Lower Back Pain!

BIZZ said:

I just started cycling and have been having some lower back pain on my rides, but when i ride on my trainer i dont feel any pain, just when i ride out side.

I was wondering if any one could help me with my problem thanks

I would go see an orthopedist cause this would usually be a sign of something. Does the pain run down the leg maybe stopping at the knee? Is it ache or burning or spasm? If you tell me more details than I can give you a better idea.

-js

Lower back pain or neck pain in most cases is caused from bars that are to low or too far away.

I know when I ride the trainer I can look anywhere; at the timer, my cranks, tv, out the window etc. but on the road you need to keep your head up eh? intuitively that would make me think of effects on your neck, but...

do your road rides last longer than your rides on the trainer? I know mine do! hehe

just some things to consider...

good luck

First of all you need to search this and other forums on this site as LBP has been covered ad nauseum here.

Next, as LBP tends to manifests itself differently for individuals, what works for some won't necessarily work for you. I am amazed at the number of people who will seek out medical advice on an internet forum without seeing a professional. See every type of professional you feasibly can: MD, PT, Chiro, MT, etc. Try to find folks with experience working with cycling related issues (this will take extra work on your part). After seeing several professionals you must then draw your own conclusions as there will no doubt be some conflicting advice. This will involve some trial and error as well as research on your part.

As someone who has been working through chronic LBP for greater than 10 years now I can say that you are the one responsible for your treatment. It's up to you to educate yourself and take the time to find out what works and what doesn't from people with experience treating folks with similar symptoms.

Dave

I am not an expert but the most obvious: Bike Fit

People often overlook this aspect when they first get into cycling. Riding on a trainer is often different in that you don't need to be aerodynamic. Also, you may want to start doing abdominals and lower back and stretching exercises at home or at the gym. That can help. I live too far from gyms but I do work on these every day at home.

BIZZ said:

I just started cycling and have been having some lower back pain on my rides, but when i ride on my trainer i dont feel any pain, just when i ride out side.

I was wondering if any one could help me with my problem thanks

If you already have a reasonable bike setup and position, your pain is probably caused by an imperfect lower back that cannot take the continuous strain associated with natural pedalling. The lower back while under this strain is further aggravated by the road shock or vibration from road surfaces, the greater the pressure in your tyres the greater the road shock. You do not have this road shock effect while on the indoor trainer. The solution lies in a different pedalling style which removes the lower back from all pedalling resistance strain and the strain of upper body weight support, but that's a whole different can of worms.

n crowley said:

The lower back while under this strain is further aggravated by the road shock or vibration from road surfaces, the greater the pressure in your tyres the greater the road shock. You do not have this road shock effect while on the indoor trainer.

The solution lies in a different pedalling style which removes the lower back from all pedalling resistance strain and the strain of upper body weight support, but that's a whole different can of worms.

This is exactly what I thought as a man who is struggling with a herniated disc so I will bite and ask what is this pedaling system you speak of.

I am not interested in the effectiveness of the pedal stroke but what it does for your back as I have not been able to ride for months.

-js

dkrenik said:

Next, as LBP tends to manifests itself differently for individuals, what works for some won't necessarily work for you. I am amazed at the number of people who will seek out medical advice on an internet forum without seeing a professional. See every type of professional you feasibly can: MD, PT, Chiro, MT, etc. Try to find folks with experience working with cycling related issues (this will take extra work on your part). After seeing several professionals you must then draw your own conclusions as there will no doubt be some conflicting advice. This will involve some trial and error as well as research on your part.

As someone who has been working through chronic LBP for greater than 10 years now I can say that you are the one responsible for your treatment. It's up to you to educate yourself and take the time to find out what works and what doesn't from people with experience treating folks with similar symptoms.

Dave

I hear you my friend as a person having this issue for a year now with a herniated disc. LBP can come in many different variations and what works for me will not work for you.

Have you been able to resolve your issues enough so you can ride?

-js

jsirabella said:

I am not interested in the effectiveness of the pedal stroke but what it does for your back as I have not been able to ride for months.

-js

If you can walk lower back pain free, you should with this technique be also able to cycle pain free. At the start of each leg's powerful high gear 180 deg. pedal stroke four simultaneous actions take place. For example using the right leg's pedal stroke, as the right leg starts its power application from the hip around 11 o'c, the right arm supplies instant resistance to prevent sliding back on saddle (this arm resistance acts like the back rest support in the gym "leg press" exercise), while at the same time the left leg's drawing back action begins around 5 o'c as the left arm presses down on the bar, supplying resistance for the drawing back leg action but even more important supplying continuous support for all upper bodyweight until the start of the left leg's power stroke at 11 o'c. The body from the saddle upwards is fully stabilized in an aero position with all upper bodyweight supported by one of the working arms at all times. The combined working action of the legs and arms also absorbs all road shock. The key to this technique lies in how the force is transmitted from shoe to pedal and that is something I have explained many times in other threads. For this technique you need a pair of aerodynamic "Scott Rake" bars (once used by A. Coggan).

