ride.  I just thought that I might be doing something wrong.  And Discovery won't pay for man-boob augmentation, so no luck on that.

[cyclone]

 

One of the most common mistakes is to assume that if your back is sore ones back must be the problem.Most cycling related lower back pain is due to weak core muscles(abdominal+plus some). The point of your core is to take the strain off you back muscles.If your core is weak then your back muscles work harder and come under strain.

 

so-stretch your back before and after ride and get going on good core routine work out, there's plenty of them around.

 

cyclone2009-03-19 03:05:37

[cyclone]

Oh and if you are hypertensive,have kidney or liver problems or have any problems with peptic ulceration then be very careful of using Non steroidal anti inflammatiry drugs(NSAIDS- of which panamor(diclofenac) is one).

 

Persistent use of these drugs causes peptic ulcers and gastric bleeding.My advice-use only when you really need them.

 

[zeepee]

can be a host of things, i got lower back pain last year from cycling. Went to a Chiro to sort it out, helped allot but turned out that my office chair was sh*t and the cause of my problems.

 

Start with your bike set-up, then go to a physio to see if your bio mechanics is good. They will also help you strengthen your core

zeepee2009-03-19 03:13:37

[SwissVan]

 

Lower back pain.. the subject could take the rest of the day week month.... a long time. <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

How low are your handlebars compared to your saddle, to much drop (relative to how flexible your lower back is) could be the problem?

The less flexible you are the higher your bars need to be.

 

If bike set up does not solve the problem get your back, pelvis, and legs accessed by a professional - looking for excessive leg length discrepancy, stiff joints (i.e.sacro-ilac), pelvis asymmetry (sp), muscle imbalance and lack of flexibility.

 

 

[mlodewyks]

Ok, I'll have a look at the handle bar height, it is currently lower than the seat.   BTW, I can stand with my legs straight and touch the floor, so I don't think flexibility is an issue.

[M44SE]

Howzit,

I agree with cyclone mostly core, but first check bike set-up pm me if you in JHB got a good contact for setups

[Taps]

Hi

As stated by others your core muscles most likely need strengthening. Best way to improve is to join a Pilates class. You'll notice an improvement within 3 weeks, and after 6 will have no more pain (well, that was my experience anyway).

 

Good luck.

[greatscott]

I am the same height as you. 1.68 short! The real problem is that around 1.68 or 1.7 is the common point to go from small to medium size frame. I had a 17.5 Trek that was properly set up and had serious back and knee pain. I kept on thinking the problem was that the bike was too small. Big and expensive mistake! I now have a 16 inch with a 90mm stem and 170mm crank. The effective top tube has reduced from 585mm to 555mm. This seems small but I now can ride my bike for as long as I like without any pain what so ever.

 

 

 

Good luck man, there's nothing worse than back pain!

[SwissVan]

Ok' date=' I'll have a look at the handle bar height, it is currently lower than the seat.   BTW, I can stand with my legs straight and touch the floor, so I don't think flexibility is an issue. [/quote']

 

 

Nice...

 

Maybe youve got long arms like an orangutan

 

[mlodewyks]

lol.  Ok, I can see my toes over the boep.

[Rudo]

Quite a bit of my experience regarding this comes from the Alexander technique (if I don't say it now I'll be accused of sneaking in a sales pitch at the end...despite having nothing to gain from it<?: prefix = v ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" /> <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Sitting (on a chair saddle) is a fairly modern activity for which we weren't originally designed/ evolved. Cycling long hours is probably no worse for our backs than sitting at a desk except that our head (weighs about 5kg!), which should be balancing easily on our necks in stead of dangling in front of us. This means that we have toeither hunch our sholders and pull our necks in or strain our back to keep our heads from lopping onto the chest.

 

Sure, I fully agree, too much riding for the strength of our core muscles increases the strain on the back and spine. And you need a good-as-possible bike setup!!

 

But riding a bicycle is in itself "unnatural" just as sitting at a desk is "unnatural". We weren't designed for either. Nor can we live without either!! 

 

The good news is that we can reeducate our bodies to perform each activity optimally and to return to a strain free state as soon as possible. If this does not happen we carry any strain around long after necessary, until it releases over time, if at all.

 

It is also quite easy to reeducate our bodies. Even changing the way you think about what you are doing starts changing the way you do it. Thinking towards the top of your head for example keeps your back lengthened and takes strain off the spine. Generally everything in us needs to move further apart. And we should be balancing! Being aware that you are dancing on the pedals much more than sitting on the saddle subtly changes the way you use your body while cycling.

 

I can't say whether the changes are optimal aerodynamically for example. But my experience was that, from the moment I started improving the use of my body, my endurance increased as did the ease and efficiency with which I pedaled - I think because my body stayed relaxed and extended. And I became easily aware of when it tensed up. This of course as a bonus to preventing back problems. 

 

In trail riding staying relaxed and balanced plays key roles, an added benefit of learning good use!!!

 

I cannot tell you how to initiate improvement only that I learnt good use through the Alexander Technique and that it should be worth looking into for anyone, for sport improvement and pain prevention, but especially if you are already experiencing back trouble:

 

Go to www.alexanderteqnigue.com to find yourself a teacher.

 

PS, in a sense it is good that you are aware of pain or discomfort in your back. Many people are just not really aware of it until it is suddenly acute, after years of making bad use of their bodies. Modern man is generally not very aware.

Good luck with sorting it out though!!

 

Rudo2009-03-19 10:10:33