Lower back pain

sbbefc

I've had lower back pain on and off now for two years. I got over the initial pain when I started cycling and it did become far less frequent. In the past few weeks it has flared up again. It comes on when im riding up climbs but its not so bad on the flat. I don't get the pain when doing other physical activities like football.

Should I have a week off? or are there any other remedies I could try?

kajjal

I would check it out with your GP unless it is an on going condition you have always had and not just cycling sets it off. They may give you some stretching exercises and pain killers which should set you right in a few days.The only time I have had back pain cycling up hill was the two times I set my back into spasm by sneezing

When I first got my road bike it gave me lower back pain, knee pain , ankle pain and the saddle was sore. After reading on the web about bike fit / setup I adjusted the bike over a couple of weeks, bought a new saddle the right size and have had no pain since.

okgo

Despite doing a fair amount of riding I was finding when I really pressed on for a prolonged period (I do mean full gas) I would also get lower back ache, this was happening this winter. Anyway, since the new year each evening I have been doing plank (both normal, and side) excersise in a big to strengthen my core, the upshot is that even in a month-6 weeks I can now ride on the roadbike very hard without issue, and have done a few fairly tough 4 hour non stop rides recently without any back ache at all, so I would say do some core stuff, even if you think you have a strong core, it helped me a lot!

Bozman

I get lower back pain which also gets worse when I'm climbing or if I have the hammer down over distance, core exercises and stretching before and after a ride seems to help but it's still there.
The doc and chiropractor both said, what do you expect if you spend that length of time on a road bike at your age(45).

top_bhoy

Bozman wrote:

I get lower back pain which also gets worse when I'm climbing or if I have the hammer down over distance, core exercises and stretching before and after a ride seems to help but it's still there.
The doc and chiropractor both said, what do you expect if you spend that length of time on a road bike at your age(45).

Don't you love some of those in the medical profession....some really are a waste of space. They sound like one or two I've encountered over the last 2 years.

Instead of investigating the cause of the pain to either a) take the necessary steps to minimise further damage or b) take precautions to alleviate it or c) plan knowing it will always be there, they fill you with their negativity. Maybe they'd both be happier if you had high blood pressure and an abnormal pulse rate if you were to stop cycling.

phreak

Assuming your bike is fitted well, it might be worth having a look at some core exercises. I suspect when you're giving it some welly up a climb you'll be using your core more than on the flat. A weak core can often translate into a sore back.

sbbefc

I play quite a bit of football and rugby so I would like to think my core is ok, although it cant hurt in doing a few exercises to improve it. Any suggestions?

With regards to the bike fit, I havnt had one but it its been comfortable for most of the year even for longer 4-8h rides.

A few weeks ago I had a disastrous mechanical problem half way up a fairly big climb 8km at 6-7%, basically my crankset had worn out and the chain was slipping and occasionally getting thrown, I managed to limp to the top but had another climb to traverse to get back to the car 5km at 5% or something. I think it might be the constant slipping from that ride which might be the source of the problem.

ExigeR

2 Years ago i had this so the following winter i did core and lower back exercises, didn't have a problem over the summer then. Fast forward to this winter i didn't do any again, been out a few times now and my back ache has returned.

Not saying this is your problem and if your worried go see someone about it but it worked for me.

ai_1

Obviously there's more than one potential cause for back problems but just to add to the comments re core strength: I think it can be more than just "core strength" in that core strength is used to keep your pelvis and spin aligned correctly under load but that load can be affected by other things. In my case I was suffering from lower back pain occasionally on hard rides especially on long climbs. While my core strength probably wasn't great it hasn't gotten much better since and yet the pain has pretty much vanished. I believe the actual cause may hav been tight hamstrings causing me to tilt my pelvis more upright and thus putting more strain on the lower vertebrae. For a situation like this, improving core strength would help prevent the pelvis being pulled out of position by the hamstrings so should reduce the symptoms but the hamstrings will still be tight. And if your lazy it's much easier to get some flexibility in your hamstrings by stretching than it is to build lots of core strength. Of course the core strength is a positive thing anyway but just saying.....

sbbefc

Thanks for the replies.

What kind of exercises should I be doing to improve core strength?

woolwich

On the recommendation of somebody else in another back pain thread. I ordered "Core Advantage" by Tom Danielson.
I can't recommend it high enough. It's improved my cycling no end as well as day to day activitys.

ai_1

sbbefc wrote:

Thanks for the replies.

What kind of exercises should I be doing to improve core strength?

Planks are a good place to start. A lot of pilates exercises will help both core strengthening and flexibility.

top_bhoy

Ai_1 wrote:

sbbefc wrote:

Thanks for the replies.

What kind of exercises should I be doing to improve core strength?

Planks are a good place to start. A lot of pilates exercises will help both core strengthening and flexibility.

I've started going to pilates classes at the local gym and can say that this has helped me enormously. After debilitating back pain that thnkfully has eased (and which I attened clinical pilates using a reformer system) I've still been affected by niggles and minor aches and pains. After a couple of 60 minute sessions, those niggles and aches which have been there for a few months, have gone. It may well be coincidence but I'm not so sure. Even if it is coincidence, now a few classes later, for general well being, I definitely feel better for doing those stretches and posture movements.

richa

Do you have tight hip flexors? Do you have an seated job? Cycling and prolonged sitting can lead to tight hip flexors, this imbalance then causes additional strain on your lower back. Quads & hip stretches can help.

josehernandez

I had ongoing lower back pain for two years prior to Prolapsed disc L5/S1 last September. Bought Tom Danielson's Core Advantage, started doing exercises and attending Pilates and now my post ride discomfort has almost completely disappeared.