Sciatica?

pb21

I have a pain in my leg/thigh/bottom that could be sciatica. I have had it on and off for a while now and it seems to be cycling related.

I had the first three days of the week off the bike and the discomfort went away. On Thursday I went out for a quick hard ride after work and this, it seems, has caused it to come back.

Can cycling aggravate sciatica, and if so what does this indicate is the problem?

I was meant to be racing tomorrow but have canceled, that as pushing hard on the pedals caused most discomfort.

CraigUKcp

I have a prolapsed disc in my lower back but since being back on the bike I haven't had too much trouble. I have however noticed that position is fairly critical, if I have the bars too low or too long a stem fitted then the extra reach can often trigger it. Have a look at you bike setup including frame size (top tube length). Coupled with this, do you ever do any exercises to improve core strength? I had physio for over a year on my back during which I was taught alot of exercises that help improve stability. Finally, do you regularly stretch out after every ride? This is very important as cycling can cause your hamstrings to shorten if you don't stretch on a regular basis. I was informed by my doctor that shortened hamstrings can cause your pelvis to tilt resulting in lower back pain and sometimes sciatica. Have you seen a doctor? If not always a good idea.

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pb21

Thanks for the reply.

I haven't changed my position radically, although within the last few months I have Put a shorter stem on which is slightly lower than the old one, and I have moved my saddle fowrard slightly.

I don't do any core exercises and limited stretching, this s something I should start doing anyway...

I might make a doctors appointment although I don't really like the idea of going, as the pain is not great, although he may be able to suggest a cause.

hugo15

Have suffered most of this year with sciatica. Saw a physio and he did lots of work on my hamstrings and also gave me some pelvic tilting exercises. It has taken a while to sort out but it is nearly there now. Would recommend seeing a good physio.

Fab Foodie

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by pb21</i>

Thanks for the reply.

I haven't changed my position radically, although within the last few months I have Put a shorter stem on which is slightly lower than the old one, and I have moved my saddle fowrard slightly.

I don't do any core exercises and limited stretching, this s something I should start doing anyway...

I might make a doctors appointment although I don't really like the idea of going, as the pain is not great, although he may be able to suggest a cause.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Shortened stem and moving seat forward even by a relatively small amount might have caused the recent problem. Sometimes small mm's adjustments can have a big effect on how effectively you pedal and sit comfortably/relaxed on the bike.
Could you change back and see if things improve?

Other than that, cycling on a racing-bike actually cured my Sciatica, thin it was a combination of being bent double and the legs going up and down...whatever was trapped was soon freed.

---

The pessimists of this world are rarely disappointed....
Fab's TCR1

popette

pb21 wrote:

I have a pain in my leg/thigh/bottom that could be sciatica. I have had it on and off for a while now and it seems to be cycling related.

.

Does the pain shoot down your leg? I understand that is indicative of sciatica.
I have a pain in my right side - it radiates around my bum and top of my leg but it's due to problem with sacroiliac joint and not sciatica. I went to see a couple of physios but they weren't able to tell me what the problem was nor give me any help. I then saw an osteopath who saw the problem and has given me exercises to help. He also does some manipulations on me which really do make a difference. The intial cause of the problem was childbirth but I think a lack of stretching after cycling has made it worse.

Good luck with it.

jumbolugs

I've had intermittent problems with sciatica for the last 14 years but I've always found that it does not interfere with my cycling. On the contrary, I can remember occasions when I've had difficulty walking but have been able to ride with virtually no pain.

I think the person who mentioned core strength is onto something. About 7 years ago I started going to the gym a lot and did loads of situps and rowing exercises and the sciatica completely went away for about 2 years. It's since come back, as I no longer do that type of gym work, but it's never been as bad as it used to be.

515mm

hi,

I had a sciatica attack in jan, saw a chiropractor, eighty quid and 3 sessions of manipulation later - cured!

advice from my chiro'?

"Cycle, cycle, cycle. Oh and some more cycling please."

Haven't looked back since. My sincerest sympathies for your pain and best wishes for a rapid recovery. Try a chiropractor. Your GP should be able to reccommend one.

Hugh A

It is possible it isn't sciatica - as Popette says sacroiliac problem. It could be a pinched nerve not in the back. Mind you that is what a decent physio thought when he first came across my symptoms. After two treatments he realised it wasn't that and gave up.

Various other useless 'back specialists' managed nothing useful unitl I had a scan which confirmed the displaced and damaged discs I always thought I had causing sciatica.

Anyway the only thing which has helped so far is an increase in core strength of the deep abdominal muscles. I have been doing specific exercises prescribed by a physio but I gather these are the same muscles that pilates works on so it may be worth trying some classes.

Like others I am surprised that riding the bike brings it on so much as this does not affect me all that badly, and think you ought to look at your riding position again. It may also be worth seeing if the level of effort affects it or trying different riding styles (like trying to use legs only while relaxing the back etc.)