Hey thanks for all the advice i actually have just started to ride at higher RPMs and its gotten alot better i guess i just need to get those muscles alot stronger.

jsirabella said:

so I will bite and ask what is this pedaling system you speak of.

I think you'll be sorry you said that...

jsirabella said:

Have you been able to resolve your issues enough so you can ride?

For sure. It certainly takes more time and effort with non-bike activities: stretching, core strength (Pilates, Yoga, etc.), massage, and occasional visit to chiro.

To underscore what others have stated in this thread, bike fit is paramount. For years I couldn't understand why my QL's would get so darn tight. With regular stretching, a few days after seeing a chiro and getting massage my QL's would get amazingly tight. This was exasperated by low RPM/high torque efforts. I've been fitted professionally several times over the decades. I finally went in for an evaluation at the Boulder Center of Sports Medicine (BCSM). They did the whole digitized thing (rather impressive) and it was a classic case of I believed that I was doing "this" and the data showed that I was doing "that". They raised my bars a bit (out of concern of my "advancing age" - I'll only be 49) and swapped out my saddle for one with more support for the sitz bones. Viola - reduced/eliminated my hip-rocking and balanced my position. Awesome.

Didn't reduce/eliminate the need for stretching and everything else. I believe that I'll always have to do that.

Dave

BIZZ said:

Hey thanks for all the advice i actually have just started to ride at higher RPMs and its gotten alot better i guess i just need to get those muscles alot stronger.

That result shouldn't be surprising. Assuming that you're generating the same power, with greater RPM/cadence, you are lowering the pedal force (torque). This would take some stress off of the lower back muscles involved.

Dave

dkrenik said:

That result shouldn't be surprising. Assuming that you're generating the same power, with greater RPM/cadence, you are lowering the pedal force (torque). This would take some stress off of the lower back muscles involved.

Dave

You are missing the point, the fact is, it's possible to pedal using the highest gears or torque without making any use of these lower back muscles, by allowing the hips and arms to take all the strain and leaving the lower back in a relaxed state.

dkrenik said:

For sure. It certainly takes more time and effort with non-bike activities: stretching, core strength (Pilates, Yoga, etc.), massage, and occasional visit to chiro.

To underscore what others have stated in this thread, bike fit is paramount. For years I couldn't understand why my QL's would get so darn tight. With regular stretching, a few days after seeing a chiro and getting massage my QL's would get amazingly tight. This was exasperated by low RPM/high torque efforts. I've been fitted professionally several times over the decades. I finally went in for an evaluation at the Boulder Center of Sports Medicine (BCSM). They did the whole digitized thing (rather impressive) and it was a classic case of I believed that I was doing "this" and the data showed that I was doing "that". They raised my bars a bit (out of concern of my "advancing age" - I'll only be 49) and swapped out my saddle for one with more support for the sitz bones. Viola - reduced/eliminated my hip-rocking and balanced my position. Awesome.

Didn't reduce/eliminate the need for stretching and everything else. I believe that I'll always have to do that.

Dave

More expensive nonsense, how many TT riders do you see today with their sit bones positioned on the saddle where sit bones are supposed to be. Would it be possible for you to now ride a 50 mile TT free of all LBP, it would with the "linear style" and no additional exercises would be required because every TT or training ride done would also be a lower back improvment. exercise.

dkrenik said:

They raised my bars a bit (out of concern of my "advancing age" - I'll only be 49) and swapped out my saddle for one with more support for the sitz bones. Viola - reduced/eliminated my hip-rocking and balanced my position. Awesome.

Didn't reduce/eliminate the need for stretching and everything else. I believe that I'll always have to do that.

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the advice and in the gym when I look at the window and see my reflection I see way too much hip rocking and in my current condition that is going to make it impossible to ride without pain.

Can you be more specific how you were able to get rid of the rocking? Which type of seat did you switch to?

I do lots of stretching and core...what area do you feel most helpful to stretch other than the lower back?

-js

n crowley said:

You are missing the point, the fact is, it's possible to pedal using the highest gears or torque without making any use of these lower back muscles, by allowing the hips and arms to take all the strain and leaving the lower back in a relaxed state.

Oh jeez, here we go...

The linear pedaling style also relieves gout; cures painful acne; and give hair a healthy shine and bounce. 🙄

n crowley said:

it would with the "linear style" and no additional exercises would be required because every TT or training ride done would also be a lower back improvment.

Talk about nonsense...